VC Artist Sergey Malov on How to Prepare for Public Masterclasses

The International Summer Academy Bad Leonfelden, with Malov on faculty, will take place from August 14-23, 2023

VC Artist violinist Sergey Malov will soon be teaching at the "Internatonale Sommerakademie Bad Leonfelden,“ a masterclass-focused summer academy held in the Mühlviertel region of Austria in August.

We caught up with the artist to get his take on preparing for a masterclass. Our readers want to know:

"As a student, how should you prepare for a public masterclass, to ensure you get the most benefit from the experience?"

"The most important thing is to know to with whom you will have the masterclass, of course.

But before that, you should be as clear as possible about your own professional and artistic goals. Your mission and purpose, so to say.

It’s recommended that if you want to study with someone at an institution, to visit his/her masterclass beforehand. You can get an idea of whether there is chemistry between you and the professor.

In my experience, it is a bit less valid to only go to a masterclass of a future jury member in a competition you are preparing for. Unless you are genuinely interested in what that particular teacher is doing and saying, naturally.

On one hand, you should be well prepared, but sometimes being too prepared makes your capability of learning new things less flexible. Site reading, on the other hand, will not let you learn at all. I would suggest choosing a balance between pieces you’ve worked on and some more ready-to-play ones, for the final concert, for instance.

Try to get as much as you can from what happens in the masterclass and the talks surrounding it. Last-minute practicing is definitely less efficient than listening to other students and other teachers.

I remember hearing the amazing lectures-lessons of Robert Levin, being at the summer academy in Salzburg. In that case, I felt, listeners learn much more than the actual performing student.

This summer, I will personally be teaching at the summer academy Bad Leonfelden. There, you will get to study with incredible people like Thomas Riebl (viola) and Gustav Rivinius (cello). It’s a peaceful place in Upper Austria and the masterclass is not expensive at all. More details below!

-Sergey"

At the "Internationale Sommerakademie Bad Leonfelden," each active participant will receive a minimum of three 60min or four 45min lessons. A semi-active participant will get a minimum of two 45min lessons. Finally, free seminars will be offered for Qi Gong, breathing and voice training, as well as lectures.