In recent weeks, twenty-two individual masterclasses were held under the guidance of thirty-two artists at the Faculty of Music of the University of Debrecen, at the XXII. International Summer Academy of Young Musicians, attended by more than one hundred and sixty students from fourteen countries. As part of the series of events, pianist and conductor Tamás Vásáry was greeted on the occasion of his ninetieth birthday, who took over the leadership of the Kodály Zoltán World Youth Orchestra this year.
In addition to the countries of the European Union, young musicians from all over the world came to the summer academy, for example from Korea, China and Iran, but they also came from Turkey and Hong Kong to train with excellent professors in international standard courses at the Faculty of Music of the University of Debrecen. The event, which lasted for two weeks, had several returnees, those who joined the work because of the summer academy and who eventually entered the music career or chose a Hungarian university as the scene of their training.
The participants of the courses could practice on the piano, flute, violin, bass violin, saxophone, accordion, oboe, clarinet, horn, trumpet, trombone and percussion instruments, take part in a singing master class, and improve their knowledge in the Musicality of Movement course.
A special feature of the event was that the professors of the academy took to the stage in the Liszt Hall, presenting a colorful repertoire in the Musical Evenings in Nagyerdő concert series. In addition to the gala concerts, the Contemporary Music Singing Competition was organized for the eighth time in memory of Emil Petrovics, which, according to the plans, would be included in the schedule of the Faculty of Music in Debrecen next year.
Judit Váradi, artistic director of the Summer Academy of Young Musicians, told hirek.unideb.hu: this year has also proven how much demand there is for summer music courses at the University of Debrecen, since in addition to the event’s outstanding international resonance, the music listeners also welcome the introduction of young talents. This time, more than one hundred and sixty people from fourteen countries took part in the summer academy, which means that more and more people are bringing the University of Debrecen to the world.
This year, the success of the academy far exceeded even the previous expectations, which is largely due to the fact that the young people who came to us took the task seriously and worked extremely concentrated, so professional work could receive an exceptionally high emphasis. The palette was colorful, a remarkably well-prepared group gathered, since most of them came to the faculty because they wanted to improve, they wanted to play in a band. This sense of purpose helped to assemble a stage-ready and high-quality band in a short period of time, even though it is very difficult to create a unified formation from such diverse cultures and young people with such different qualifications. The most important message of the summer academy was that with enough concentration and humility, this is also possible. This year’s summer academy was characterized by freedom and joy, during the joint work it was clear to all participants that we had created something unique and unrepeatable. This is a uniquely complex musical event in Hungary, as we give courses, organize competitions and master teaching professors also take the stage. All of this attracts the attention of young people at the international level
– assessed the artistic director.
Finally, the Kodály Zoltán World Youth Orchestra formed from the participants of the summer academy, conducted by Tamás Vásáry and Zoltán Bolyky, gave a concert in the Great Temple, celebrating Tamás Vásáry’s 90th birthday, which the Kossuth Prize-winning pianist and conductor will celebrate in August. After the performance in Debrecen, the world orchestra took the stage in the concert hall of the Slovak Radio in Bratislava, and then in Budapest, in the Great Hall of the Academy of Music. The audience stood and celebrated the band after each performance. Tamás Vásáry emphasized before the concert in the Great Temple that the newly assembled formation was made up of excellent musicians, and that this year’s joint work was a greater experience for him than ever before.
(unideb.hu)
