JAHRBUCH DER KRONBERG ACADEMY KRONBERG ACADEMY YEARBOOK 2018 KRONBERG ACADEMY YEARBOOK 2018 CONTENTS 7 Editorial CELLO MASTERCLASSES 8 Artistic Council, Board of Trustees, International & CONCERTS Advisory Board, Donors, Patrons 13 Casals Forum Impressions 108 A true celebration of the cello 124 Artists, musical works and more 130 25 YEARS OF KRONBERG ACADEMY MIT MUSIK – MITEINANDER Celebrating! 34 Self-confi dence and enthusiasm 138 Here is where music should fi nd its place 37 Artists and musical works 140 Raimund Trenkler Congratulations! 41 Prof. Monika Grütters It has been a wonderful journey 44 CLASSIC FOR KIDS Marta Casals Istomin, Raimund Trenkler Artists, musical works and more 47 For explorers, discoverers and adventurers 146 KRONBERG ACADEMY KRONBERG ACADEMY STUDY PROGRAMMES Other things that happened in 2018 153 Impressions 48 Emanuel Feuermann Conservatory (in German) 156 A musical dream team 66 Friends of Kronberg Academy (in German) 158 Academic year 2018 (in German) 74 Kronberg Academy Foundation 162 Faculty 75 Management and team 164 Students 2018/2019 76 Foundations and associations 166 Alumni 79 Artists, musical works and more 80 168 Partners and sponsors 170 Friends of Kronberg Academy CHAMBER MUSIC 174 Host families CONNECTS THE WORLD 176 Imprint/Photo credits Impressions 84 178 Kronberg Academy Shop 180 Key dates in 2019/2020 The art of togetherness 100 Lists in German only. Artists, musical works and more 106 5 Kronberg Academy 2018 CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF KRONBERG ACADEMY! 22 October 2018 – Together with the State Government of Hesse, the Kronberg Academy Foundation sent out invitations to a big jubilee concert and party at the Kurhaus in Wiesbaden. And everyone came! It was on that very day 25 years earlier, on 22 October Even the concert programme was a clear expression of 1993, that the history of Kronberg Academy began. That was what Kronberg Academy is, that is to say a collaborative the date of the fi rst concert, the fi rst Cello Festival in Kron- achievement: the soloists not only took the stage alone, but berg. The occasion for this international “Gathering of the also as duos and trios. As in 1993, the concert began with cello family” on that day was the 20th anniversary of the death Johann Sebastian Bach, but this time with his Double Con- of Pablo Casals, the great cellist and humanist. His guiding certo for Two Violins, played together by Christian Tetzlaff principle, that art and humanity are inseparable, is the foun- and Vilde Frang. The “Concerto for Three”, originally com- dation on which Kronberg Academy has since grown, and on posed by Alfred Schnittke for Gidon Kremer, Yuri Bashmet which it wishes to continue to its development. and Mstislav Rostropovich, was brought to life again during And now, an entire evening long, artists, sponsors, part- the evening with almost the original line-up. The voice of the ners, friends, colleagues and political representatives celebrat- third dedicatee, Mstislav Rostropovich, who was patron of ed a joint birthday. The centre stage was, of course, taken by the fi rst Cello Festival and an important supporter of Kronberg the music, which connects everybody and everything. Joint Academy until his death in 2007, was now played by the patrons of the evening were the Prime Minister of Hessen, young cellist István Várdai. Volker Bouffi er, and Marta Casals Istomin. The orchestra for the evening, the Chamber Orchestra of The idea, concept and character of Kronberg emerged very Europe, provide a very special embodiment of the community clearly from everything that happened during the evening on spirit from which Kronberg lives. This is because the anniver- and around the stage. Some 1,200 guests and a total of 43 sary concert was the moment when this ensemble, which is musicians represented the alliance of world-class musicians inspired by the spirit of chamber music and made up of from all generations, committed sponsors and open-minded, musicians from the European countries, was presented as the enthusiastic audiences that support Kronberg Academy. And new orchestra in residence of Kronberg Academy. It is set to on the stage of the magnifi cent Friedrich-von-Thiersch-Saal, relocate from London to Kronberg, where it will fi nd a per- it was possible to experience how Kronberg Academy works manent workspace and a home in the Casals Forum that is “on the inside”, namely through ensemble playing and co- currently under construction. Playing without a conductor, it operation between generations of artists. On this occasion, closed the concert with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Jupiter these were the soloists Gidon Kremer and Yuri Bashmet as Symphony, and then performed “Ode to Joy” from Ludwig members of the Artistic Council, Christian Tetzlaff represent- van Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, which has become the an- ing the teaching staff, and Vilde Frang and István Várdai as them of Europe, as an encore – fi nishing with a determined alumni who studied at Kronberg Academy. The concert was and joyful vision of the future, of the next 25 years. a joint gift to Kronberg Academy from the fi ve artists. Right: Gidon Kremer, Yuri Bashmet, István Várdai 34 25 Jahre Kronberg Academy 35 Antje Weithaas Kronberg Academy 2018 MARTA CASALS ISTOMIN “I am delighted that we have had 25 years of intense creativity in Kronberg! The past 25 years have brought us so much and we have tried to encompass all the areas of music, and we have practically done so. As a result, the ever increasing scope of activity developed in these years is nothing short of miraculous: From the Cello Festival to Chamber Music Connects the World to the study programmes, all these activities have, over the years, brought dozens of great artists and thousands of young musicians to gather here. This has allowed senior musicians to nurture the younger ones and pass on musical values from generation to generation, values that have marked their lives forever. This exchange, as well as this interchange between the past and the future, has brought a lot of joy and a lot of foreseeing possibilities to all who engaged in it. These interactions, and the pursuit of all these ideas, have changed their lives forever. All those interactions in the pursuit of music have made Kronberg Academy one of the most important musical centers in the world today.” Vilde Frang, Christian Tetzlaff 36 Chamber Music Connects the World Top: Luosha Fang, Timothy Ridout, Jonathan Roozeman, Santiago Cañón Valencia Left: Stephen Waarts, Sir András Schiff The art of togetherness Is the concept that chamber music connects the world an ambitious goal, wishful thinking or a fi rm belief? One might say it is the result of decades of experience, if Kronberg were the world, because the chamber music project Chamber Music Connects the World has now taken place here for the tenth time. 101 Kronberg Academy 2018 UNIQUE BY SÀO SOULEZ LARIVIÈRE, PARTICIPANT OF CHAMBER MUSIC CONNECTS THE WORLD Chamber Music Connects the World is simply unique Chamber Music Connects the World – since the year 2000, in what it aims to bring to the musicians, to the local the Crespo Foundation has made it possible for this bold, community, and in this respect, to the world. Nestled high-risk and always extremely uplifting chamber music ex- in the beautiful setting of Kronberg, it offers an periment to take place every two years. exceptional environment for musicians to thrive and In Kronberg Academy’s jubilee year, violinists Gidon to share music. I am so grateful for the unparalleled Kremer and Christian Tetzlaff, cellist Steven Isserlis and pianist experience I have had, notably learning from and Sir András Schiff were the famous Seniors who took ten days playing alongside such formidable artists. Thank you of their time to work together with selected Juniors: following for a truly memorable week! a demanding application process, a total of 21 young violin- ists, viola players, cellists and pianists from 16 countries were invited to face the challenge. Making risk an opportunity A TREASURE BOX So wherein, precisely, lies the challenge for all those in- BY CHRISTINE LEE, PARTICIPANT OF CHAMBER MUSIC CONNECTS THE WORLD volved? To answer, it lies in delivering a stage-ready, collective performance together with unknown – or at least unfamiliar – ensemble partners within just a few days, producing a perfor- The musical inspiration that I experienced at mance which satisfi es the highest demands and presenting it in Chamber Music Connects the World still resonates deeply concert. within me. It was a great honour and joy to work with Being completely in the dark as to how and whether artists who I have looked up to since I was a little girl. everything will work and fi t together feels extremely risky for The memories of every rehearsal and all the concerts all the participants, who all have a name (to lose?) in the are like a treasure box that I often revisit, especially concert world. But if one is open to the unforeseeable, this is because I had my fi rst experience of performing on precisely where the biggest opportunity lies: to draw new all gut strings! It was a challenging, but eye-opening, inspiration from the unexpected, to need to provide new learning experience. Since I believe that the young answers to new questions, to be given surprising stimuli, to musicians I met at Chamber Music Connects the World gain new perspectives, to rediscover worlds, to move forwards. will lead the next generation of classical music, I am thrilled to be part of this passionate group! Establishing Thank you! valuable connections The four Seniors brought a total of 13 works with them, by composers from Joseph Haydn to Giya Kancheli.