Collaboration with University of FRANZ LISZT/Weimar, Germany, Keene State College & Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music
February 9, 2021
In Fall 2018, as part of a desire to establish strong collaborations with international institutions, in addition to strengthening relations with the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music, Dr. Wright-Ivanova organized a multi-faceted visit of two German Professors from the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar (Kathrin ten Hagen; violin, and Christian Wilm Müller; piano & chamber music) to Keene State’s Music Department.
These two professors brought three students from Weimar to Keene who were in a pre-formed Piano Trio (piano, violin, cello) named the ‘Belvedere Trio’. They came to Keene in order to create several opportunities for learning and networking. This young Trio had already won several awards in Germany and abroad. This was a full-day residency with three parts.
Prof. ten Hagen taught several of the KSC students in violin and chamber music performance. Prof. Mueller taught three KSC pianists. The three German students had a one-hour session with Dr. Joseph Darby, who gave them a lecture on Shostakovich, before they performed the Shostakovich Piano Trio for him in order to receive feedback. I personally worked with the German violin student on her private repertoire, as well as the piano student in private lessons.
The Apple Hill String Quartet and Director Lenny Matchewski gave lessons to the German students, and a Public Master Class to the German students in the afternoon that was open to the public on KSC’s campus (Alumni Recital Hall). Dr. Rebecca Hartka gave a cello lesson to the German cello student, and in the evening we all travelled to hear the students perform on Apple Hill’s campus. It was a wonderful Residency that had a lasting impact on the KSC students. In addition, this collaboration instigated a relationship between Apple Hill and the University in Weimar, which led to some German students attending Apple Hill’s Summer Residency last year.