Events
Events

Next Steps at DTKV Berlin

It’s been a fruitful week for Deutscher Tonkünstlerverband Berlin. After a joint meeting with Christian Höppner last Monday, discussing perspectives of cultural politics and professional representation of freelance musicians in Berlin together with my colleague Simon Borutzki, we had a very productive general assembly yesterday. The participating members showed high commitment in running for and electing new delegates for Landesmusikrat Berlin, initiative neue musik, and the DTKV federal delegate assembly. Moreover, they decided unanimously to pass a new statute that will allow digital communication and virtual meetings, and facilitate member participation and decision-making for the future. Looking forward very much to the activities and challenges to come!

Bach and Reger Piano Transcriptions

First appearance as a pianist in quite a while! I will contribute to a concert of Deutscher Tonkünstlerverband on the following Tuesday, 16 November, 8 pm, at Schwartzsche Villa Berlin-Steglitz. I’ll be performing two of my own piano transcriptions: Aria and Fughetta after Bach’s Drum schließ ich mich in deine Hände from BWV 229, and an abundantly ornamented version of Reger’s beautiful Nachtlied, Op. 138 No. 3. Apart from that, there will be music by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Strauss, Scriabin, and others. Meeting some amiable people would be so much of a delight!

This Autumn’s Activities

There’s a tough schedule of travels and appearances ahead for the following two weeks. However challenging, I look forward to being on the move again, and to meeting friends and colleagues on the following occasions:
(a) 23 September, 8.30 pm: Online participation in the 10th European Music Analysis Conference, hosted by the Moscow Conservatory, with a paper on Beethoven, Taneyev, and Medtner. Please get in touch, should you wish to join.
(b) 24 September, 12.00 noon: 20th Symposium of the German Shostakovich Society at Berlin University of the Arts. I’ll be presenting on Shostakovich’s passacaglia movements of the 1940s.
(c) 29 September, 5.30 pm: 17th International Conference of the Gesellschaft für Musikforschung at Bonn University, discussing Beethoven, Taneyev, and Medtner again.
(d) 2 October, 3.00 pm: 21th Annual Conference of the Gesellschaft für Musiktheorie at Basel Music Academy, presentation of the website Musiktheorie Digital with three fellow panelists.

EPTA Video Lecture

I recently participated in this year’s online seminar of EPTA Deutschland, which comprised a series of papers and presentations dedicated to aural skills and aspects of ear training in piano pedagogy. My video lecture Listening, Playing, Understanding (in German language) focuses on different methods of synchronous playing and singing that are applicable in online teaching and blended learning, making use of tools such as on-screen keyboards and web tutorials. I believe that the instruction of instrumental performance and music theory subjects can significantly benefit from these (and similar) methods. If you are also interested in this field and can spare some 15 minutes to watch the video, please feel free to share your thoughts!

PhD Talk with Young Musicologists

It’s been a pleasure to talk to aspiring musicology students and young scholars about the conditions, possibilities, and potential problems in doing a PhD. I’d like to thank the DVSM association of undergraduate musicologists for having me as a guest speaker in their online panel, and for initiating a fruitful exchange of thoughts. Do not hesitate to get in touch if there are further questions!