Renowned pianist, conductor, and teacher Leon Fleisher, now in his sixth decade before the public, started piano lessons in his native San Francisco at age four, gave his first recital at eight, and a year later began studying with the great German pianist Artur Schnabel. In 1944, at age 16, he made his debut with the New York Philharmonic.
In 1952, he became the first American to win the prestigious Queen Elisabeth of Belgium Competition. He performed concerts all over the world with every major orchestra and conductor, gave recitals, and made numerous touchstone recordings of the piano concertos of Beethoven, Brahms, and Rachmaninoff with George Szell and The Cleveland Orchestra.
In 1965, a neurological affliction immobilized two fingers of Mr. Fleisher’s right hand, forcing him to “retire.” During the intervening years, he devoted himself to teaching, conducting, and, eventually, to performing the left-hand piano literature.
In the mid-1990s, Mr. Fleisher began playing with both hands again and won enormous critical acclaim for Two Hands (Vanguard Classics), his first two-hand recording in 40 years. Its repertoire ranges from Bach and Scarlatti to Chopin and Debussy, and includes Franz Schubert’s monumental final Piano Sonata in
B-flat Major.
Teaching has been a crucially important element in Leon Fleisher’s life. A revered pedagogue, he has held the Andrew W. Mellon Chair at the Peabody Conservatory of Music since 1959 and also serves on the faculties of The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
The workshop will focus on Beethoven’s sonatas; workshop repertoire will be assigned upon acceptance. The workshop and the final performance
will take place at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 30. Exceptionally accomplished applicants under the age of 18 will be considered but only with prior approval by The Weill Music Institute staff.
Please complete the application form and return it with the following:
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A current biography (200-word limit) that includes the following: teachers, master classes, concert experiences (solo, chamber, orchestral), education/training, festivals, and awards.
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Two letters of recommendation from present or former music teachers or from musicians of high standing. Recommendation letters may be sent separately from the application but must be marked clearly with the name of the workshop and applicant on the front of the envelope.
- Unedited recordings of:
Three complete Beethoven sonatas—one from each of Beethoven’s early, middle, and late periods (audio recording, CD format preferred). All three works will be considered for workshop repertoire. A sonata by Beethoven, Schubert, or Brahms (audio/visual recording, DVD format).
A nonrefundable application fee of $40, payable by check or money order (to The Carnegie Hall Corporation) or credit card. A credit card form can be downloaded here.
All materials must be received by Carnegie Hall no later than August 15, 2007.
Applicants will be informed of their workshop status by September 1, 2007.
There is no tuition for the workshop. For participants coming from outside New York City, travel and shared housing will be arranged and paid for by Carnegie Hall.
The workshop is open to auditors for its entire duration, both in October and January. Auditors registering to attend the entire period in October will receive a complimentary ticket to each of the public master classes. Those registering for the entire period in January will receive a ticket to the Young Artists Concert. The workshop schedule will be sent to auditors upon receipt of the registration form. The fee for auditing is $30 per day, and sessions are limited to 20 people. For more information, please call 212-903-9733 or e-mail ptw@carnegiehall.org.
All workshop participants must be available October 18–23, 2007, and January 17–19, 2008, including evenings, and are expected to attend ALL sessions of the workshop.
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