Exploring Princeton

I recently was invited as a special guest of the Golandsky Institute to attend their Summer Symposium on the gorgeous campus of Princeton University. Taking full advantage of this very kind invitation, I took a look at the symposium and festival events and found time to relax on the beautiful campus. What a wonderful chance to take a breather from my performance activities! The campus of Princeton University offers a multitude of park-like walks alongside some of America's most prestigious campus halls and sites. The old world atmosphere and the feeling of academic excellence makes for a unique and superbly recharging experience.

Stopping by Nassau Hall is a must; the oldest building on campus houses the president's office behind walls overgrown by ivy. The building is not open to the general public. All of this, of course, piques my curiosity. 

My very generous host last week, the Golandsky Institute, is the preeminent center for the teaching of the Taubman Approach. I like their mission:

The Golandsky Institute gives pianists transformative tools for physical health and musical expressivity. By helping artists avoid injury, the Institute ensures that classical music will have a bright and sustainable future.

It is a wonderful opportunity for pianists - or anyone interested in piano-playing on any level - to learn about this injury-prevention approach. On their website you can read what doctors say about it - I think you'll be intrigued.

Lectures, master classes, and technique clinics are interspersed with private lessons throughout seven full days every July. Each evening features a concert by world-class pianists. This year they had distinguished musicians like Dick Hyman, Yehudi Wyner, Richard Stoltzman, and Wei Luo (a 16-year-old Curtis Institute prodigy).

The Institute offers workshops year-round in cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Berkeley, and Montreal. They recently launched a streaming service of their entire educational video catalogue. It is easy to subscribe and receive unlimited access.

I highly recommend their annual symposium/festival in such inspiring and prestigious surroundings! Visit the Golandsky Institute's beautiful website for more information: golandskyinstitute.org. 

Here I am with the great clarinetist, Richard Stoltzman, at the Golandsky Institute.