Newsletter February 2011
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Currently attending the Juilliard School as a student of Dr. Robert McDonald, 19-year old Alan Woo graduated from the Idyllwild Arts Academy where he studied piano with Dr. Scott McBride Smith and Dr. Douglas Ashcraft. Woo has won awards in international, state, and local piano competitions. He was the winner of the 2010 Juilliard Concerto Competition and appeared with the Juilliard Orchestra in Alice Tully Hall on December 13, 2010. The New York Times described him as “unerring: he produced the speed and fury required in the outer movements…The other side of his playing—the gentle, pianissimo playing…was equally impressive.” Woo has performed in prestigious venues including Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lawrence, Kansas, and the U.S. Department of State. He attended the Aspen Music Festival School, Morningside Music Bridge, and the International Institute for Young Musicians. Woo grew up in Falls Church, VA. You’ve made some big changes in your life since we last saw you at IIYM. Now you are a sophomore at the Juilliard School studying with Robert McDonald. Was it a difficult transition from high school? It wasn’t too much for me. I went to boarding school, at the Idyllwild School in California, so I was already used to being away from home. The hardest thing was disciplining myself even more with my practice time. When you’re in an environment away from your parents, you have to organize yourself. At Juilliard, there are so many students that each faculty member can’t manage your practice for you—you have to do it on your own. In high school, I got a chance to study with Dr. Scott McBride Smith often, and also have lessons with Dr. Doug Ashcraft. At Juilliard, it’s a one-hour lesson per week. I have to set my own goals to maximize my progress. Do you find the lessons themselves different than you were used to in high school? Mr. McDonald says things that are relevant to all types of music; I try to apply these principles on my own during practice on all my pieces. I don’t want him saying the same thing all the time! That would mean I'm not paying enough attention. What’s it like being around other top young pianists at Juilliard? I think it’s very helpful. It’s good to have classmates and know what they sound like. But I don’t take their accomplishments so seriously that I become discouraged. I use it as motivation. Everyone progresses at their own rate and everyone has their own issues and challenges. What’s it like living in New York as a student? It has a lot of advantages. I live right next to Lincoln Center, and it’s a 10-minute walk to Carnegie Hall. There is lots of opportunity to go to concerts and know what’s going in music, as well as in the other arts around you. There are so many museums—I gain a lot of inspiration. One could be easily distracted, there’s so much out there. So I still have to manage my time and set goals! You were the one of the youngest students in the history of the Juilliard School to win the Juilliard Concerto competition. That must have been a huge thrill. Yes! Honestly, when Mr. McDonald recommended me to learn the Prokofiev Third Concerto, I didn’t want to do it. I thought it was too hard and that I didn’t have a chance anyway. But then I decided—it will be a good opportunity, so I learned it as fast as I could. I competed with it at the Aspen Music Festival last summer and won nothing. But I did the best I was able and it was a good experience. Winning at Juilliard—I didn’t expect it at all. But it made me feel more confident. It’s easy to become unsure about where you are, and are you really progressing. This is a validation. What was it like playing on the stage of Alice Tully Hall? Your conductor was Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the incoming Music Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra. The thought of playing with him made me really nervous at first. But when I went on stage I was not nervous at all, for some reason. I was just excited to play with this great conductor who really supported me. He was terrific in rehearsals—he’s such a wonderful artist. It was my first time working with a conductor at that level. I learned a lot from the performance. He gave me some suggestions about playing with an orchestra—It’s not the same as playing a solo or two-piano concert. Pacing is a huge issue because you want to take time but not so much that no one can follow. He also suggested that I bring out the subdivisions in the left hand so that the members of the orchestra can hear more clearly; this helps all of us play more rhythmically and pace the ritardandi. He slowed the second variation down (in the second movement) to emphasize its brutality. The New York Times reviewer, Allan Kozinn, had lots of praise for you. He described you as “unerring”, playing with “speed and fury” but maintaining control at all times. He said your gentle playing was “equally impressive”. Very cool to get a review like that when you are 19 years old. How did it feel? Yeah! Triple-cool. Now I have something to put in my resumé. I was really excited to get my first review from the New York Times—and it was a good one. How do you feel your own playing has improved? The most important improvement is always your own ability to hear your playing and fix what is necessary. Mr. McDonald has taught me to listen more carefully–he wants to give me the tools, and my job is to use them. Maybe I’m not pacing something right since I’m not reacting to harmonies. He gives me the feedback but leaves it up to me as to how to resolve it. That’s what everyone needs to do in the end—evaluate, and be your own teacher. What are your future plans? I will be playing a concert in Arkansas in June, at the Arkansas Music Teachers Association conference. And I’m applying to different summer programs. I just want to keep improving. Reviews of Alan’s performance with the Juilliard Orchestra: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/arts/music/16orchestra.html http://super-conductor.blogspot.com/2010/12/concert-review-young-gun-nezet-seguin.html http://www.examiner.com/fine-arts-in-new-york/12-13-review-juilliard-orchestra-avery-fisher-hall |
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John McCarthy is Director of Preparatory and Extension Divisions at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. After graduation from the Conservatory, he was appointed to the piano and musicianship faculties, where he has taught for more than 35 years. In 2006, John McCarthy was one of three teachers of music in the country to receive a Distinguished Teacher Award from the Department of Education and the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, at a special ceremony in Washington D.C. The National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts has honored McCarthy for his outstanding teaching four times and his students have received many awards at the international level, including first prizes in the Corpus Christi International Piano Competition, the Individualis (Ukraine), Khachaturian (Armenia), Scottish International and Stravinsky International piano competitions. As a performer, McCarthy has appeared with the San Francisco Symphony in Davies Symphony Hall, with the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players at the Ojai Festival, at CAMI Hall in New York City, at Stanford University and in the annual Bracebridge Concerts at Yosemite National Park. Mr. McCarthy embraces a wide repertoire ranging from Bach to music of our time. Mr. McCarthy serves on the boards of the Pacific Musical Society, San Francisco International Music Festival, the Robert Helps Composition Competition at the University of South Florida, and is on the advisory board of the American Symphony Orchestra-Sonoma County.
There are very few people who have been able to combine high-level teaching with being an administrator at a top international music school. How were you able to do this? I’ve always had a multitude of interests. There aren’t too many role models in the piano teaching world for what I have been doing, although Milton Salkind, the former President at my school, was also a very active teacher and pianist. Maybe Gunther Schuller, the former president of the New England Conservatory, fits the bill best. He composed and was a wonderful conductor. He was a world-class French horn player at a young age and played in the Met Orchestra. He was a forward looking thinker and author, and his administration reflected this excitement. Leon Botstein, the President of Bard College, is also a professional conductor, an esteemed musicologist and great educator. I admire these people very much. My teaching and leadership style are of a piece. I place great value on my relationships. This has generated trust and fierce loyalty from students, parents and faculty alike. That’s the key, really—going through the process of learning and building a program together, step by step, trusting that the result will reflect our best efforts. I’ve always deeply admired the strength of character in a committed parent, and equally so in a committed teacher. I am especially proud to enjoy such an unusual and special rapport with the faculty in my program. They continue to be a source of tremendous stimulation for me. One has to have an interest and some ability at projecting future outcomes. But you have to say “yes’ to unpredictability. Regardless of what you might plan, the forces at play are beyond anyone’s capacity to imagine. Students move away, there are unforeseen bursts of talent, or changes of attitude for good or bad. All kinds of things can happen—and you have to cope successfully. And sometimes, there are shifts in the environment that simply have to be acknowledged, and cannot be managed. I’ve seen some colleagues put students in a pigeonhole and leave them there. As if to say, this student isn’t talented, based on what I heard at the first lesson, so I won’t give my best effort teaching. That’s never a good idea. There are always surprises when working with people. And not always bad ones—many are good. Talent is a big word, and mysterious to me. If there is commitment, there should be a place for everyone, at every level of development and talent. I love ‘stirring the pot’ internally in a student and then supporting their artistic unfolding. San Francisco is a unique place to make music. Did you grow up there? What is your background? San Francisco is unique—but so is Kansas! This city is a wonderful place for both early music and cutting edge stuff. The musical culture here reflects the general tone and attitude of the city-at-large. I actually grew up in a suburb of New York City. My weekends were filled with concerts and museums. I discovered this world on my own, quite separately from my parents, who had no artistic background whatsoever. I’d attend a concert at Lincoln Center and then run as fast as I could to Carnegie Hall. I got it down to 18 minutes! Having grown up in New York, the New York music schools held no mystique for me. I guess I knew too much about what really went on behind the scenes! I was offered a full scholarship to attend the San Francisco Conservatory. And the rest is history… Stepping down as Director of the Preparatory and Extension Divisions after all these years is quite a change. How did you come to that decision? It’s been emotionally complicated. There are many aspects of being the Director that I will miss. But at a certain stage in life you have to ask, “what does the world want from me”. At the stage I am in now, I’m asking instead, “what does my psyche want from me?” I want to return to a more active life as a performer and teacher. You often hear piano students from around the world. Do you think the world of piano playing is in good health? Yes…and no. There are so many remarkably developed younger students on a technical basis, and so many that play with imagination. On the other hand, media attention in particular has led to a theatricality in piano performance that I don’t like. It’s an artificial style of playing that seems to aim at exaggerating musical ideas to the point of parody, almost. To me, it doesn’t come across as heartfelt or authentic. The whole experience of watching artists like this perform trivializes the musical experience. It’s a real concern for music education. But, again, there are bright spots, too: we’re further along pedagogically, and there are some wonderful young pianists. What are your future plans? Well, I may become more of a “man about town” or a monk. Maybe both! By that I mean I hope to spend more time in solitude thinking about and experiencing music, and more time helping music and music education move forward in the real world, in every respect. And I will not forget to say “yes’ to unpredictability. |
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University of Kansas, Lawrence KS Summer Music Academy 3 Week Session - July 10-29, 2011 2 Week Session 1 - July 10-22, 2011 2 Week Session 2 - July 17-29, 2011 International Piano Competition Semi-finals - July 9, 2011 Finals - July 11, 2011 Outstanding International Faculty, Private Lessons, Masterclasses, Academic Classes, and Performing Opportunities Visit our new website at www.iiym.com to learn more and apply. |
 Rowan Atkinson interprets Beethoven ... Click here to watch. |