19th INTERNATIONAL MASTERCLASS
IN ORCHESTRAL CONDUCTING
with Maestro ENNIO NICOTRA (Italy)
(Ilya Musin Technique)
and St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra
August 26-31, 2008
in St. Petersburg, Russia
Repertoire to be studied
(please select 3 or 4 pieces among the following):
W.A Mozart Symphony No. 35 Haffner
W.A. Mozart Symphony No. 40 K.550 (I & IV movements)
F.J. Haydn Symphony No. 104 "London"
L. van Beethoven Symphonies No. 3, 4
L. van Beethoven Coriolano overture
A. Dvorak Symphony No. 9 "New World" (I& IV movements)
Johann Strauss "The Bat" Overture op. 362
J. Brahms overture Tragica
J. Brahms symphonies No. 1 (I & IV movements)
J. Brahms symphonies No. 2, 4
N. Rimsky-Korsakov Sheherazade (II and III movements)
P.I. Tchaikovsky symphonies No. 5 and 6
P.I. Tchaikovsky Romeo and Giulietta overture fantasia
S. Prokofiev symphony No. 1 "Classical"
R. Schumann Symphony No. 3 "Rhenish"
D. Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1
- other repetoire proposals are also possible - please let us know (all proposals subject to confirmation by the orchestra and the Maestro)
Preliminary Workshop Schedule:
Piano sessions:
- Tue & Wed, August 26 & 27
Chamber orchestra session:
- Thu & Fri, August 28 & 29
Symphonic orchestra sessions:
- Sat & Sun, August 30 & 31
Rehearsal and Public concert:
- Sun, August 31
at 3 p.m.
All active participants will conduct at the Final (public) Concert at the Belosselsky-Belozersky Palace (City Cultural Center)
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
1) This workshop is open to conductors at all levels of proficiency, from beginners to professionals. There is no age limit.
2) Participants will work with the orchestra for four days, at the Belosselsky-Belozersky Palace, St. Petersburg City Cultural Center. There will also be two workshop sessions with piano only.
3) Accommodation at a hotel or a private apartment (at a reasonable price - usually around €40 per day) can be arranged on your behalf.
4) Assistance with Visa issuance (i.e. Invitation Letter) for Russia is available at no additional cost (required for most nationals). You will be able to download the Visa Assistance Form at this website soon.
5) All sessions can be videotaped (please bring your own cameras and DV tapes).
6) Final concert will be videotaped - the performance DVD will be sent to each participant free of charge (i.e. included in the price of the masterclass)
7) Please note that, if you are to bring a musical instrument and/or bow into Russia, you may need to declare it with the customs, as well as give a photo of your instrument.
Active Participant Fee - €1,600 (approx. US$2,400)
Audiotors - €650 (approx. US$950)
Deadline for Applications: July 15, 2008
No age limit!
The Workshop Fee covers all masterclass sessions (approx. 30 minutes per participant per day).
A Certificate of Completion will be issued to each participant after the final concert.
Places are limited - please inquire today.
About the Faculty:
Maestro ENNIO NICOTRA (Italy)
Ennio Nicotra was born in Palermo in 1963. From 1989, after completing his studies in piano, he studied conducting with Ilya Musin in St. Petersburg, who taught many well-known conductors at his school, including Yury Temirkanov, Valery Gergiev, Semyon Bychcov & Rudolf Barshai.
Under Musin's direction he acquired a solid technique and a vast operatic and symphonic repertoire, and in a short time he was invited to conduct some of the most important Russian Orchestras, including, in St. Petersburg, the Philharmonic and the Radio and Television Orchestra. He also conducted the Moldovian Philarmonic (Kiscinov) and Orchestras in Kislovodsk, Essentukj, Ulianovsk, Ekaterinburg, Riga, amongst others. He has collaborated with such esteemed performers as Bruno Canino, Misha Maisky, Paul Badura-Skoda and Carlo Bergonzi. Between 1994-96 he taught as Musin's assistant during the Siena Masterclasses at the Accademia Chigiana, and, following the death of his mentor, at the renowned summer Giornate Musicali in Assisi.
For more information about Ennio Nicotra and Musin's conducting technique, please visit http://www.musinsociety.com
See Maestro Nicotra's conducting video on YouTube.
About the Orchestra:
ST. PETERSBURG STATE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Saint Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1967 under the directorship of Nikolai Rabinovich and has had many outstanding conductors from the St Petersburg school involved from its foundation such as Karl Eliasberg and Edward Grikurov. They set a very high musical standard which was then strengthened by their conducting students of the next generation - Yuri Temirkanov, Mariss Jansons, Y. Simonov, E. Serov, E Kolobov, R Martynov and others. The orchestra has undergone much change since its inception including a change of name and leadership but through all this time it has been developing its repertoire strengths and building a devoted audience. In 1996, the orchestra was given the honorary title of an Academic Orchestra.
The orchestra’s repertoire is extremely diverse ranging from the Baroque music of Handel and Vivaldi right through to music of the 20 th century. Since 1991, the orchestra holds their subscription series in the Mirror Hall of the Beloselsky-Belozersky Palace. In addition, the orchestra often performs in the Philharmonic Hall. Apart from standard concerts, the orchestra offers many educational programmes aimed at children and young people with repertoire including the classical masterpieces, Russian repertoire and music from foreign composers.
The regular commissioning and performance of new compositions is testament to the high standard of the orchestra with many new works written especially for the orchestra. There is strong support for local composers but also collaborations with many foreign composers who have also dedicated their works to this orchestra.
The Saint Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra tours regularly all over the world and has had successful concerts in Spain, Japan, Mexico, Germany, China and Finland. In the autumn of 1998, the orchestra toured to the USA and over 2 months held close to 50 concerts in different cities from the far east to the west coasts.
Many distinguished soloists and conductors have worked with the orchestra over the years such as Sviatoslav Richter, Elena Obrastsova, Yevgeni Nesterenko, Natalia Gutman, Eliso Virsaladze, Mikhail Vaiman, Yevgeniy Mogilevsky, O. Nikole, Montserrat Kabale, Pavel Egorov and Viktor Tretyakov.
In November 2004, the orchestra appointed the young, dynamic Vasily Petrenko as the new Chief Conductor following on from Ravil Martynov.
