What fun they all had and above all what experiences they shared together …..it reminds me of when I thanked another famous lady pianist for helping so generously young musicians ………’What I do for them is nothing compared to what they share with me ……’The simplicity and generosity of these great women knows no bounds ……….Maria Joao Pires ,Martha Argerich,Janina Fialkowska and Angela Hewitt……….

Angela writes :”We had a fantastic final concert of the masterclass. I was very proud of all the students, and it was great to see the Auditorium Marianum full to the back. Even the cat walked in during the Barber Sonata–haha!!

During the slow movement he (or she?) -(Mark Viner an expert catolgist and Alkan expert adds :The cat is a she – tricoloured.)- stuck his head in through the open door, just testing the waters. But then during the brilliant fugue that is the last movement, walked straight in and looked at the whole audience and took refuge under the chairs of the front row for a while. Jeremy Chan who was playing never noticed! Just as well.

Thank you to all who came, to the students for a marvellous week, and also to them for the beautiful flowers they gave me and a wonderful card, signed by all, many of them saying it was one of the happiest weeks of their lives (so far!). Good luck for the future! (More photos in the following article): https://www.perugiatoday.it/attualita/inviato-cittadino-auditorium-marianum-recital-degli-allievi-della-masterclass-di-angela-hewitt.html”

Angela writes :”We have been having wonderful days at the masterclass in Perugia. The young pianists are all so gifted, and are playing terrifically well. It’s also nice to see how well they get on with each other. It’s a lot, teaching 6 hours every day (that’s intense work–that doesn’t count our lunch break when I also talk with them about careers, life, many things). We did a ton of Bach over a day and a half, then SIX different Beethoven Sonatas (the Waldstein played twice!), two Mozart Sonatas, and today got through two huge works of Schumann (Carnaval, Sonata Op. 11), Mendelssohn (Variations Serieuses, F-sharp minor Fantasy), Chopin (2 Nocturnes, Funeral March Sonata, 3rd Ballade twice!), and Liszt (Ballade). Whew! That was quite a day. And in detail, too. Tomorrow we start with the Liszt Sonata! Bravo to all the kids, and to the Fazioli piano that is weathering the storm!! Several are playing Fazioli for the first time and loving it. It challenges them which is good. “

And thank you to Sig.na Teresa at the Auditorium Marianum, where we also have a resident cat.

“After another 6-hour session of solo repertoire and one concerto, tonight I brought my students out to Lake Trasimeno and to the Sagra del Gambero e del Pesce di Lago Trasimeno–a local fete which takes place every year. We sat on a rooftop terrace overlooking the lake, with the new moon shining, and ate fantastic food. The volunteer townspeople of San Savino who put on that event are THE BEST! It was something uniquely Italian that they wouldn’t have experienced in their home countries and which I think they will never forget.” A.H.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0iaZsLiJCdxKYjHwpq8a7G4GTroEiF8i4Qu3SnKB1GfsksKGk7BzzExLS393Movoal&id=100003143569417

Even extra time …………the reserves too got to be inspired on Angela’s morning off when she opened up so selflessly her heart and soul and deep love of music to two fine pianists who had tipped the scales this time.

Angela Hewitt An inspired display of hope from despair moves and exults at the Wigmore Hall

Angela Hewitt at the RCM a light of radiance and simplicity

Alex Yang, the youngest of the ten students wrote a diary :

A summer to remember ………Day 1 of Masterclass in Italy with Angela Hewitt. I played Bach’s Fifth Toccata (D major) for her, and wow was I given some wonderful advice which would help me both with this Bach and my future ones. Listening to the other Bach pieces (French Suite 5, C minor Toccata, B flat major Capriccio) were also very informative and helpful! Can’t wait to play my Waldstein Sonata, next on the radar! 😃

Day 2 of Masterclasses with Angela Hewitt (Fazioli F-278 again was AWESOME 🤩) – today, we somehow (well Angela at least) covered 11 Bach Preludes & Fugues and two complete Classical Sonatas in GREAT detail in just 6 hours. I’m very happy that she spared some time for me to play my Waldstein at the end, even though today was supposed to be dedicated to Bach and I was supposed to play it tomorrow. Even just by listening to Angela talking about the Bach I learned a lot, not only about fugues and how not to use pedal but also about Baroque style in general and I know that it will help me in the future. After hearing her talk about a lot of Bach for like 8 hours, I’ve managed to start discovering a new perspective on Baroque music and will apply many things I’ve learned to my future repertoire, whether it be Bach, Scarlatti, Mendelssohn, Chopin, or even contemporary music. We also had a great piano to play on. The Fazioli F-278 was great! It had a very nice action and pristine sound which makes it a very desirable piano to play on!

Day 3 of Masterclasses with Angela Hewitt – today was full of Classical Sonatas. It began with Angela commenting on my Waldstein from yesterday. She introduced a lot of musicial ideas and techniques that will bring my Waldstein to the next level. Other works, from the Appasionata to the treacherous Beethoven Opus 111, Angela relentlessly guided us through 7 huge sonatas today. From top to bottom, it was so interesting, hearing her talk about each sonata differently. For instance, I never thought about the Opus 111’s second movement as a song of gratefulness for life, and the so-called “boogie woogie” section in the middle as Beethoven remembering his childhood and thinking of counterpoint, as he did study Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier when he was young. Anyways, it’s been interesting hearing different interpretations of the pieces that I know very well. Same goes for the Opus 2 No. 3, which I played last year: I was introduced to some new ideas and interpretations that will enhance my playing when I play it again. Today’s class ended with a spectacular performance of the second movement of the Sonata Opus 111 by Angela herself, demonstrating the interpretation she uses when playing the piece. Can’t wait to play Mendelssohn Variations Sérieuses tomorrow…first thing!

Day 4 – Angela worked again for 6 hours straight (and on very heavy and long music too). I admire her brain capacity 👍. Anyways, today was dedicated to pieces from the Romantic period. I had prepared my Mendelssohn Variations Sérieuses. Long story short, after playing it for Angela, she pointed out some details I missed and techniques that I could use to improve my dynamic range on the Fazioli. Playing this piece especially allowed me to further explore the wide dynamic range and colour palette of the Fazioli F-278, as each variation features a new technique and demands a new colour. I especially liked her comparison of the singing style of the D major variation (Var. 14) to “Hear My Prayer” by Mendelssohn, a choral work I never listened to before. A romantic music fan myself, whether it be Chopin, Liszt, or Schumann, I discovered many pieces I never heard before like the Mendelssohn F# Fantasy and the Liszt B minor ballade, two works I will MOST DEFINITELY add to my repertoire in the future. The Nocturnes Opus 48 were also played: I have learnt a few Chopin nocturnes and so I can apply what I heard to my own. Two people also played Schumann’s Carnaval and Sonata 1. I haven’t learned any big Schumann pieces yet, but I intend to, and probably will take what I have learned about Schumann’s general style to whatever I learn. I also gained some great learning resources from the notes I took in class about Chopin’s Sonata 2 and Chopin’s Ballade 3, two pieces I intend to learn next year. Tomorrow, others will play a variety of works, from the notorious Liszt Sonata to the beautiful Chopin Barcarolle to the Bartok piano sonata, a juggernaut of the piano repertoire. I will be playing a piece she also learned in her youth: Liszt’s Gnomenreigen.

Day 5 – What better way to start a class at 10 AM than with the Liszt Sonata, a titanic piece lasting over 30 minutes! 🤣 It was an exceptional performance though, and I too benefited a lot from it, learning about Liszt’s past and how he was a noble person who often generously gave to charities. Anyways, I played Gnomenreign afterwards – a lighthearted, 3 minute piece. We worked on making it sound more devilish and articulating the grace notes even more in the opening, as well as voicing the sixteenths in the middle passages. Apart from Liszt, we also heard spectacular performances of the Schubert Wanderer Fantasy and the Four Impromptus, Opus 90. A few years ago, I played the second impromptu from the whole set, and today learnt some things that I didn’t consider before when playing it. Other pieces that were fantastically played were the Bartok Sonata (what interesting harmonies!), the Chopin Barcarolle, one of my favourite pieces which I always wanted to learn. As well, there was the infernal, nefarious Double Thirds Etude (I really want to learn that one but don’t have the guts yet 🥴) and the calming (and somewhat scary) Chopin Nocturne 27/1. To end the day, we heard the complete suite of Ravel’s Miroirs, ending with a performance of excerpts from the Ravel G Major Concerto…again by Angela herself. About Ravel’s style, she noted that it shouldn’t be played too over-the-top (mawkishly). Not like Rachmaninoff or any late romantic composer, but rather the expression Ravel implies should be conveyed through some simplicity. And finally, with 30 minutes to spare, Angela did a Q&A period where we talked about many concert and career experiences, including how to prepare for a competition, with some advice from my classmates, some of which have been winners in major international competitions. It was very informative, and a great way to end the day! Tomorrow, I will be playing my Chopin Nocturne for her, and we will be hearing music from Bach’s French Suite 5 to Samuel Barber’s epic Piano Sonata, one of, if not my single favourite neo-romantic pieces.

Day 6 – I played my Chopin Nocturne today and gained some valuable advice. However, today’s masterclasses were special, because most pieces that we have covered are pieces that I want to learn in the (near) future. First of all, Debussy’s beautiful Estampes – my favourite Debussy work that I’ve been wanting to learn for years but out off for various reasons. Anyways, although the performance was incredible, so was the class that followed. The Barber Piano Sonata – a highly virtuosic and demanding work – is also on my radar (especially the fugue. I’m just that vain 😈). Well, I’m happy I got the chance to listen and take in information that I can keep in mind when learning it, as well as some practice tips to tackle that infernal sonata. Other things that I also want to learn are: Ravel’s La Valse (arrangement for solo piano…my gosh it looks difficult!), Beethoven’s Opus 27/1 (a beautiful sonata), Bach’s fantastic French Suite 5, and Debussy’s L’isle Joyeuse (again, a piece I’ve wanted to learn for a long time). I’ve procured some valuable learning resources from the masterclass, which will help inspire ideas when learning the pieces. Tomorrow, I will be playing my full Chopin E minor concerto at 10 AM! It’s gonna be quite the experience, since I only have learnt it for a bit over a month 😅.

After the masterclass today, we collectively went to Angela’s house near Lake Trasimeno, and there we saw the legendary Fazioli with FOUR PEDALS! Not only that, but I also captured some amazing views of the lake. Angela’s house was situated on top of a giant hill, and when you look down, you can see just about everything, from a shimmering lake to a small island 🏝️. Afterwards Angela invited all of us out to a delicious seafood dinner, fresh fish from Lake Trasimeno! It was an amazing place, and I’m very fortunate to have saw it before I leave Umbria! 😇

Day 7 – FINALLY! CONCERTO DAY! I prepared my Chopin E minor concerto, and although having learnt it for slightly over a month, managed to play it from start to finish with accompaniment without stopping or breaking. Special thanks to @jeremy.pianist for being such an excellent accompanist (your tutti cuts were amazing and in the most unpredictable places possible 🤣). Anyways, I garnered a lot of helpful information from Angela to prepare it for whatever that I may use it for. The rest of the time, I sat in the audience, listening to a lot of concertos that spanned from Beethoven 3, 4, 5 to Schumann A minor to Mozart K.453, 497 and 595. Each was performed with awesome piano accompaniment. Anyways, it was today which we got some of insights about Mozart and Beethoven that weren’t brought up on sonata day.
The masterclass portion of the course is now officially over. Now, my improvements: after all these classes I have not only experienced the wide dynamic range and colour palette of the Fazioli F278, but I also have started to learn how to control the sound and create different colours. Having played in a very resonant hall, I learned to control the sound to match the acoustics and not to pedal wash everything (which will make the notes sound like a blur). I also gained various competition, concert and life experiences from the others as well as Angela, which will definitely help me in the future. Collectively, I think that all of us 10 students have gotten somewhat better at controlling the sound of the Fazioli compared to the first day, and try not to bang on it for everything we play. As well, most of us have probably discovered new repertoire that we want to learn (I certainly did!) or furthered our understanding of the ones we have previously played. All in all, it was a wonderful week, and kudos to Angela for getting through all this large repertoire, teaching 6 hours every day, getting such a nice Fazioli to play on, as well as organizing such a big trip to Lake Trasimeno! 🍻 Your coaching made us sound better on that Fazioli, and I’m looking forward to playing my Bach Toccata in the Final Concert tomorrow!

It was such a pleasure and privilege to have worked with Angela Hewitt this August. Thank you so much for your inspiring lessons and generosity 😊

Jeremy Chen writes: It was a great privilege and honour to have been chosen to work with Angela Hewitt for a week in Perugia, Italy this August, culminating in a final concert last week during which I played the last two movements of Barber’s sonata to a lovely audience as well as a rude, unpaying cat who stole the show (pictured below). But thank you to Christopher Axworthy for the kind words on my performance!

For a whole week we bathed in Fazioli sound, gorged on Fazioli colours, caressed Fazioli keys and lived such a lavish Fazioli lifestyle that it might be difficult now to return to the Way of Stein 😅

I am still in awe of Angela’s ability to play our repertoire perfectly back to us, her tireless energy in giving lessons on more than 60 pieces of music spanning the entire pianistic canon even in the merciless Italian heat, but even more so of the sound she gleaned from the keyboard, so elevated and inspiring it transcends words.

Due to the amount of repertoire we had to prepare for the masterclasses, it was an intense period of practice for me leading up to the course, but I got all the more out of it and the lessons I had with Angela as well as the ones I observed simply made it all worth it.

It was an absolute pleasure to meet all the other pianists on the course, whose unique and distinct abilities I continue to be inspired by.

I’ll post more about my experiences at a later time, but I want to thank Angela dearly for her generosity and inspiration! This has been a truly unforgettable and eye-opening experience. Certainly it has motivated me to take my playing to the next level 😊

P.S.”I’m still thinking about the masterclass we had in Perugia….and the happy time it was. I am asked to be on many juries of international competitions, but now I refuse them all. How much better it is to do this kind of thing, where you really get to know the personality of each student, where you can help them not just as pianists but as people: help them develop, help them see other things in life. It was especially great to see how well they all got along together–even the oldest ones with the youngest one (ages 14-30). We also appreciated the addition of the few auditors who came for the week, including a young boy from Perugia who attended for several days–getting permission from his mother to take time off from his homework: that was really good to see. I will do it again, though probably not next summer. Every two years is fine. That gives me the chance to follow the present group a bit. Anyway, thank you, Jeremy, for your words below and to all the other students who wrote such happy thoughts afterwards online.”Angela Hewitt

Carter Johnson writes :”It was a distinct pleasure to be able to work alongside some new friends with Angela Hewitt for a week in Perugia. She invested countless hours in helping us search out clearer musical ideas, a constant awareness of counterpoint, judicious pedaling (!) and above all, ever more beautiful sounds — and at the very end of the last day, it was an unexpected delight to give an impromptu duet performance of Mozart K 453 with Angela at the solo piano and me with the orchestral part. Many thanks to Angela for your generosity, and to my colleagues!”