Masterclass with Sir András Schiff - Nuron Mukumi plays Beethoven

Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57, 1st movement

Gstaad Piano Academy 2019 with Sir András Schiff

Recorded live on July 22, 2019

Nuron Mukumi plays Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57, 1st movement by Ludwig van Beethoven

“Out of the most technically fine young artists, Nuron Mukumi already stands out as an interpreter of class” – Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Nuron Mukumi was born in 1996 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He started playing the piano at the age of 6. As a pupil of the Uspenskij Music School in the class of Prof. Tamara Popovich he won the 1st prize at the “Russian Music” Piano Competition in California at the age of 7. In the same year Mukumi received his first conducting lessons from Vladimir Neymer. At the age of 8, he made his conducting début with the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan with Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D minor, in which he also played the piano part.

Nuron Mukumi has given concerts among others in the following venues: Mariinsky Theatre, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Salle Cortot Paris, Konzerthaus Berlin, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Hall, Weilburger Schlosskonzerte, Bad Homburger Schlosskonzerte. He played at several international festivals such as the International Piano Festival St. Petersburg, Klavier-Festival-Ruhr, VP Bank Classic Festival and Biarritz Piano Festival. In November 2018 he released his Début-Album “Summit” (Genuin Classics) and quickly received the Pizzicato Supersonic Award. “Nuron Mukumi combines empathetic, perfect technique with a sure eye for the dramaturgy of piano compositions: a talent that combines rigour and playfulness.” – Spiegel Online.

Learn more about Nuron Mukumi and his future projects here!

A Masterclass Like No Other

There are as many different types of masterclasses as there are musicians: The masterclasses taught at the Gstaad Piano Academy by Sir András Schiff are particularly revealing and informative. They are a special treat for both the young pianists as well as the ever-growing audience visiting the town hall in Saanen. (Sir András Schiff’s masterclasses are open to the public.

The Hungarian pianist puts emphasis on studying what he feels are the essential composers: Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert. With short, yet precise and always generous comments Schiff instructs his students to be true to the great composer’s score whilst sharing their own originality and personality with the audience. «If a pianist only hears two colours, whatever his fingers «produce» can’t be of much value. However, the highly subjective performances of Alfred Cortot created millions of colours and shades, not unlike the masterpieces of great painters.»

How to get to the bottom of a masterpiece?

Sir András Schiff’s masterclasses are outstanding. In contrast to the many teachers who like to interrupt their students regularly to correct their playing, Schiff allows their music to evolve. Sometimes he takes his time and listens to an entire phrase. And we, the audience consider ourselves lucky, because we get to enjoy an whole concert, analysed by the master himself. Sir András Schiff believes that only in this manner one can strive to be true to the score – and express the composer’s truth, not the interpreter’s vision. He also shared with us the fact that whilst studying in Budapest he learned more from composers, notably György Kurtág and Pál Kadosa, than he ever learned from other pianists.