December Master Classes at Liszt Academy

The December series of Liszt Academy master classes opens with one by Zoltán Kocsis. The international career of Zoltán Kocsis began at the age of eighteen when he won the International Beethoven Competition sponsored by the Hungarian Radio. As a pianist, he has performed with the world's leading orchestras, has been a regular guest star at the most prestigious festivals of the international music scene, and has worked with such outstanding conductors as Claudio Abbado, Charles Mackerras or Charles Dutoit. In 1983 he co-founded the Budapest Festival Orchestra with Iván Fischer. Since 1983 he has performed as a conductor and has been active as a composer, too. In Fall 1997 Zoltán Kocsis became the general music director of the National Philharmonic Orchestra (formerly the Hungarian State Orchestra). As a result of his artistic approach, the orchestra's repertoire has significantly broadened, and since his appointment many works have been given their world premiere in Hungary. In January 2004 he was granted a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Midem in Cannes, where he also received the distinguished French honor, Le Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France's Minister of Culture, which had been awarded to him in 2002 for his supreme efforts popularizing French music and for the entirety of his oeuvre as a musician. In March 2005, his work was – for the second time after 1978 – honored with the Kossuth Prize, and on 25 March 2006, on the 125^th anniversary of Béla Bartók's birth, he was bestowed the Bartók-Pásztory Prize by a professional jury of Hungary's leading musicians. On 23 January 2007, the Minister of Education and Culture appointed Zoltán Kocsis "Global Ambassador of Hungarian Culture". On 30 May 2012, on his 60^th birthday, he received the Corvin Chain as an expression of the Hungarian nation's respect towards him. In the piano master classes to be given by Zoltán Kocsis on 1 December 2014 in Room XXIII of Liszt Academy's main building, active participation is only available for students of the Liszt Academy, but students of the Bartók Béla Conservatory are also welcome as passive listeners.
 

Zoltán Kocsis (Photo by Szabolcs Barakonyi)
 

István Várdai, winner of the 2014 ARD International Cello Competition, will hold a cello master course on December 5 and 6 in Room XXIII of the main building of Liszt Academy. István Várdai was born in Pécs, Hungary, in 1985. At the age of twelve he was admitted to the Special School for Exceptional Young Talents of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, and graduated from László Mező's class in 2009. Besides his education at the Liszt Academy, he also pursued studies in Vienna and later at he Kronberg Academy. He collected numerous prizes and awards in international music competitions: in 2006 he was awarded first prize at the 13^th International Johannes Brahms Competition organized in Austria, and next year he won third place at the 13^th International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow as well as the special award of the International Tchaikovsky Foundation. In Fall 2008 he won the first prize of the 63^rd Geneva International Music Competition. As a soloist, he has performed with the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra and the Qingdao Symphonic Orchestra in China; he has regularly played with the Liszt Ferenc Chamber Orchestra, as well as with almost all the major orchestras of Hungary. In 2009 he was guest musician at the Gergiev festival of St. Petersburg, the Pablo Casals Festival in El Vendrell, Spain, and the Radio France Festival of Montpellier. In 2008 he received the Hungarian Republic's March Revolutionaries Youth Award dedicated to the most promising young talents and in 2009 the Junior Prima Prize. In 2012 he was awarded the PRIX Montblanc endowed with 10,000 Euros, which has been granted to upcoming instrumental musicians since 2006. In September 2014 he triumphed at the 63^rd International Music Competition in the category of cello. Active participation in István Várdai's master class at the Liszt Academy is allowed only for students of the academy, but anyone is welcome to apply in a non-active role.
 

Photo: István Várdai

Thomas Adés, British composer, pianist and conductor is holding a master class on his own compositions on 8 December 2014 at Liszt Academy Room XXIII. Active participation is compulsory for students of the Liszt Academy, but the master class is open to attend for all interested. However, registration is necessary for all participants. The master class is free of charge. For the application info and detailed biography of Thomas Adés, please click here.

Thomas Adés (photo: Maurice Foxall)

Solo clarinet of the Berliner Philharmoniker, Wenzel Fuchs is holding a master class on 11 and 12 December 2014 in the Chamber Hall of the Old Liszt Academy. The Austrian clarinetist Wenzel Fuchs is one of the most renowned artists of Mozart's favorite instrument. He is principal clarinet of the Berliner Philharmoniker, and besides his orchestral career he is also an internationally acclaimed soloist and chamber musician. He holds a professorship at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin as well as in the Orchestra Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker, and he regularly gives master classes all around the world. During his course at the Liszt Academy, Wenzel Fuchs will give a short introductory lecture on the particular aspects of orchestral playing, the requirements and expectations towards the orchestral musicians, as well as the methods of a successful practical and mental preparation for an audition. Afterwards the active participants will have the opportunity to refine their skills in individual lessons. At the end of the master class, an audition will take place simulating the real conditions as a test for the students, who will also get an evaluation of their performance. Active participation is only available for students of the Liszt Academy, but passive listeners may also apply by no later than Monday, December 8. Prior to the master class, Wenzel Fuchs will give a clarinet recital on 10 December 2014 at 7 p.m. in the Sir Georg Solti Chamber Hall of the Liszt Academy. You can find the detailed program of the concert by clicking here.
 

Photo: Wenzel Fuchs

British cellist Steven Isserlis will hold a master class on 11 December 2014 in Room X of the main building of Liszt Academy. Born in 1958 in London, Isserlis is equally at home in contemporary music and historically authentic performance, and besides collaborating with the world's leading symphony orchestras, he has played with many of the foremost period-instrument groups. Also renowned as a chamber musician, he founded a trio with violinist Joshua Bell and pianist Olli Mustonen in 1991, and he regularly appears on stage with Dénes Várjon – their next recital will take place on 12 December 2014 in the Grand Hall of the Liszt Academy. Isserlis takes a strong interest in musical education as well: he presents a children's concert series in New York City, his books for children have been translated into many languages, and for the past thirteen years he has been Artistic Director of the International Musicians' Seminar at Prussia Cove in Cornwall. In recognition of his services to music, he has received numerous international honors, including in 2000 the Schumann Prize, which was bestowed to him after Emil Gilels, Sviatoslav Richter, Kurt Masur and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. One of his critics gives an apt description of Isserlis' performance: "His cello play is free from any obtrusive or harsh sounds. His delicate vibratos, his soft and velvety tones are coupled with powerful expressiveness." To Steven Isserlis' master class of 11 December, active participants will be nominated by the Liszt Academy, but passive listeners my also apply by 4 December at the latest.

Steven Isserlis (Photo by Jean-Baptiste Millot)

On 15-19 Hans-Ola Ericsson is holding a master class for the Academy's students of organ. Born in 1958, Ericsson studied under noted 20th century contemporary composers Luigi Nono, Klaus Huber and Brian Ferneyhough, and has worked with such giants as John Cage, György Ligeti and Olivier Messiaen - recording the complete works for organ by the latter composer. Since 2000, he has been a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, and a professor at McGill University in Canada, one of the world's leading academic institutions, since 2011. He is an outstanding interpreter chiefly of the 20th century repertoire, and within this the music of Messiaen, but has also earned a considerable reputation as a restorer of historic organs. An expert on the Baroque period, he oversaw the restoration of the most important organ of the Swedish Baroque movement in Stockholm (Scandinavia as a whole being known as a genuine treasure trove of historic organs, with a vast tradition of organ music). Active participation is only available for the Liszt Academy's students of organ, but the master class is open to attend for all interested. The master class is free of charge, however, registration is necessary for all participants. Find the details by clicking there.
 

Last in the series of December master classes will be one by Ulf Schneider, professor of the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover, who teaches a course between 16 and 18 December 2014 in Room X of Liszt Academy's main building. Born in Braunschweig in 1968, the German violinist studied at the Juilliard School of New York and with Thomas Zehetmair in the Berlin Academy of Arts. He is acclaimed for his concert performances both as a soloist and a chamber musician, he has made CD recordings for the labels Ars Musici and ECM, and since 2001 he has held a professorship at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover. In Ulf Schneider's master class, active participation is only available for students of the Liszt Academy, but anyone interested is welcome to participate in a non-active role. For all applications prior registration is required no later than 12 December 2014.

Details of the master classes and application conditions can be viewed by clicking on the above links or the lfze.hu/en/master-classes link.