CMPI fellows are off to a great start this fall, with two masterclasses already completed in October!
On October 11, CMPI trumpet fellows had the honor of participating in a class with the one and only Esteban Batallán, principal trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. This masterclass was sponsored by the DePaul School of Music and held at the Merit School of Music. Mr. Batallán worked with each fellow individually and also led them in group technical exercises. It was an amazing experience for fellows to meet one of their musical heroes. Fellows who participated included:
- Saul Cirilo, performing the first movement of Hummel’s Trumpet Concerto
- Jared Sanchez, performing McKee’s “A Winter Night”
- Ivan Calderon, performing Arban’s Fantasie Brilliante.
Just a few days later, viola soloist Antoine Tamestit took time from his busy schedule performing Berlioz’s Harold in Italy with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to work with two CMPI viola fellows, Malik Muhammad and Neena Agrawal. Malik performed the Prelude to Bach’s Cello Suite no. 2, and received extensive feedback from Mr. Tamestit on rhythmic pulse, shifting, vibrato, and more. Always interactive, Mr. Tamestit had him marching and moving to really feel the music.
Neena was fortunate enough to have played for Mr. Tamestit two years in a row, performing the first movement of Walton’s Viola Concerto this year. “Mr. Tamestit was so humble and giving with sharing his knowledge. His personable way of teaching was very helpful in improving my understanding of this work.” They focused on sound color through vibrato and other techniques to bring out the story of the work, which Mr. Tamestit described as full of unrequited passion that the composer felt for the work’s dedicatee, Christabel. The class concluded with a lively question and answer discussion about the soloist’s career, practicing, and performance nerves.
Upcoming Masterclasses
CMPI will continue to host masterclasses throughout the year. Please reach out to CMPI for more information on attending any of the following classes. Currently scheduled classes include the classes below, with more to come:
- November 7 – Clarinet Masterclass with John Bruce Yeh
- November 14 – Flute Masterclass with Linda Chesis
- November 19 – Violin and Viola Masterclass with Rachel Barton Pine
- December 10 – Violin Masterclass with James Ehnes
- January 16 – Violin Masterclass with Callum Smart
- February 3 – Cello Masterclass with Gabriel Cabezas
Images
Stock photo, masterclass photos