Meisterkurse

Masterclasses are offered as part of the Schumann-Festival. This year they will take place from the 5th – 9th June 2025. The classes offered include singing and song interpretation for pianists, and piano and pianoforte classes. These classes are aimed at students of Music universities, colleges or conservatories as well as professional musicians. The minimum age of participation is 14. Participants will have one to one lessons in their chosen subject and get the chance to perform in two final concerts on Monday 11th June. The registration deadline is 28th February 2025. 

Participation Fee:  

• Master Class Singing/Song interpretation for pianists
• Participation fee (single): 350 EUR
• Participation as duo: When participating as a duo (i.e. as singer and pianist) the fee of the joint master class by Mitsuko Shirai and Markus Hadulla is reduced to: 2 x 300 EUR = 600 EUR

Master Classes Piano and/or Pianoforte

• » Participation fee (single): 350 EUR
• » Participation in both courses: Pianists can also take part in both courses led by Florian Uhlig and Tobias Koch. Price for the combined course: 2 x 300 EUR = 600 EUR

What is included:

• daily one to one lessons, starting on 5th June  
• use of the practice rooms in the Robert Schuman Konservatorium Zwickau
• free entry to the concerts of the Schumann Festival
• guided tour of the Robert Schumann House
• participation in the final concert on June 9

What is not included:

• Accommodation  

Accommodation has to be organised by the participant, however a list of hotels will be sent out with the confirmation of participation. 

Registration:

Application deadline: 28th February 2025 
Applications should include:

• Full name, date of birth, nationality
• Contact information: address, email, phone number
• Photograph (colour, min. 300 dpi, jpg or tif)
• Short biography with information of places of study, teachers’ names, prizes in competitions (if any)

Repertoire for the masterclass

• for the singing/ song interpretation master class only: a link to a (listed or unlisted) YouTube video with repertoire of your choice 

Repertoire:

The repertoire can be freely selected from the songs and piano works of Clara and Robert Schumann and (if you wish) one other 19th century female composer.

How to apply:

Applications can be sent in by post or email: 

Stadtverwaltung Zwickau/Kulturamt
Postfach 200933
08009 Zwickau
kulturamtzwickaude

Confirmation of participation will be sent by 31st March 2025 at the latest. After receiving the confirmation, the participation fee must be paid within 14 days.

Japanese mezzo-soprano Mitsuko Shirai won the International Robert Schumann Competition Zwickau in 1974 and has since gained a worldwide acclaim as a soloist and a teacher. She can be heard on about 100 LP and CD productions, is a jury member at numerous international singing competitions and is a professor at the Karlsruhe University of Music and Performing Arts, as head of the song department.

Markus Hadulla studied in Cologne, Karlsruhe, Paris and at the Yale School of Music with Hartmut Höll and Peter Frankl, among others. In 1994, he was awarded the title of best song pianist at the International Hugo Wolf Academy in Stuttgart. He has produced CDs with singers such as Sandrine Piau, Markus Schäfer and Locky Chung, among others. He is a professor at the mdw Vienna and was already a lecturer at the master classes as part of the Zwickau Schumann Festival in 2023rd

Florian Uhlig studied at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music in London under Peter Feuchtwanger and others. He was appointed as professor for piano at the Dresden Music College in 2014 and in October 2019 at the Music College in Lübeck. His numerous CD recordings include the complete piano works of Robert Schumann.

Tobias Koch studied with David Levine and Roberto Szidon in Düsseldorf. Specializing in historically informed performance practice, he has produced more than 50 CD recordings on historical keyboard instruments, mainly with music from the 19th century. He teaches at the Robert Schumann Music College in Düsseldorf and acts as a jury member e.g. at the Warsaw Chopin Competition on period instruments.