Accomplishment Archives

Remembering Hungarian Cello Master János Starker — by Benjamin Ivry

Having survived a Nazi internment camp during World War II, Hungarian Jewish cellist János Starker (1924-2013) led a life focused on civic contributions and behaving with utter freedom. Starker, who died in Indiana on April 28 at age 88, witnessed some of the worst horrors of modern history, and was determined to devote himself to constructing the future. He and his parents, of Polish-Ukrainian Jewish origin, survived their imprisonment, but his two older brothers Tibor and Ede, both accomplished violinists, were murdered in Nazi labor camps. Starker’s notion of free behavior included a lifelong habit of consuming quantities of whiskey and cigarettes, neither of which impeded his ferociously concentrated playing. It also embraced free speech, even when the expression of his musical taste might wound students or established colleagues. In [...]

By Blogmaster|2023-03-21T10:59:02-04:00August 1st, 2013|Categories: Artistic Vision, Janos Starker, Performance|Tags: performances, Benjamin, Holocaust survivor, cellist, Hungarian Cellist, elegance, Ivry, Janos, musical taste, Starker, Nazi internment camp, virtuoso, seeking perfection, expression, Accomplishment, World War II, Teaching, soloist, cello, confidence, Remembering Janos Starker|

Competitions ≠ Success: A Student Perspective — by Lev Mamuya

Not all competitions are created equal. There are good ones and bad ones, and good and bad reasons for entering. Many kids are raised to be competitive, both musically and in school. Kids can feel pressure to do competitions from parents, teachers and peers. Sometimes it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking success can only be measured by winning competitions and that a career in music and admission to a good school are impossible without numerous wins. Competitions are good for many things, but they should not define success. They often consist of just one performance, on one particular day; success is something you achieve over many years through work and dedication. Since most competitions, at the most, will be three rounds over a short period of time, [...]

By Lev Mamuya|2017-08-04T04:54:24-04:00April 8th, 2012|Categories: Competition, High School Blogs, Self Discovery|Tags: organization, performance, Competition, success, Accomplishment, master classes, Lev, Mamuya, cello, motivation, cellobello, improvement, music, pressure, Auditions, knowledge, Practice, ego|

A New Look at Sight-Reading (Part 3) — by Robert Battey

Successful sight-readers move deftly around within a rigid hierarchy of tasks (“the Levels”). They’re like fencers, thinking ahead, anticipating the threats and challenges in the music, and adapting what they do on a measure-by-measure basis. They keep to the hierarchy, adding the next Level only when the lower ones are completely under control; experienced players do not jeopardize the ensemble by fumbling at a Level they can’t handle properly. Thus, effective sight-reading training is about understanding these Levels to the point where you can apply and adjust them instinctively, automatically. As I’ve said, it’s a different kind of thinking, almost like playing a different instrument. For most people, the most difficult concept to wrap your head around is that finding the actual pitches comes last. Simply chasing notes will quickly [...]

By Robert Battey|2017-10-24T03:47:44-04:00February 3rd, 2012|Categories: In the Practice Room, Self Discovery, Teaching|Tags: Janos, Technique, Starker, Battey, character, sight-reading, ensemble, Accomplishment, Rhythm, dynamics, Effective, cello, perfection, cellobello, Coordination, music, Listening, Development, harmony, success|