Ravel Masterclass led by Pierre-Laurent Aimard
This course, exclusively sponsored by G. Henle Verlag in honor of the 150th birthday of French composer Maurice Ravel, is dedicated to young professional pianists who wish to receive advice and guidance from one of the world’s leading interpreters of Maurice Ravel’s music.
Pierre-Laurent Aimard is widely renowned for his musical interpretation and knowledge of Ravel’s piano works. His international schedule of creatively conceived concerts, broadcasts and recordings is complemented by a career-long commitment to teaching, giving concert lectures and workshops worldwide.
Six students of the Pierre-Laurent Aimard Piano Masterclass will have the exclusive opportunity for in-depth study of chosen pieces by Maurice Ravel.
Each student will receive three 45-minute public teaching sessions, one-on-one with Maestro Aimard, and will learn from the sessions conducted with the other participants of the masterclasses. For this reason, all students are requested to visit their co-students’ sessions. Non-public group de-briefing sessions at the end of each day are additional milestones for each student’s personal development and support the process of learning from their peers and actively exchanging thoughts and experiences.
The masterclass will be held in:
MUNICH (GERMANY) FROM JUNE 5 – 8, 2025
The masterclass will be uniquely enhanced by workshop sessions with one of Europe’s most experienced and sought-after piano technicians. Stefan Knüpfer was a teacher at the Steinway Academy in Hamburg, Germany for many years before his passion for the grand piano compelled him to become a self-employed traveling technician.
Without exaggeration it can be said that Stefan Knüpfer’s knowledge of historic and modern grand pianos of different brands and builders is unsurpassed. He will be present throughout the duration of the masterclass and offer theoretical and practical workshop training to the participants on each of the three evenings.
He is a co-founder of “piano duo”, a project aimed at providing high class instruments for concerts and recordings to talented young musicians.
Schloss Fürstenried is a historic building on the Southwestern rim of Munich. It was built between 1715 and 1717 for the Bavarian Prince Electoral Max Emanuel as a hunting residence. The main building is now a popular venue for cultural events, while the adjoining buildings have been remodeled to provide modest overnight accommodation for visitors. The extensive park surrounding the historic building and its annexes still today is maintained in the tradition of baroque landscaping, with a variety of tree and plant specimens as in a botanical garden.
Address: Forst-Kasten Allee 103 · 81475 Munich
Salome CHITAIA
Georgian pianist Salome Chitaia has performed all over the world, including Poland, France, Italy, Israel and the USA. The winner of several international competitions, she has recently performed with the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra and the Israel Sinfonietta Beer-Sheva. She is a regular performer at Georgia's top festivals and has collaborated with renowned musicians such as Peter Donohoe and Pascal Rogé. A doctoral student at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, her research on Liszt's influence on Ravel is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. In 2024 she was named one of the "10 most successful Georgian women in the UK".
Luowen HUANG
Luowen Huang studied at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin, as well as in Hanover and Munich. She studied under piano educator Professor Bernd Goetze Susanne Grützmann, Georg Sava, Olivier Gardon, Jan Philip Schulze and Adrian Oetiker. As a young pianist, she won prizes in several international competitions, such as: second place in the Argento Piano Competition; Most Popular Audience Award in the Mayenne Piano Competition in France; 1st place in IBLA competition in Italy. She has given concerts in Italy, France, Germany, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and other countries. She toured the United States, performing at the University of Virginia, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and New York, where she gave a successful concert in New York's Carnegie Hall.
Nima MIRKHOSHHAL
From drumming on pots as a child to performing on international stages: Pianist Nima Mirkhoshhal studied in Hannover and with Pierre-Laurent Aimard. He has performed in major venues such as the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, the Beethovenfest in Bonn and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. A prizewinner at Jugend musiziert, the Grotrian-Steinweg Competition and a participant at the Cleveland International Piano Competition, his performances have been broadcast by NDR, WDR and IDAGIO. He has studied with Alfred Brendel, Menahem Pressler, Boris Berezovsky and others.
Stefan SZYPURA
Stefan Szypura (2013, Switzerland) is one of Switzerland's most promising young pianists. He started piano lessons at the age of four and is currently studying at the Musikhochschule Zürich (MKZ) with Maki Wiederkehr. Stefan also plays the violin, performs in chamber music ensembles and participates in the composition workshop at the MKZ. In 2024 he made his orchestral debut in Zurich. He has won numerous first prizes, most recently the First Prize and the MK Talent Award at the 2025 International Piano Competition for Young Pianists in Kronberg, Germany.
Felicia TONI
Felicia is a postgraduate student at the Guildhall School in London, studying with Sam Armstrong. She has also had lessons with Peter Bithell, Laura Roberts and Martino Tirimo. She has performed extensively in England and abroad, including solo recitals at the Barbican's Milton Court and St James' Piccadilly. In 2024, she was invited to participate in the Nice Classic Festival under the tutelage of Pascal Rogé. Her musical background is considered unusual as she only began her training in 2020, having previously focused on maths and science. She also holds a BSc in Engineering and an MPhil in Finance from the University of Cambridge and enjoys writing in her spare time.
Yu UEHARA
Born in Tokyo in 2003, Yu Uehara began playing the piano at the age of five. After enrolling in the Faculty of Letters at Keio University, he majored in musicology at the Department of Aesthetics and Science of Art. He then moved to Germany and is currently studying piano with Professor Jacob Leuschner at the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold. He has also attended master classes with Michel Béroff and Bruno Rigutto.
Repertoire
- Salome Chitaia: Valses nobles & sentimentales, Concerto left hand, Gaspard de la nuit (1st mvt.)
- Luowen Huang: Miroirs
- Nima Mirkoshhal: Piano Concerto (1st and 2nd mvt.)
- Stefan Szypura: Sonatine (2nd and 3rd mvt.), Jeux d'eau
- Felicia Toni: Miroirs (Oiseaux tristes, La vallée des cloches), Sonatine
- Yu Uehara: Miroirs, Jeux d'eau, Gaspard de la nuit
The repertoire and program are subject to change.
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