We asked our professors to answer some questions for the festival this year.
We will be introducing answers from Prof. Hink, Prof. Okada, and Prof. Shinohe.

【Prof.Hink】

Academy: What is your opinion about the benefit of attending the masterclass in Kusatsu as a student?
Prof. Hink: Abgesehen von der überaus glücklichen und harmonischen Athmosphäre, die dieser Akademie eigen ist, ist das künstlerische Niveau hier sehr hoch.Dass viele Absolventen sehr gute regionale und internationale Karrieren gemacht haben, ist der Beweis dafür.

Academy: What attracts you to join the festival as a teacher and an artist?
Prof. Hink: Für die Professoren ist das ein anstregendes Unterfangen – sehr schwer zu bewältigen. Aber die jungen Studenten, die unterrichtet warden, bereichern das Wesen des Festivals ungemein, welches vom interessanten und vielfältigen Programm her unerreicht ist.

Academy: Is there any Mozart piece(s) which has a special meaning or memory for you? (Questions relating with the theme of this year)
Prof. Hink: Es gibt kaum ein Stück von Mozart, das nicht eine besondere Erinnerung für mich ist. Im heurigen Programm sind wohl die drei Einzelsätze für Violine und Orchester – also die zwei Rondi und das Adagio in E-Dur – für mich von besonderer Bedeutung.Habe ich sie nicht nur in Kusatsu, sondern auch mit meinem Orcheter (Wiener Philharmoniker) öfters gespielt.

【Prof. Okada】

Academy: What is your opinion about the benefit of attending the masterclass in Kusatsu as a student?
Prof. Okada: While you are attending Masterclass, you also can listen their performance which gives us the feeling of attending a concert in Europe even if you are in Kusatsu.

Academy: What attracts you to join the festival as a teacher and an artist?
Prof. Okada: Hot spring in Kusatsu helps me recover and gives very smooth skin. Performing with various artists and discovering the rare pieces are also the attractions of attending Kusatsu Academy.

Academy: Is there any Mozart piece(s) which has a special meaning or memory for you?
Prof. Okada: Mozart’ Piano Quartet KV.493, I played this piece a lot when I started to perform more chamber music. I haven’t performed thin piece for a while, so, I feel nostalgic.

【Prof. Shinohe】

Academy: What is your opinion about the benefit of attending the masterclass in Kusatsu as a student?
Prof. Shinohe: You will attend masterclass in the morning and listen great performances afternoon at Kusatau Academy and Festival. At the Masterclass, you will know your weakness and problems of your techniques and expression while taking individual lessons and listening your class mate’ lesson. The students surely will be amazed by the outstanding performance and techniques of the professors and artists at the concert. With masterclass and concert together, this festival will help students to grow significantly in the two weeks.

Academy: What attracts you to join the festival as a teacher and an artist?

Prof. Shinohe: I am honored to be able to perform with numerous great musicians every year in Kusatsu. We share the greatness of music and I learn from them all the time. I have unforgettable performances in my past but when I played Schumann’ clarinet trio “” with Keiko Toyama and Seirge Collot, I learned the real meaning of ‘souple’ in performance from them. Kusatsu is the place where you can meet real musicians.

Academy: Is there any Mozart piece(s) which has a special meaning or memory for you? 

Prof. Shinohe: I love all of Mozart’ music. Particularly, those pieces in minor keys always give me chills.