Tel-Hai Master Classes 2023

The daily schedule during the program:

Individual lessons, workshops and practicing--daily from 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.(Lessons and workshops open for all to observe).

Public Master Classes are every day from 4.00 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.

Evenings (from 8 p.m.)--students concerts and occasional special events.

Concerts

Considering the importance of performing in public, a number of public concerts will take place during the course. Be ready to perform from the first day! Please include in the application form the pieces you are ready to play in public. The concert programs will be devised in consultation with the faculty. If you intend to perform a concerto, be sure to have a two-piano score.

Chamber Music Workshop  (Professors Vera Vaidman, violin & viola, Yotam Baruch, cello)

Mindful of the significance of chamber music in a pianist’s professional life, a Chamber Music Workshop is offered to the Master Classes participants during the first half of the Classes. This year, the focus is on sonatas for violin and piano, viola and piano, cello and piano, and piano trios. The faculty string players, in the true spirit of collaborative music-making, will take an active part in building performances, sharing their experience, knowledge and insight in the process. Successful projects may be presented in Master Classes public concerts. As the number of places in this Workshop is limited, only those genuinely interested in the subject and with previous experience in studying and performing chamber music should apply.

If you intend to join the Chamber Music Workshop, please indicate so in the application, specifying one complete composition you wish to work on. The piano part should be ready for rehearsal from day one of the course.

Following is the list of works you may choose from:

Any sonata for violin and piano or viola and piano 

Or

A sonata for cello and piano by: Beethoven (no. 1, 2, and 3), Brahms (no. 1), Franck, Shostakovich; and Fantasy Pieces op. 73 by Schumann,

Or

A trio for violin, cello and piano: Beethoven (op.1 no. 1, 2, and 3; op. 70 no. 1, op. 97), Schubert (both), Mendelssohn op. 49 no. 1, Brahms (trios in B and in C minor).

Art-Song Workshop

Whether on the concert stage or in parlor music-making, the voice and the piano are arguably the closest allies and collaborators. Think of the glorious songs by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Wolf, Faure, Tchaikovsky, Ravel, Mahler, Strauss, Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich and more…

Art-song builds upon an intimate inter-relationship between the music and the words. Both performers – the singer and the pianist – communicate meanings and feelings expressed within this relationship. Both need to understand the music and the text. Thus, while preparing a song, the pianist should study not only the instrumental part but also the singer's part and the poem. Students participating in the art-song workshop are expected to be well-heeded in these different aspects of the song: poems translated and understood, piano parts mastered and vocal material learned. Such preparation will enable a fascinating and enjoyable work, with resident singers, on a collaborative interpretation of a great repertoire.

Master-classes students interested in taking part in the Workshop are requested to indicate so in the Application Form. They will be contacted by the office about the repertoire.

Improvisation Workshop

During his workshops, Guy Mintus sets out to connect the participants deeper with the core of their own musical expression by using an approach that is both technical and holistic.

In this intensive session participants will take part in musical games, experiments, exercises which will reveal the improviser and the inner voice in each participant.

The workshop will include taking pieces from the participants’ repertoire and using them as springboards for improvisations, re-imaginations and musical explorations.

Guy had taught globally at institutions such as UCLA; Royal Conservatory Madrid; University of Cincinnati; University of Toledo; KM School of Music & Technology, Chennai; Tel Aviv-Vienna Vocal Connection; Thelma Yellin High School of Arts, and more.

Concerto Audition

In what has become a meaningful annual event in Israel's musical calendar, the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion, one of this country's leading performing bodies, presents within its regular season a Gala Concert with the winner of the Tel-Hai Concerto Audition as soloist. The Gala Concert is a fully professional event, on par with the orchestra's subscription concerts.

Since the 2011-12 concert season, Tel-Hai Concerto Audition prizewinners are also featured as soloists with the Raanana Symphonette Orchestra in their annual “Rising Stars” concerts.

The Master Classes participants, of sufficient accomplishment and experience to rise to the occasion, are invited to prepare a complete concerto* for the competition, which will take place during the course. The competition jury will consist of the artistic directors and faculty of the Master Classes, representatives of the orchestras, and guest musicians invited to judge the event.

Those wishing to take part in the Concerto Audition will so indicate in the application form. In addition, they are required to present a letter from their primary teacher, testifying to a professional ability to perform in a full-fledged orchestral concert. Please note that only those attending the full program (both terms) are eligible to enter the concerto Audition.

For the Concerto Audition Rules and Regulations  click here »

* For reasons beyond our control, only the following concertos may be entered:
   Mozart - all the concertos
   Beethoven - all the concertos
   Chopin - concerto no. 1, concerto no. 2
   Liszt - concerto no. 1, concerto no. 2
   Schumann - concerto in A minor
   Grieg - concerto in A minor
   Brahms - concerto no. 1, concerto no. 2
   Tchaikovsky - concerto no. 1
   Rachmaninoff - concertos nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and Paganini Rhapsody
   Prokofiev - concertos nos. 1 and 3
   Shostakovich - concerto no. 1, concerto no. 2
   Bartok - concerto no. 3

The Master Classes take place at our summer home, Midreshet Sde Boker – an inspiring environment in the magical region of the Negev desert.

The program is divided into two equal terms. It includes regular individual lessons, daily public master classes and evening concerts.

Each participant is assigned to the class of a faculty member of his/her choice as indicated in the application form, for regular work during the course.  In addition, some students are chosen to perform in public master classes. Students are encouraged to apply and perform in concerts.

Students may apply to Chamber Music, Art Song, and Improvisation workshops, and the Concerto Audition. On the last day, the Master Classes participants travel from Sde Boker to Tel-Aviv for Tel-Hai annual Gala Concert, in which outstanding participants of the course perform.