Considered one of today’s preeminent violin pedagogues, Kurt Sassmannshaus will hold a master class. Sassmanshaus holds the distinguished Dorothy Richard Starling Chair for Classical Violin at the University of Cincinnati College–Conservatory. This Chair was previously held by the late Dorothy Delay. Sassmannshaus has taught around the world, including master classes in Europe, the United States, Japan, China and Australia, and has worked in close association with Dorothy DeLay both in Cincinnati and at the Aspen Music Festival and School.
Students of Andrii Isakov will perform at the master class.
- Nathan Jeoung — Chausson: Poeme, op. 25
- Siddhart Figurov — Wieniawski: Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, op. 22, i. Allegro moderato
- Martin Fihe — Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, op. 64, i. Allegro molto appassionato
- Yiyi Suo — Brahms: Violin Concerto in D Major, op. 77, i. Allegro non troppo
Collaborative pianist Li Wang will accompany the violinists.
This event is free and open to the public. No ticket required.
Kurt Sassmannshaus' students include prizewinners of major international competitions, prominent soloists and chamber musicians, and orchestra leaders around the world. Many of them hold important faculty positions in European, Asian, and American Conservatories, from Berlin to Beijing.
In 2004, Sassmannshaus premiered the not-for-profit website violinmasterclass.com, a groundbreaking site offering free video instruction on all aspects of violin playing. With more than 20 million hits annually, this website made him the most widely effective and globally recognized violin teacher in the history of violin teaching. According to London’s Strad Magazine, he is the “King of the online violin tutorials.” The latest offerings on this site are live online lessons by Sassmannshaus and many of his colleagues. “Access to the best violin instruction has always been a matter of geography and financial ability. Now you can live in Kenya, Peru, Malaysia or New York and get excellent instruction — this website makes geographical distance and cost of travel irrelevant.”
In 2005, Sassmannshaus founded the Great Wall International Music Academy (Beijing), a summer festival for young string soloists, and directed the event until 2016. About 80 select students from China and around the world took lessons, rehearsed and performed in an ideal setting. The international faculty included the American String Quartet and key faculty from major Asian, European and American schools.
Professor Sassmannshaus has been teaching at the summer Bowdoin Music Festival in Brunswick, Maine, USA since 2017.
All events are subject to change.
Getting Here
Park in the Ohio Union South Garage (open to visitors 24/7), walk north along College Rd. to enter the south doors of the Timashev Music Building.
You may also park in Arps Garage (open to visitors M–F after 4 p.m. and on weekends) just north of the Timashev Music building.
- Take the first floor elevator, adjacent to the Ensemble Rehearsal Room entry past the Timashev main lobby.