Professor of the Juilliard School held masterclass at Liszt Academy
Yoheved Kaplinsky, renowned pianist from the prestigious institution came at the invitation of Gábor Farkas, Head of the Keyboard and Harp Department, and spoke with enthusiasm about the Liszt Academy and its students.
She is a "great-great-granddaughter" of Ferenc Liszt, as her teacher, Ilona Vincze-Krausz was a student of Bartók, who in turn was teached by Liszt's pupil István Thomán.
About this heritage,Yoheved Kaplinsky, head of department at the Juilliard School, said that her teacher gave him a wonderful foundation and taught her to listen to every note.
„She stressed the importance of evenness, but to achieve this we need to listen to ourselves. Also, I learned from her that each finger has an individual purpose, and each is equally important in producing what you want to hear. We must be able to control each one of our fingers. My teacher also gave me a very strong rhythmic background, which, for example, is a key to Bartók as well. Because the rhythmic structure, the reason why certain rhythms are where they are, is very important. I think the values of rhythm and quality of sound are disappearing very quickly, and I don't want to lose them, so I'm always looking to pass on that knowledge," she added..
Yoheved Kaplinsky said she finds it important to learn to combine the technique and the emotional, because one without the another is totally meaningless. "If you just think of technique for its own sake, you're missing the point because it's there for a purpose, it is a tool, not what you strive for. The better your tools are, the better you're going to be able to express what you want. Because without emotion you cannot hold on to the audience," she stressed.
She also said that the Liszt Academy is well known at Juilliard, considered one of the most prestigious music academies in Europe and a representant of centuries-old traditions. "The piano students I met in the masterclass here are of a very high level, they are receptive, and it was easy to work with them", summarized Yoheved Kaplinsky.
