ELI I(ASSNER: CAT{ADA's GUITAR AMBASSADOR by MICHAEL SPILLANE
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ELI I(ASSNER: CAT{ADA'S GUITAR AMBASSADOR By MICHAEL SPILLANE IN THE corner of a music store in downtown Toronto, Eli Kassner would stt and practice the guitar. Now, 49 years later, he is a teacher who attracts students from all over his native Canada and beyond. He has taught and influenced some of the most prominent classical guitarists of our time, including Liona Boyd, Norbert Kraft, Laura Young, Gordon O'Brien, Lynne Gangbar and the duo of Don Wilson and Peter McAllister to name but a few. I spoke to Kassner and his wife Ann recently. He told me how he first learned how to play the guitar as a boy in Vienna. He fled the Nazi annex- ation of Austria for a kibbutz in Palestine, moving to Canada in 1951. Once settled in Toronto. Kassner found a job in a Whaley, Royce & Co music store. At that time, interest in the classical guitar was virtually non-existent and the store stocked no music for the instrument. Kassner soon persuaded the owner to invest in some gui- tars and scores. 'People would come into the store while I was practising,' Kassner told me. They were utterly amazed that I could play Bach on the guitar. Often a customer would come up to me while I was practising and ask if I could show them how to play. That's how I became a teacher. That was around 1952 or 1953. Agroup offour or five guitarists, including myself, would get together socially. By 1957, the group had grown to around 20 and we formed the Guitar Society of Eli Kassnen Toronto. In 1958 when Segovia performed in Toronto, we met him backstage and asked if he maestro invited Kassner to study guitar with him would be the honorary president of the society. at Santiago de Compostela. With the help of a He accepted the position and held it until his Canada Council grant, the elated Kassner head- death in 1987. We celebrated the society's 45th ed for Spain later that year. Following his studies anniversary in2OO2.' with Segovia, Kassner played in the Stratford Paying tribute to his wife's influence on the Festival Stage Orchestra in Ontario from 1960 to 'Ann society, Kassner said: created a home for 1962, performed internationally and appeared on this group and that has continued over the years. radio and television. In 1967, he opened his own She was fondly regarded as the grandmother of classical guitar academy, a school famed for pro- the group, the pivotal centre of a community.' ducing many great guitarlsts and a place where During those years, the guitar was not recog- master classes were given by Segovia, Narciso nized as a legitimate classical instrument in Yepes, Julian Bream, Leo Brouwer, Alexandre 'It Canada or elsewhere. was thought of as more Lagoya, Sharon Isbin and Carlos Bonell. of a cowboy or folk-singing instrument,' Kassner The society became much more active at that 'We said. He met the dean of the Faculty of Music at time,' Kassner said. brought in all the new the University of Toronto and the Principal of the names in guitar such as Julian Bream, Alirio Royal Conservatory of Music, attempting to con- Diaz, John Williams, and Oscar Ghiglia. We vince them to accept that the guitar was an became an international family of sorts, and they instrument worth studying. Kassner auditioned all met here in this house.' and, in 1959, was asked to join both institutions Under Kassner's leadership in 1925, the society as their first guitar instructor. organised the Guitar'75 festival, an international At a party around that time, Segovia listened to event drawing over 5OO performers, composers, Kassner and other members of the fledgling soci- teachers, students and guitar aflctonados from ety perform. Towards the end of the evening, the around the world. Kassner remembered: To the 26 Ctcssiccrt Guitqr Llagazine 'With best of my knowledge, it was the first interna- student. all the hundreds of students I've tional festival of its kind on the North American taught, I've never tried to put my own personal continent. It was a shot in the dark as to who stamp on them. I prefer to carefully nurture their would actually come.' individuality and personality. That way they will Ann Kassner recalled the initial response to the all sound different from each other. I take great 'It festival, saying: was Eli's idea. We'd discussed pride in that. The basic tenet of all teaching it and then brought it up at a meeting of the gui- before the 195Os was: "You were self-taught so tar society. I remember one person in particular no-one can tell you how to play." In other words: laughing at the idea, stating that it was ridicu- "I'm great...play like me and you'll be great too!" lous and no-one would attend such an event.' That was the approach to teaching then.' The festival became one of the biggest in the A major catalyst for change was the 1975 festi- world and a resounding success. Other festivals val. Teachers from all over the world for the first followed, producing commissions including the time came together in a seminar to exchange Toronto Guttar Concerto by Leo Brouwer. Kassner ideas. Many at the seminar went on to become 'Because said: of these festivals, Toronto became internationally reco$nised as teachers. 'ln a serious international centre for guitarists. We Kassner said: order to teach properly you were able to commission over 8O works of fresh, have to know the principles involved in technique new guitar music from some of the most impor- but not so much individual technique, because tant composers in the world. In 1987, John people have different hands. You can't change the Williams gave the first performance of the Toronto hands, but you can educate the person to follow Guitar Concerto with Brouwer conducting. directions. There are principles that can be more 'The festival also produced the first internation- or less defined and still allow for individual taste al guitar competition in North America. The win- and concept. The techniques taught have to be ners in the L975 competition were Manuel adapted by each hand to create the right kind of Barrueco, Sharon Isbin, Eliot Fisk, and David quality in playing. One of the most important Leisner. The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet was things that came out of these teaching seminars basically formed in Toronto. Even David Russell was that playing had to be natural to the individ- got his start here in Toronto. In 1981, as part of ual, not forced.' the "Discovery" concert at the festival, he per- Located on a quiet, tree-lined avenue in formed to an international audience.' Toronto's Rosedale area, their home on Gibson 'Following Kassner added: the success of these Avenue has remained the nucleus of all this his- festivals, I was invited to teach and be part of gui- toric guitar activity. Dale Kavanagh wrote a piece tar competition juries in many parts of the world. for guitar titled, 9 Gibson Auenue. The house is We've been to Rio de Janeiro. Sao Paulo. Caracas, testament to Ann and Eli's diverse journey Cuba seven times, Martinique, Puerto Rico, through life together. Kassner's paintings and Iserlohn in Germany, and many other places.' drawings - along with photographs and memen- He went on to form the University of Toronto tos reflecting his long and prestigious history in Guitar Ensemble in 1978, and has remained its the classical guitar world - adorn the walls. The director since. Kassner said: The idea of a guitar small garden is a sanctuary complete with a net- orchestra was not known at the time except, per- work of ponds inhabited by colourful Japanese haps, in Japan. We started off with only six play- koi. Inside the house. aquariums provide habi- ers in 1978, but gradually it became bigger. In tats for tropical fish, amphibians, lizards and tur- 1980. Brouwer conducted the orchestra. He was tles. Eli's conservatory is filled with unusual and so amazed at what we were doing that, in 1982, exotic plants. he invlted the guitar orchestra to play at the first A true Renaissance man, Kassner's passion Cuba/Havana festival. We went down there 16 and creativity seem to flow into everything he strong. Ann was a stalwart player in the orches- touches. He is also an accomplished artist and an tra at the time. award-winning micro cinematographer (filming The orchestra made a great difference to the through microscopes) who has has produced five musical education of students at the university, films for the Canadian television show (The and it is still in place today. We were able to tack- Nqture oJ Things). Kassner composes and per- le works that couldn't be played on solo guitar: forms his own soundtracks for the films. Mozart, Schubert, Bach and so on. We performed His interest in micro cinematography started works such as the Brandenburg Concertos. out as an aesthetic outlet. He photographed Andrew Davis heard a recording we had made samples of tap water and pond water using a and wanted to conduct us. Andrew came and we camera attachment and microscope. He also also invited Liona Boyd. From that event sprang made still photographs of crystals through a 'like the record of Liona's where she plays Baroque microscope. They were beautiful,' he said, music with Andrew Davis conducting the English paintings. We would orqlan'ize evenings where Chamber Orchestra. That's another contribution kids would come over, sit on the floor and impro- we made here in Toronto.' vise on piano, guitar, and other instruments to Kassner speaks passionately about teaching the projected images of these crystals.