Reflections on the Ana Vidovic Master Class, January 2014, Waterloo Ontario Canada

It is interesting how every artist who has conducted a master class for us, can be so different and carry their own signature style.

Ana Vidovic was traditional in her concert and teaching.  Meaning, she was very grounded in her playing and direct with her teaching.  She is not one for a lot of words, instead she is able to pinpoint ideas right away with a gentle and nurturing manner.  I am not sure if she teaches on a regular basis, but I think she would be an amazing teacher to study with.

Here are some pictures and ideas from her master class:

“Visualization is most important; your memorization should be 200% secure and be ready to play the piece no matter what time of day.  The more you perform,  the more you relax and create a secure connection between your hands and brain.”

“Exaggerate your articulation, so the audience can hear your statement.  Project your sound by pushing into the string.  A longer fingernail usually produces a brighter sound, so try using a shorter nail with more flesh.  This sound is warmer and rounder allowing to shape melodies a lot easier.”

“Some fast passages require open strings, so the challenge is for that open string note not to pop out or have a totally different sound.  It might require a slight movement of the right hand finger to match the other notes.  Other times, it might not match at all, but always do your best to hear and create an even tone, throughout all the notes.”

“Dramatic contrasts are especially important in Themes and Variations because your interpretation cannot sound the same all the way through.  Even though each variation is different, don’t always assume that is enough.   The audience needs to hear not a warm sound, but a warmer sound, big crescendos, dark characteristics, bright attacks etc.  This doesn’t mean you play faster, it means that you pay particular attention to all of your articulations.”

Much Thanks to everyone who came out to class!

Stephen Zurakowsky

Artistic Director