Master classes of Spanish musicians

Professors of the Higher Musical Conservatory of Vigo (Spain) within the framework of the Erasmus + academic mobility program held piano, violin, clarinet, flute and saxophone lessons and master classes at Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory during March 13 to 17.

The violin master class of Professor of the Higher Musical Conservatory of Vigo (Spain), violinist Mario Peris Salom became indeed a bright event. The 1-4 year students of the Department of String Instruments participated in the violin master class. Teachers and students of the Department presented a varied program of world masterpieces of such composers as P. Sarasate, G. Venyavsky, N. Paganini, I.S. Bach, E. Ysaye and others.

Professor gave his practical instrument playing technique recommendations. He worked over the apparatus setting where he paid special attention to the freedom of the hands, the body movements, with the correct use of all the possibilities that help the muscles relaxation. Maestro also shared musical material (I. Galamyan , F. Newman "Modern Violin Technique"), in addition to using the well-known exercises of Schradik, Flesch and others in the educational repertoire. He also advised some exercises for the right hand, and paid a great attention to strokes, transitions and changes of positions in the left hand.

Mario Peris Salom advised the master class participants to practice on their own at a slow pace to firmly establish the connection between thinking and fingers as well as the muscles of the hands. As an example, Professor showed how he conducts lessons and shared his experience. As the violin is a melodious instrument, another important point such as breathing was also mentioned as useful for high-quality violin playing.

Thirty students of the Special Piano Department received individual consultations from piano Professors José Manuel Fernández González and Severino Ortiz Rey. As part of the master classes they worked on various genres and trends, and the special attention was paid to compositions from the repertoire of classical piano music - polyphonic works by I.S. Bach, sonatas by J. Haydn, V.A. Mozart and L. Beethoven, artistic sketches by F. Liszt, S. Rachmaninov and A. Scriabin, miniatures and extended pieces of virtuoso character by F. Mendelssohn, F. Chopin, C. Debussy, P. Tchaikovsky, S. Rachmaninov, A. Khachaturian and R. Shchedrin. Spanish pianists were also interested in little-known pieces by modern composers such as A. Rosenblat and E. Svetlanov. During the work, Professors of the Vigo Conservatory worked out every detail of the musical material with each student individually, focusing on independent auditory control and offering a large number of improvisation exercises to work out technical difficulties and search for new colors in achieving an artistic image.

Thus, Professor Jose Manuel Fernandez Gonzalez (piano), having worked with our pianists during a week, noted that the level of training and responsiveness of the students of the Department of Special Piano is very high. And Professor Severino Ortiz Rey (piano) drew attention to the good preparedness of students for the master classes thanks to their joint work with teachers. 

Throughout the week, Professor Rafael Salvador Yebra Rivera (saxophone), Manuel Morales Fernandez (flute) and Esteban Valverde Corrales (clarinet) conducted individual and group classes with students. Everyone noted the high professional level of students' training.

Professors visited the student brass band classes, sharing a number of performance recommendations. They conducted lectures and open sessions, answering questions of interest.

During their work, Professors of the Vigo Conservatory attended a number of concerts of the Wind and Percussion Instruments Department, in particular, a concert of the saxophone class of Associate Professor, I.Yu.Shubin, Senior Teacher, A.V. Safonov and A.K. Imanbayev, Professor T.K. Nuraly’s oboe class concert and undergraduate A. Bemm’s saxophone and pipe organ concert.

The most positive emotions left the master class of Professor Jose Luis Fernandez with teachers and students of the guitar class. Professor shared the materials of the latest research in the field of guitar sound production. The maestro spoke about the need to give the correct shape to the nails for dense and loud sound. José Luis Fernandez demonstrated the difference in variously nail sharpening approaches. Professor answered the students' questions at the end. The meeting was held in a friendly and free atmosphere.

In general, the master classes of Spanish musicians left a feeling of celebration. It is gratifying that the international activity of the Сonservatory is expanding its scale and is carried out not only in scientific and methodological but also in a creative mode.