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.

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.