Master class lets students learn from the best

The day before its newest Classics concert, the Spokane Symphony will host one of its regular master classes, which allow a select group of music students to get advice from and interact with professional musicians. Today’s class, which is free and open to the public to observe, will feature visiting violinist Benjamin Beilman; pianist Valentina Lisista will host the next master class on April 17.

We spoke to Janet Napoles, the symphony’s manager of education programs, about the process of choosing the participating students and the educational benefits of making the master classes available to them.

SR: What can people expect of a master class if they go?

Napoles: A master class is basically a public private lesson. The kids will come audition, and I usually have one of our musicians adjudicate. … We auditioned 10 students this time, then we select four, and those four will have about half an hour with the guest artist. He’ll be working with them and coaching them like a private teacher would.

SR: What’s the typical age range of the participants?

Napoles: We do have some precocious middle schoolers, but it’s mostly high school and university. We have had some adults. We’ve even had some of our symphony players play on occasion. It depends on the circumstances.

SR: How do you pick the students who will participate?

Napoles: We ask them to have a teacher recommendation, and they list the pieces they’ve been playing. They kind of need to be at a certain level. In the audition process, we not only look for the most advanced players but also somebody who we think is going to be able to take advantage of what the (guest artist) is offering. If they’re asked to do something, it’s nice if you can see some results right there on the spot.

SR: What’s the benefit for the public if they attend this master class?

Napoles: It doesn’t even matter if you don’t play the violin. It’s fascinating to see what they do and the things you didn’t realize go into violin expression. But the real benefit is that you get to know the guest artist. You get to know their personality and their character and what they do, maybe even something about their playing style. Then when you come to the concert, it’s even more fun because you feel like you know the person.

SR: What advantages do the master classes have for the students participating?

Napoles: It’s really a wonderful opportunity for the students, because these are world-class artists that come through here. Our musicians are great teachers, but it’s always great to have another point of view. … There’s nothing like seeing someone play who is really talented, and it gets you really excited to go out and do it yourself.