INSIDE PITCH with David Serkin Ludwig
“With inside pitch, we want to share with audience members what is special to us as musicians about this music that we’re all so passionate about. To me, knowing about a composer, a piece of music, or even a style, enhances the listening experience beyond the four walls of the concert hall.”
David Serkin Ludwig, Festival 2022
The Inside Pitch series offers students of all ages a chance to more deeply explore the masterworks presented at the Festival. Join Distinguished Composer-In-Residence David Ludwig, Dean, and Director at The Julliard School, as he shares his wealth of knowledge and interviews a host of musical luminaries. Past lectures have featured discussions of Beethoven’s Grosse Fugue, Ravel’s Piano Trio, and Bach’s D Minor Partita, among many others before they are performed by the Festival artists. The series has also featured discussions with Marc Neikrug, Steven Stucky, Joan Tower, William Bolcolm, and poet Katie Ford.
MASTERCLASSES
The opening event of every Festival is a series of master classes for local students with Festival artists. Each participating student performs a piece that they have prepared with their home teacher. The master class teacher then evaluates the performance and helps the student understand what could make the performance better. The clinician is a master teacher, isolating issues for the student and finding ways for them to improve their music making.
We have offered master classes in piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, clarinet, and percussion to Vermont Youth Orchestra Association students, as well as other students in the region. Chamber music master classes have also been offered.
In addition, our young quartet-in-residence performs at two open master classes during the week, working with Festival artists in preparation for their performance at the end of the week.
For many members of our audience, attending master classes is a highlight of the week.