Dear Everyone,
I don't think it's possible to describe how much of a wonderful time I had in Oxford. It was most definitely one of the best weeks of my life! I was immersed in breathtakingly beautiful music the entire time: There were fascinating master classes to watch every day and fabulous concerts during the evening. I was fortunate enough to have been able to listen to legendary pianist Menahem Pressler perform Mozart's Concerto No. 23 with the Oxford Phil at Sheldonian Theatre a couple of nights ago; it was some of the most spectacular playing I have ever witnessed. During the past week, I had master classes with Mr. Pressler, Dame Fanny Waterman (founder of the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition), and Marios Papadopoulos, the artistic director of the Oxford Philomusica festival. They were all very different in their teaching approaches, which enabled me to learn an unbelievable amount during my short week at the festival. I also attended many of the other master classes and even though I wasn't on the stage for those, I found them to be just as helpful. It was also amazing to be able to perform Bach and Chopin at Holywell Music Room, the oldest purpose-built concert hall in Europe!
I met many new wonderful people and be reunited with many of my close friends while I was there! It's really a terrific thing to be able to truly be yourself around a group of people who all cherish and accept each other. I especially enjoyed spending time with the younger kids! One girl, 10-year-old Catrina, always kept me company while I practiced the piano. :) Also, I had the opportunity to give a very talented young pianist, William, a lesson on a Bach Prelude and Fugue. I realized that I absolutely love teaching and hope to do a lot of it throughout my lifetime! Anyways, if you are interested in watching my master classes, stay tuned because I will be posting them on YouTube as soon as I can! (Until then, you can check my Events page to see what I played.) Additionally, I kept a daily account of my adventures in Oxford on my Instagram page, so be sure to click on the pictures and read about my trip in more detail there! :)
Until next time,
Anna
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I don't think it's possible to describe how much of a wonderful time I had in Oxford. It was most definitely one of the best weeks of my life! I was immersed in breathtakingly beautiful music the entire time: There were fascinating master classes to watch every day and fabulous concerts during the evening. I was fortunate enough to have been able to listen to legendary pianist Menahem Pressler perform Mozart's Concerto No. 23 with the Oxford Phil at Sheldonian Theatre a couple of nights ago; it was some of the most spectacular playing I have ever witnessed. During the past week, I had master classes with Mr. Pressler, Dame Fanny Waterman (founder of the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition), and Marios Papadopoulos, the artistic director of the Oxford Philomusica festival. They were all very different in their teaching approaches, which enabled me to learn an unbelievable amount during my short week at the festival. I also attended many of the other master classes and even though I wasn't on the stage for those, I found them to be just as helpful. It was also amazing to be able to perform Bach and Chopin at Holywell Music Room, the oldest purpose-built concert hall in Europe!
I met many new wonderful people and be reunited with many of my close friends while I was there! It's really a terrific thing to be able to truly be yourself around a group of people who all cherish and accept each other. I especially enjoyed spending time with the younger kids! One girl, 10-year-old Catrina, always kept me company while I practiced the piano. :) Also, I had the opportunity to give a very talented young pianist, William, a lesson on a Bach Prelude and Fugue. I realized that I absolutely love teaching and hope to do a lot of it throughout my lifetime! Anyways, if you are interested in watching my master classes, stay tuned because I will be posting them on YouTube as soon as I can! (Until then, you can check my Events page to see what I played.) Additionally, I kept a daily account of my adventures in Oxford on my Instagram page, so be sure to click on the pictures and read about my trip in more detail there! :)
Until next time,
Anna
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