Tag: Merrywood Music Camp

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Showcasing two of my exquisite instruments (Violin and Piano)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

First the violin, a 1799 Horenstainer, Mittenwald that replaced the "cigar box" I was handed as a kid. My precious teacher, Samuel Gardner selected this German original for me in Paris, France. From there, I took it to Merrywood music camp in Lenox, MA where I coached under Eugene Lehner of the Boston Symphony. Oberlin… Continue reading Showcasing two of my exquisite instruments (Violin and Piano)

chamber music for piano, Journal of a Piano Teacher from New York to California, Menachem Pressler, Tanglewood, The Beaux Arts Trio of New York, The Tanglewood Music Festival, word press, word press.com, wordpress, wordpress.com, you tube, you tube video

Menahem Pressler, Mozart, and Masterclasses (Videos)

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

There are snips of folkore surrounding this elder statesman of the piano, but aside from slights about his teaching etiquette and temperament, I've always adored Menahem Pressler's artistry. An "old" 1974 recording of the pianist's Mozart's Bb Concerto, K. 450 is an ambrosian delight. The playing is pure singing poetry permeated by impeccable phrasing. An… Continue reading Menahem Pressler, Mozart, and Masterclasses (Videos)

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The value of studying the piano and a second musical instrument

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

While the study of two musical instruments is time-consuming, it can reap benefits in widening a student's horizons. If a pupil plays only piano for years on end he may deny himself the rich experience of participating in an orchestra or small ensemble. And while it's true that some pianists manage to grab a score… Continue reading The value of studying the piano and a second musical instrument

Bel Kaufman, Claudio Arrau, Daniel Waitzman, Elaine Comparone, Eugene Lehner, Franz Mohr, Gerard Schwarz, Herbert Gardner, Indiana University, James Gardner actor, Leon Fleisher, Lillian Freundlich, Lillian Lefkofsky Freundlich, Marble Hill Projects, Marjorie Janove, Menahem Pressler, Murray Perahia, Raphael de Silva, Roselle Kemalyan, Samuel Gardner, Seagate, Seymour Bernstein, six degrees of separation, six degrees of separation in the music world, Theodor Leschetizky, Vladimir Horowitz

Shrinking degrees of separation in the music world?

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

The musical universe is smaller than we think. And perhaps this writing will incubate a linked chain of "connections" that will go further--especially since my relocation to Berkeley, California (September, 2012) So here it is: Now that I'm well past my Oberlin Conservatory student years, I notice that Lillian Freundlich, my beloved teacher during my… Continue reading Shrinking degrees of separation in the music world?

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Appel Farm Music Camp and the Chicken Coops

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

Was I dreaming? Did I wake up in a chicken coop on a hot and humid July morning? The summer before I was a Merrywood camper, encapsulated in a forest of pines bordering Lenox, Massachusetts. A short journey to Tanglewood for a Sunday morning BSO rehearsal, was followed by a breakfast of sizzling waffles and… Continue reading Appel Farm Music Camp and the Chicken Coops

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A Breathtaking Merrywood Music Camp Finale!

arioso7: Shirley Kirsten

If I let my imagination run wild, I would frame this writing around Robin Hood. The backdrop was the Merrywood Music Camp, nestled in the Berkshires in a dense forest where a friendly outlaw could easily rob from the rich in Lenox, and retreat into the pines, practically unnoticed. Merrywood was a stone’s throw from… Continue reading A Breathtaking Merrywood Music Camp Finale!