This year the Festival holds two exciting masterclasses given by British pianist Stephen Gutman and German-British violin expert Florian Leonhard.

Both masterclasses are held at the Choir Hall of the National Music Academy (vul. Horodetskoho 1). Admission to the masterclasses is FREE.

For detailed information please contact the Festival or Olena Berehova, pro-rector at the National Music Academy at (+38 044) 2791462.

24 April, Monday, 12:00

Stephen Gutman’s piano masterclass at the Choir Hall of the National Music Academy.

Free admission. All welcome!

26 April, Wednesday, 12:00

“Violin Queen of Music, or what distinguishes instruments of great masters”

Masterclass and meeting with the violin maker Florian Leonhard at the Choir Hall, National Music Academy.

Free admission. Bring your instrument!

STEPHEN GUTMAN

London-born Stephen Gutman is recognised as one of Britain’s most brilliant and creative interpreters of modern music. Following his studies at the Royal College of Music, he was awarded first prizes in the Brant Competition and the British Contemporary Piano Competition. He has given the UK premieres of works by Birtwistle, Ligeti and Schnittke among others. He has also commissioned many new works (from Julian Anderson, Michael Finnissy, Simon Holt and Luke Stoneham for example). He has performed and broadcast widely in Europe as well as in Japan and the USA. He is a Professor of Piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and was the Contemporary Artist in association with the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. He has recorded for the Metronome, NMC and Unknown Public labels.

Among his most personal projects are The Debussy Studies Project and Les Enfants de Rameau. In 1997, with the sponsorship of the Arts Council of England, he asked 12 British composers to write pieces mirroring the 12 etudes of Debussy. Two years later, Les enfants de Rameau, modelled on variations by Dukas, received widespread critical acclaim. Subsequent activities, including a Satie cycle at Dartington (2001) and acclaimed performances of Birtwistle’s Harrison’s Clocks (2000) and The Axe Manual (2003) in London, have confirmed his reputation. In 2004 he created a sequence of interconnected music events that were built up from the short fantasy What strikes the clocke by the 16th century composer Edward Gibbons. This integrated the contributions of professional musicians, students from several secondary schools and work of composers of all ages and backgrounds. It was entered for the Guinness Book of Records as the largest number of premiers in a single performance. Also in 2004, Gutman gave the Scottish premiere of John Adams’ piano concerto Century Rolls and in 2005 performed the Tippett Concerto. Future recording projects include the complete solo works of Jean-Phillipe Rameau on the piano for Toccata, and Judith Bingham’s piano music for Campion.

Also active as a chamber-music player, Gutman has appeared in concerts and broadcasts with many distinguished international artists and ensembles

FLORIAN LEONHARD

Florian Leonhard is one of the leading world experts in Italian stringed instruments; renowned the world over for his connoisseurship of violins and restoration skills.

Born to artistic and musical parents, Florian studied at Mittenwald, Germany as a violin maker before leaving in the mid 80s for W.E Hill and son's in London, the premier workshop of fine violin restoration of it's day; under the Hill's uncompromising methodology, he become head restorer in less than 3 years.

A string of engagements followed, taking Florian back to Germany only to return again to London. Where in 1995, having gained over 10 years of experience working with the finest instruments in existence, he started his own restoration workshop and dealership. Class leading expertise in both restoration and authentication enabled the company to gain momentum in a few short years, and it was only a matter of time before Florian Leonhard Fine Violins firmly established itself as one of the foremost suppliers of fine instruments; resolute on delivering instruments including Guadagnini, Guarneri and Stradivari of superb all-round quality to its clients.

Florian acts as specialist consultant to many of the leading Solo artists in the world including Maxim Vengerov and Stephan Isserlis, Work in his capacity as instrument expert brings him into regular contact with orchestras in the UK, Netherlands, Israel, and US, Including the LSO, Concertgebouw and the IPO.