The sectional concerts of the master classes took place 31 July through 1 August 2015 on several iconic locations of Tokaj. Master classes of the Summer Institute were held in 83 different classrooms, grand stages and inspiring rooms across the following buildings: Tokaji Ferenc High School, II. Rákóczi Ferenc Elementary School, the Synagogue, Paulay Ede Theatre, the Reformed Church, the Catholic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Kindergarten, the Tourinform Office, the Town Hall, museums and dormitories. It didn’t take long for musicians to feel at home everywhere and transform the town into a giant music academy campus. On the last weekend of Crescendo Festival, sectional concerts featured students performing pieces they learned during their master classes. Participants of Crescendo Summer Institute brought a wide range of pieces to classes, which they then perfected with the guidance of their teachers. It was a selection of these pieces studied in class that the audience was treated to at these concerts. The most successful performers of the concerts received the opportunity to showcase their talent at the Gala Concert.
Sectional concerts at Crescendo Festival:
- Organ and Guitar Sectional Concert, 31 July, 10:30 a.m., Catholic Church
- Voice Sectional Concert, 31 July, 11:30 a.m., Reformed Church
- Piano Sectional Concert, 31 July, 2 p.m., Synagogue
- Chamber Music Sectional Concert, 31 July, 3:30 p.m., Tokaji Ferenc High School, Tune-In Hall
- Jazz Concert, 31 July, 5 p.m. Paulay Ede Theatre
- String Sectional Concert (cello and double bass), 1 August 2015, 11 a.m., 2nd floor of the Synagogue
- Woodwind Sectional Concert (oboe, clarinet, bassoon), 1 August 2015, 11:30 a.m., Reformed Church
- Violin, Viola and Chamber Music concert 1 August, at 12 in II. Rákóczi Ferenc Elementary School
- Violin Sectional Concert, 1 August, 2 p.m., Catholic Church
- Brass Sectional Concert, 1 August, 4 p.m., Synagogue
- Flute Sectional Concert, 1 August, 5 p.m., Reformed Church
- Choral Conducting Sectional Concert, 2 August, 11:30 a.m., Catholic Church
- Concert of the Youth Section, 2 August, 1:30 p.m., Paulay Ede Theatre
Special attention was given to the 2-and-a-half-hour performance of the Opera Scenes course, starting at 7 p.m. on 1 August 2015 in the Paulay Ede Theatre. Stepping on the stage means that one must be absolutely present both physically and spiritually. In order that singers can affect the audience, appeal to the spectators, and provoke them to think, they need to focus on an immense number of different factors, such as singing technique, movement, the partners and even the personal-spiritual contents of the musical piece. This is what the intensive Opera Scenes course is all about. Voice Section students presented the fruit of this shared group work in the form of 31 well-known opera scenes.
Musical contributions continued at the Catholic mass and the Reformed church service, where pieces by J. S. Bach, Miklós Rózsa and Sortie were performed by Ákos Faragó (HUN, organ), Bence Kozák (HUN, organ), János Ripka (HUN, cello), Noémi Sallai (HUN, clarinet) and Bernadett Vida (HUN, organ).
Small-group talks and meetings came to a close as well. On the night of Friday, 31 July 2015, groups had informal discussions to evaluate the events of the two weeks and to share their personal experiences over ice cream, pizza and pleasant evening walks.
Gala Concerts were held at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on 2 August 2015, in the Paulay Ede Theatre and the Synagogue. They featured solo and chamber music performances of pieces learned during master classes, as well as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor. The most successful participants of the Summer Institute were invited to be part of these concerts by recommendation of the faculty. The performers were: Előd Gábor Ambrusz (HUN, piano), Aleksandra Bilanović (SRB, soprano), Dominika Blatt (HUN, piano), Dániel Bögös (HUN, guitar), Bálint Bress (HUN, guitar), Fanni Fekete (HUN, clarinet), János Bence Higyed (HUN, trumpet), Elisabeta Furtuna (ROU, piano), Violetta Haraszti (HUN, violin), Teodóra Hetei-Bakó (HUN, flute), Eszter Kruchió (HUN, violin), Zsófia Mohai (HUN, oboe), Viktor Mendelev (BLR, voice), Vilmos Mohácsi (HUN, double bass), Patrik Gergő Oláh (HUN, violin), Gergő Olgyay (HUN, guitar), János Ripka (HUN, cello), Aleksandra Rybakova (RUS, soprano), Isabela Saavedra (COL, cello), Noémi Sallai (HUN, clarinet), Johanna Schwarzl (GER, flute), Ádám Zsolt Szokolay (HUN, piano), Gyula Váradi (HUN, violin), the brass ensemble led by trumpet artist Philipp Hutter (SUI), and the wind ensemble and orchestra led by conductor Delta David Gier (USA). The following artist professors of Crescendo Summer Institute contributed on piano: Bethany Brooks (USA), Heinz Chen (AUT), Ye-Ree Kim (KOR), Éva Csipkay (HUN), Erika Dallos (HUN), Rita Termes (HUN). Pieces by Béla Bartók, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Gaetano Donizetti, Domenico Dragonetti, Giovanni Gabrieli, Philippe Gaubert, Charles Gounod, Frigyes Hidas, Aram Khachaturian, Édouard Lalo, Bohuslav Martinů, Jules Massenet, Joseph-Guy Ropartz, Franz Schubert, Sándor Szokolay and Joaquin Turina were performed.
Gala Concerts were followed by the gala party, which was officially opened by the leadership of Crescendo Summer Institute, who gave thanks to the faculty, the organizers and, also importantly, to the leadership of the Town of Tokaj and the heads of institutions in town. During the two weeks, the crowd of participants became a community: a big international family. This night, they joyfully celebrated their shared success, and many of them left with the expectation of meeting again between 25 July and 8 August 2016, at the 13th Crescendo Summer Institute.
Tokaj, 3 August 2015
Eszter Dudás and Timothy Bentch
artistic directors
Crescendo Summer Institute