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Personal Note is a new concert series curated by students of the Barenboim-Said Akademie. The series was conceived by the participants of the Akademie’s Concert Curation course, a program designed to empower young musicians to think beyond performance. In today’s rapidly evolving cultural landscape, classical music faces the challenge of remaining relevant while maintaining its traditions. Through this course, led by Prof. Yael Kareth, students have the opportunity to delve into the essence of the concert experience, exploring its social, sensory, and cultural dimensions. By asking questions such as, “What story does this music tell?” and “Who is it for?”, the course encourages students to reimagine the concert model and craft events that are meaningful, engaging, and accessible. The culmination of their work is Personal Note, a series of intimate performances that reflect their creativity and intellectual exploration, as well as their unique musicianship.
- Sat, December 21, 2024 at 6:00 pm
- Sun, January 19, 2025 at 4:00 pm
- Sun, May 4, 2025
- Sun, June 29, 2025
The first concert of the series, “Homeland,” offers a deeply personal and culturally diverse program that reflects the unique backgrounds of the students. Featuring works by composers connected to the performers’ homelands or inspired by themes of memory, nostalgia, and roots, the evening celebrates the profound connection between music and identity. Pieces such as Prokofiev’s Overture on Hebrew Themes, Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances, and Bloch’s Prayer are interwoven with contemporary works including Kian Soltani’s Persian Fire Dance and arrangements of traditional songs. This program is not merely a celebration of diversity—it is a musical expression of the cultural heritage, personal and collective.
The word dialogue carries a world of meaning, especially when it comes to music. It may refer to conversation, reflection, or imitation, in music as well as in life. In the second concert of the series, students will explore various musical expressions of dialogue through performance of well-known chamber music pieces, which they will personally introduce as well. They will demonstrate musical conversation between different players or instruments, explore the correspondence between two (or more) musical lines or voices within a composition, reveal the intergenerational dialogue between student and teacher or between composers of different epochs, highlight cultural exploration and exchange through composition, and even expose the inner—almost secret—dialogue a musician has with themself.
Dialogue is also a key word in the microcosmos of the Barenboim-Said Akademie, where the ability to truly listen across different backgrounds, viewpoints, and perspectives is crucial. In a very wholesome way, dialogue plays exactly the same vital role in music-making.
At the core of music lies rhythm—the invisible pulse that drives a piece forward, shapes its character, and unites performers and listeners alike. Heartbeat, the third concert in the Personal Note series explores rhythm as both a physical and metaphorical force in music. How does time manifest differently across styles and composers? How do musicians instinctively synchronize, and should they always follow the same beat? How do personal temperament and even an individual’s own heartbeat influence interpretation? Through a diverse selection of works, the program delves into these questions, tracing the many ways in which rhythm and time shape musical expression and performance, and how this musical element connects musicians and listeners through an instinctive, primal universal language.
