The Golandsky Institute

Artistic Director Edna Golandsky will discuss how to diagnose and solve common technical problems in her lectures and master classes. She will demonstrate the practicality of the Taubman Approach and show how effective solutions can produce immediate results.

Come, listen and learn how to diagnose and solve technical problems seeing Edna Golandsky work with Institute participants in her public presentations.

Franz Schubert died in November 1828, at the age of 31.  From December 1827 to September 1828 he composed a wealth of piano music, including the 4 Impromptus, Op. 142, the 3 Klavierstücke, D. 946, three masterpieces for four-hand piano (Fantasy in F minor, Allegro in A minor, and Rondo in A major) and his final group of three piano sonatas, in C minor, A major, and B-flat major.  We will explore issues of lyricism, tonality, and form in this uncanny music, aided by live performances of selected excerpts.

Sylvie Courvoisier, pianist and composer/improviser, will discuss how she has developed her personal vocabulary by expanding and combining the possibilities of the piano.

Harvard University Professor Christopher Hasty will present “Bar and Measure,” a workshop on the distinction between the written and the heard.

Pianist Catherine Kautsky, Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and chair of its piano department, will discuss the relationship of Schumann’s music to literature.

Learn how Schumann’s own dual personality finds its roots in German literature and most particularly in his two favorite authors, Jean-Paul Richter and E.T. A Hoffmann.  This talk will draw on fairy tales and novels from Schumann’s era and will demonstrate how Papillons and Kreisleriana are based, respectively, on Richter’s  Flegeljahre  and Hoffmann’s  Kater Murr.

Mark Love from Jacobs Music will discuss how to get the most out of your instrument.

Performance  - How to get the most out of your instrument

Inside – Why what goes inside affects what comes outside and defines quality and longevity

Attitude – What is your attitude and approach to knowledge of the instrument both internally and externally

Networking – Working with your arts and culture partners and the benefits you receive when you do

Opportunity -  The opportunities for working with manufacturers, retailers, and the benefits of doing so

Aliza Stewart will join Edna Golandsky in exploring how efficient movement is common to the Taubman Approach and the Feldenkrais Method.

John Bloomfield, Golandsky Institute faculty chair will discuss the art of pedaling and will give you tools for developing a reliable and multi-faceted pedal technique.

Robert Durso will focus on a variety of accompaniments and textures that all pianists face. The most common figures will be analyzed and solved using the Taubman Approach.

Mary Moran will illustrate how to develop technical skills (such as leaps, broken octaves, scales and arpeggios) and musical expressivity using the Taubman Approach in Sonatina repertoire.

Kendall Feeney will lead technique clinics for pianists interested in applying Taubman principles to jazz.

Marc Steiner will address issues encountered by students and teachers in the seven books of Suzuki repertoire and will address specific concerns.

Edna Golandsky has been working with violinist Sophie Till to translate the Taubman Approach to string instruments. They have achieved remarkable results and found the Approach relevant not only for solutions to a few string-related problems, but for violin technique in its entirety. Their work has spurred a general movement towards the application of Taubman principles to other instruments as well. This summer, Edna and Sophie will explain and demonstrate their findings.

My experience applying the Taubman Approach to the violin has opened an entirely new world of technical and musical possibilities, and it has completely transformed my physical relationship to the instrument. I have never before come across a body of work that so thoroughly combines technique and music. As a result, my playing and teaching have been propelled to a new level. The Taubman Approach is revolutionary in its potential for string players!

String players are encouraged to register for the Symposium. They will participate in the same events as pianists, and Sophie will be giving them private lessons.

Chopin revolutionized piano music in many ways, including the use of the pedal. John Bloomfield's presentation will explore how a new style of writing required a new style of pedaling, will explain the confusion over pedal marks in early editions and will offer practical advice to help pianists bring Chopin’s vibrant music to life.

Robert Durso will give an in depth lecture/demonstration focused on the most difficult passages from Maurice Ravel’s masterpiece Ondine. The most intricate passages will be analyzed and demystified using the Taubman Approach. Innovative solutions and effective practice techniques will be presented to bring this piece within reach!

Salvatore Rabbio, principal timpanist of the Detroit Symphony from 1958 to 1998, will discuss sound and tone production on timpani, drums that are capable of accurate pitch and are tuned to suit each musical composition.

Robert Schumann's Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood) op. 15 are beloved by pianists of all levels. Mary Moran will discuss how the Taubman Approach solves the musical, technical and rhythmic demands in these pieces, helping pianists produce the "wild imaginings and dreams" Schumann experienced while writing the set.

Marc Steiner will discuss and perform Four Pieces, op. 119, the final piano works of Johannes Brahms.

Beethoven’s Bagatelles op.119 and op.126 were completed in the same period that saw the creation of some of his greatest works – the late piano sonatas, the Diabelli Variations, the Ninth Symphony and the Missa Solemnis. Despite the fact that the Bagatelles have been rather neglected, the genre always interested Beethoven. Their apparent simplicity is misleading, for they embody the elements of his compositional genius and, from the musical standpoint, are inextricably bound to his late masterpieces.

Alan Wasserman will discuss the joys and advantages of duet playing and the fun of “monster concerts” for students and their teachers. Taubman principles will be applied to beginning and intermediate duets.

Proper care and maintenance will improve the performance and lifetime of your piano. Mark Love, Senior Vice President of Jacobs Music Company, will discuss myriad factors that impact a piano’s touch, tone, tuning stability and power.

Ron Stabinsky will lead participants through an exploration of Taubman principles as a means of facilitating the practice and performance of jazz and improvisation. The basic material of the Taubman Approach will be demonstrated through the analysis of transcriptions and commonly used musical figures. Participants are strongly encouraged to notate problematic passages from their own work in order to maximize the benefits of attending this exciting series of interactive workshops.

Director Ben Niles will present a screening of his movie Note By Note - The Making of Steinway L1037 and will be available to answer questions afterwards.

Edna Golandsky, Artistic Director, will demonstrate how correct motion is central to curing and preventing computer-related injuries.

Artistic Director Edna Golandsky will discuss how to diagnose and solve common technical problems in her lectures and master classes. She will demonstrate the practicality of the Taubman Approach and show how effective solutions can produce immediate results.

Come, listen and learn how to diagnose and solve technical problems seeing Edna Golandsky work with Institute participants in her public presentations.

Pianists often rely on the pedals intuitively to help shape and color music at the instrument. Continuing a series he began two years ago, John Bloomfield will explore some specific uses of the pedals. Many examples from the literature will illustrate when and how the pedals can contribute to the overall effectiveness of a passage. Practical suggestions will be given to help pianists of every level refine their pedaling skills.

Robert Durso will give an in-depth lecture/demonstration focused on the musical construction and technical analysis of Chopin's masterpiece Polonaise-Fantaisie, Op. 61. He will address how we practice a work without losing its spontaneous feel and how we can get off the daily treadmill of sheer repetition. Using the Taubman Approach as a basis, he will demystify complex technical passages and present effective practice techniques.

Mastering Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op. 66 is the dream of many pianists, young and old alike. Using musical and technical ideas from the Taubman Approach, Mary Moran will take you through the steps that can make this ambition a reality for you and your students.

For the last three years, Edna Golandsky and Sophie Till have been translating the Taubman Piano Technique onto the violin with remarkable results. It has been found that the Taubman approach is relevant not just for solving a few violin-related problems, but in its entirety. Every aspect of the principles of coordinate movement and alignment that underlie a virtuoso piano technique applies directly to the violin. This work on the violin has encouraged a general movement towards the wider application of Taubman principles to other instruments, in particular string instruments.

Duets should be an integral part of every pianist's musical education. The skills developed in ensemble playing - listening for balance, responding to imitative phrases, complementing coloring, rhythmic vitality and interpretive ideas - all enhance pianists' solo playing, foster confidence and prepare them for other chamber music situations. A substantial repertoire of original works for piano duet from elementary to advanced levels will be provided and a dozen short duets will be performed.

Ron Stabinsky will lead participants through an exploration of Taubman principles as a means of facilitating the practice and performance of jazz and improvisation. The basic material of the Taubman Approach will be demonstrated through the analysis of transcriptions and commonly used musical figures. Participants are strongly encouraged to notate problematic passages from their own work in order to maximize the benefits of attending this exciting series of interactive workshops.

Mariam Nazarian will present an analysis of Chopin's Sonata in B minor, Op. 58, comparing several recordings against the aesthetic and pedagogical values of the master as exposed through his writing and teaching.

Pulitzer Prize-winning music critic and author Tim Page will discuss his new autobiographical  book Parallel Play, in which he writes about the discovery as an adult of his diagnosis of Asberger's Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism. He is the former head critic of The New York Times and The Washington Post and has written books on Glen Gould, as well as numerous feature articles on classical music and musicians. In the early nineties Page’s research lead to the discovery of the papers and diaries of Dawn Powell; this in turn lead to the subsequent reissue of the majority of her novels. In 1998 he published a highly acclaimed biography of Powell, and in 2001 he edited and annotated the Library of America’s two-volume collection of her work. Page lives in Baltimore and Los Angeles.

Once the basic movements of technique are learned, they must be minimized and combined for the technique to function at its highest level. Edna Golandsky will show how this fascinating process takes place to give performers, teachers, and students a technique of artistry that is expressive and effortless.

Continuing a series he began several years ago, John Bloomfield will examine the nature of pedaled sound at the piano. Topics such as the acoustical characteristics of sound sustained by the damper pedal, the control of dissonance, the projection of sound, and pedaling for rolled chords will be explored and demonstrated with numerous examples from the repertoire.

Robert Durso will give a lecture/demonstration focused on some of the most difficult passages from Franz Liszt’s Vallée d’Obermann. Musical content will be discussed and technical difficulties analyzed using the Taubman Approach. Practical solutions will be presented, bringing ease to this virtuoso masterpiece.

Liszt’s concert etude Un Sospiro contains many challenges, including tone production, interdependence of the hands, and balance of sound. Mary Moran will show how the musical requirements of this piece can be fulfilled when applying many concepts of the Taubman Approach, resulting in lasting solutions for you and your students.

Taking a titular cue from a recent essay by musicologist and children’s author Anna Harwell Celenza, Princeton professor Scott Burnham will explore how Franz Liszt responded to specific works of poetry and visual art in his beguiling Années de Pélerinage.

2010 Grammy-nominated Princeton University composer Steve Mackey will discuss the compositional process for his new Piano Concerto before its upcoming premier in collaboration with pianist Orli Shaham.

Lisa Yui will explore the piano works of Jan Ladislav Dussek (1760-1812) and Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826), whose output is of great historical and musical value. Both composers played an integral role in the development of the Romantic style, at times revealing elements that are decades ahead of their time. The highly dramatic, programmatic, and deeply personal aspects of their compositions foreshadow the music of later composers, such as Beethoven, Chopin, and Schumann.

In this lecture/recital, Logan Skelton will present performances of selected piano music of Béla Bartók in combination with recorded excerpts of actual folk music. Many pianists can hear that folk influences abound in Bartók’s music, but relatively few can identify anything in particular. The focus will be on highlighting and naming specific folk elements that Bartók used in his own compositions. By so doing, Bartók’s own creativity, imagination, and artistic transforming power in synthesizing folk and fine art becomes increasingly apparent. Such a compositional approach was an expression of Bartók’s fundamental vision of humanity, which he referred to as “The Brotherhood of Peoples.”

The experience of applying the Taubman Approach to the violin has opened an entirely new world of technical and musical possibilities for violinists. The combination of this approach with the clarity and thoroughness of its pedagogy is revolutionary in its results. The 2011 Summer Symposium will be offering the basic lecture series for violinists, master classes, clinics for advanced issues and repertoire, a children’s pedagogy workshop, and individual lessons.

Piano Care & Maintenance: An overview of the many factors necessary for proper care and maintenance of a piano. Proper environment, cleaning, and tuning concerns are all addressed, as are the factors that go into proper voicing and regulation. Learn how to get the maximum performance from your instrument and how to recognize the difference between a piano tuner and piano technician.

Advocacy: Providing information on concepts and addressing elements that can be useful in promoting and marketing your career, your studio, or active music participation in general. Gain insight and ideas on how you might work and interact with like minded businesses, institutions, and individuals within your home community to promote and foster arts and music participation.

Elena Sorokina, legendary professor of Russian music history and piano at the Moscow Conservatory, will speak about the influence of Franz Liszt’s teaching, music, and performances on great Russian pianists and composers of the time. She will share rare recordings and historical anecdotes relating to Liszt’s journey to Russia.