Katharina Kegler, Part 1: The Versatile Piano Pedagogue and Dozentin at the Freiburg Hochschule für Musik

I first met pianist Katharina Kegler in 1992 when I auditioned for the position of trumpet professor at the Freiburg Musik Hochschule. Katharina was assigned to me as the accompanist for the short concert I would have to play and, unbeknownst to me, it was her first service since being hired at the Hochschule. So over many year we have not only taught together, but also performed together, both in Germany and in Japan. During our many years together, I can't recall a time where I disagreed with any of her ideas on musicality or phrasing. Her judgement always just seemed so logical and deep. So in this interview I ask her a number of questions about musicality and phrasing, and was both surprised and delighted with her answers.We begin Part 1 with my asking Katharina about her studies with Tibor Hazay (Freiburg Musik Hochschule) and John Perry (Rice University), two very different personalities and both very deep musicians. We then discuss the steps that Katharina goes through to learn a piece by Brahms (as an example), discussing how she builds her interpretation over time. She also explains why she's against students learning a piece by first listening to recordings.For Contributing Listeners (Part 2): Katharina has spent a great many years not only playing chamber and solo literature, but also accompanying students. She has also worked at the Munich ARD competition, perhaps the world's most highly recognized solo competition, and so I ask her about the difference between accompanying college level students, the top players at the Munich competition, and finally, top professionals. We talk about her work with students, and end the conversation with Katharina as an entrepreneur with the work she put in to start the concert series, Musikfest Ebringen.Dorico Professional music notation and composition software from Steinberg. Download a free 30-trial today!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Would you like more inspirational stories, suggestions, insights, and a place to continue the conversations with other listeners? Visit anthonyplog-on-music.supercast.com to learn more! As a Contributing Listener of "Anthony Plog on Music," you'll have access to extra premium content and benefits including: Extra Audio Content: Only available to Contributing Listeners. Podcast Reflections: Tony's written recaps and thoughts on past interviews, including valuable tips and suggestions for students. Ask Me Anything: Both as written messages and occasional member-only Zoom sessions. The Show's Discord Server: Where conversations about interviews, show suggestions, and questions happen. It's a great place to meet other listeners and chat about all things music! Can I just donate instead of subscribing? Absolutely! Cancel at anytime and easily resubscribe when you want all that extra content again. Learn more about becoming a Contributing Listener @ anthonyplog-on-music.supercast.com!