Making Music Together in a Scenic Setting - Interview with Cello Professor Ágnes Kállay

ÁGNES KÁLLAY, Crescendo’s new cello professor answers our questions about her experiences at the Summer Institute

 

This is your first time at Crescendo Summer Institute. What have you gained from working here? What do you see as important to pass on to your students?

Ágnes Kállay: Here at Crescendo, just like at any other course or the schools where I teach, I try to address my students in a relaxed, direct manner as I share the knowledge I have gained during my decades of studies in Hungary and abroad.

What pieces do you teach? What projects are you a part of, and why do you think they are relevant?

Ágnes Kállay: I currently work with the symphony orchestra as a cello section leader. We are going to play Dvořák’s ‘New World Symphony’ at one of the closing concerts on Sunday. I am also playing continuo as a baroque cellist in Purcell’s opera, ‘The Fairy-Queen’, on Saturday.

You clearly have participated in a lot of master courses both as a teacher and as a student. How is Crescendo different from these courses?

Ágnes Kállay: I was really surprised to see how many students and teachers we have here from Hungary and other countries. It must be an enormous work to coordinate matters and keep everything going. There is a great atmosphere, and it’s good to reconnect and make music with old friends and colleagues in such a scenic setting.