We were pleased to host Nancy Pellegrini at this summer's Great Wall International Music Academy in Beijing. Click below to read her post on the experince.
From June 9 to 17 I took part in the Harpa International Music Academy in Reykjavik, Iceland. The event was founded by Wei Lin, we performed with the Sassmannshaus Trio, there was a lot of teaching, and a final concert on Iceland's Independence Day. The concert halls were in one of the best arts centers I have seen, with unique modern architecture. All three halls sound fantastic. For more information, visit: http://en.harpa.is/harpa/salir-og-skipulag-en
The opening concert included Yabing Tan and Christina Nam from Cincinnati, Yabing was literally the poster child for this Festival.
Now we are getting ready for the 2013 Great Wall International Music Academy in Beijing, July 12 to August 2. After China I will travel to the Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg.
Christoph Sassmannshaus teaches Laufey Lin
At the Gullfoss Waterfalls
Me with Jiang Wang, Yi Bing Chu, Wei Lin, and Iceland's Minister of Culture, Mr. Illugi Gunnarson
Summer is here and we are busy getting ready for the ninth annual Great Wall International Music Academy. This year features concerts at the famous National Center for the Performing Arts and the addition of our piano department in cooperation with the University Mozarteum's Leopold Mozart Institut. We're also looking ahead to next year when we get to celebrate our tenth anniversary in Beijing! But before I head to China, you can find me in Iceland performing with the Sassmannshaus Piano Trio and conducting at the new Harpa International Music Festival in June.
I also saw this news about the UK's largest Stradivarius exhibition this summer in Oxford. Unfortunately the exhibit will close just before my trip to Oxford for the 2013 European String Conference, so leave me a comment below if you are able to take it in!
Have you seen this story from the BBC exploring the search for the perfect new wood for violin making? Apparently the best time to cut down a tree for new wood is at night at the end of autumn when the moon is the lowest in the horizon!
I am happy to share with you a new video featuring violinist Zhang Ying performing the first movement of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto on our Showcase series in Cincinnati, below.
We are very excited to announce that this summer, the Great Wall International Music Academy will be featured at the world famous National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, aka "The Egg." You likely already know that this is our ninth season of the academy and this year we are starting a new piano department in cooperation with the University Mozarteum's Leopold Mozart Institut.
