After World War II, Wilhelm Kempff went in search of a place where he could teach a small circle of select young pianists, as he had already done earlier in Potsdam (Summer courses in the Marble Palace). Southern Italy, the Magna Graecia coast, had always been the land of his dreams.
It was in Positano where he started building the Casa Orfeo in 1954. There he also put his architectural ideas into practice with a local master builder. The Fondazione Culturale Orfeo – today Wilhelm-Kempff-Kulturstiftung – was set up and the first Beethoven course held in 1957. Wilhelm Kempff taught regularly until 1982.
In his will, he expressed the wish that the Beethoven interpretation courses should be continued. So from 1992 until 1995 Gerhard Oppitz carried on the tradition. He had studied under Kempff as had John O’Conor who took over these masterclasses since 1997.
The Beethoven interpretation courses give the most talented pianists of the young generation the opportunity to broaden their knowledge and their experience concerning Beethoven’s piano works (mainly the sonatas and concertos).
Next Masterclass 2011
Date: 05-16 September, 2011
Direction: John O’Conor
Application
Please fill out the Application form with an enclosed CV, Repertoire and program for the masterclass (consisting of five Beethoven Sonatas and two concertos) to
Wilhelm-Kempff-Kulturstiftung
c/o Maecenata Management GmbH
Herzogstraße 60
D- 80803 München
Tel.: +49-89-28 44 52
Fax: +49-89-28 37 74
e-mail: wilhelmkempffkulturstiftung@yahoo.it |
