PIANO — Vitali Berzon

Teachers: 

Vitali Berzon was heard in Germany for the first time in october 1990: the then 45 years old pianist Vitali Berzon was permitted to travel to the West after 20 years of beeing banned from foreign travel, because of the communists.

Born in Joschkar-Ola (Wolga) he had his first piano lesson at the age of three. From 1952-1963 he attended the special school for music at the conservatory in what was the Leningrad. He then persued his studies at the Leningrad conservatory with Sofia Hentova till 1966, following this with composition studies and artistic assistentenship under Professors Savshinski, Nielsen and Flier. He won the All-Russian piano competition in Moscow in 1965. In 1967 he gained a prize at the Long-Thibaut competition in Paris. In addition he was awarded the special prize for the best perfomance of a contemporary composition for his interpretation of Gennadi Banshshikov`s “Music for Piano” which is dedicated to him. He seemed to be at the beginning of a magnificent international career as a pianist, but the ban of travelling, imposed immediatly after the Paris competition, was not lifted until Gorbatschov`s reforms.

Then, having played with nearly all the important orchestras and conductors of his home country, he was permitted to go on concert tours in the West. In 1988 he went first to Helsinki, where he tought at the Sibelius Academy since 1991, and then to Italy, Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland. He recorded a CD at the piano recital of the 21.11.1993 in the Zurich Tonhalle.

1995 he went from Helsinki to Freiburg, Germany to teach as a professor at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg.

He played many impressive concerts inter alia with the Slovakische Philharmonics, the Bamberger Sinfoniker, SWR Sinfonie Orchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg and other.

Dates: 

Arrival: Monday, April 6, 2020, from 12 pm

Closing concert: Friday, April 10, 2020, 6 pm at the concert hall of the Sankt Goar International Music Academy

Departure: Saturday, April 11, 2020, until 12 pm

Course Description:

Pianoworks from all periods: from Baroque over Classic and Romantic to Modern Music; preparation for exams, concerts and competitions

Repertoire:

Piano solo or for four hands

Accommodation:

Students are hosted on a double-room basis in a beautiful, fully remodelled, 1892 villa on the bank of the Rhine river.

Meals:
A kitchen is available for cooking; groceries can be bought in a nearby supermarket. Group shopping is advised. A different team can do the cooking daily, which can be organize in situ.

Rooms:
Committed to the spirit of romanticism, all masterclasses offered by the Sankt Goar International Music Festival and Academy unite everything under one roof: living, learning, eating and sleeping. That is why participants will be hosted on a shared double-room basis.

For further impressions, please have a look online at our venue.

Audition information and registration:

In order to be accepted, you must meet one of the following criteria:

(a) be recommended by Mr. Berzon, or

(b) submit an unedited video audition (YouTube link) for review.

In addition, you must complete and submit our application form and pay a €40,- application fee.

Registration Deadline: March 6, 2020

Tuition:

Course fee (incl. five nights accommodation):

Tuition: €475,-