SMALL AND LARGE FESTIVALS - Germany and China

Hello from the Macao Piano Competition 2019

January - what a whirlwind month!

In the first three weeks of the month I had the privilege of being faculty in two music festivals, one in Germany and one in China. What a difference!

Having experienced both events side by side was very special for me.

Right after the New Year I returned to the Kammermusik Festival Kaufbeuren with its thirty participants and three faculty members.

Some of you probably know, that I founded the Kammermusik Festival Kaufbeuren twelve years ago. We started pretty small, but since our modest beginnings the festival has grown to a level I would have never imagined when we got started. 

Meet the 2020 students and faculty of the Kammermusik Festival Kaufbeuren

From the get-go we wanted to keep the numbers manageable. I love the familiarity and the long standing relationships with our students. Some have been there from the very beginning and are now adults. It always feels like such a happy reunion to see them again. 

Kaufbeuren is a week of intense focus on music, teaching, playing and on getting to know each other in the quiet surrounds of the Southern Bavarian town of Kaufbeuren. We offer a mix of master classes, concerts and individual lessons. 

One of the highlights is the faculty concert. I love playing with my colleagues in the intimate setting of the Stadtsaal Kaufbeuren seating about 500. 

Post concert photos with Julia Kuhn and Joachim Reinhuber

And then there is the Macao Piano Competition with twelve hundred participants and fifteen faculty members. This annual event takes place in China’s special administrative region (SAR) of Macao.

The faculty, the Festival agents and our director Rebecca Young (front row)

Even though the event is called Macao Piano Competition, it has a definite festival flavor to it. The competition is accompanied by numerous master classes, faculty recitals, and some private lessons. Many events run parallel, and the general buzz and excitement is quite contageous.

Master Class on Beethoven Sonata op. 2 no. 1

I love how all events are packed to the max, sometimes even above capacity, the energy level is very high, and there is a true excitement about classical music and the piano in the air.

Solo Recital

and Post Concert CD signing

The contestants take a lot of pride not only in their stage presence but also in their outfits. Almost all of the performers come from mainland China and with quite a lot of family to support them.

I couldn’t help myself and took a candid photo of these three sweet contestants

In round one all participants get to play for a panel of three judges. After each performance the participants receive verbal comments from one of us. Luckily my college from Guangzhou was able to translate perfectly for me. 

Adjudication with my colleagues from Beijing Central Conservatory (l) and Xinghai Conservatory in Guangzhou (r). Each panel of judges was supported by the competition staff (far right)

After four days filled with activities, music and interactions with participants I feel a strong sense of trust in the next generation.

Looking at both festivals, I walk away with the confident sense that classical music is in the very good hands of a new generation of young pianists. 

Final Round of the Macao Piano Competition in the Macao Broadway Theater seating 2500

I feel honored to be able to help shape this next generation of classical pianists be it in Germany or in China.