I am quite pleased to serve as the faculty coach and pianist for the Lorin Maazel Castleton Institute, which will be holding two master class sessions at the National Opera Center beginning May 1. The first session will be devoted to Italian opera, and the second, Wagner and Strauss. Both sessions will be led by Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs, Mo. Michael Recchiuti, and the wonderful Dietlinde Turban Maazel.
Now, I’ve been around a while, and I am satisfied there is no more extraordinary trio of master teachers in the world than Elizabeth, Michael and Dietlinde. And anyone who was present for the classes we all did at Lauren Flanigan’s Music and Mentoring House last year knows that I am not exaggerating.
In addition, the participants will receive invaluable advice from the legendary music publicist Mary Lou Falcone. And Jeremy Gerard of Gurari Studios – at this point, a bona fide New York institution – will offer a seminar on how to get the most out of a professional recording session, and will engineer “before and after” videos of the class performances
I am thrilled to be taking part in a program of such outstanding quality, and with such peerless colleagues.