V.com weekend vote: Can you remember ever playing in a public performance with your teacher?

Written by The Weekend Vote
Published: February 28, 2014 at 5:22 PM [UTC]

Beyond the jaw-dropping level of the young artists participating in the the Menuhin Competition this week in Austin, I've also enjoyed the many other attractions of this event, like master classes and performances.

In particular, I enjoyed seeing jury member Brian Lewis perform with a small ensemble yesterday at Blanton Museum at the University of Texas. After the performance, I asked him: Who was playing in this small ensemble? The answer: his students!

This reminded me of the fact that Midori also performs regularly with her University students, giving recitals together at local nursing homes.

This strikes me as a wonderful meeting of generations of violinists -- not just in a teacher's studio, but also in performance. After all, violin-playing takes place out in the real world, in real life, in real time. What better way to communicate between generations?

I tried to remember if I'd ever had a chance to play publicly with any of my private teachers when I was young; not really! Have you ever performed with one of your teachers, as a student, in a public recital or concert?

From Kathryn Woodby
Posted on February 28, 2014 at 7:58 PM

One of my best performances was an accidental duet with my teacher--I was actually supposed to perform the slow movement of the bach double with a fellow/student, but she got stuck in traffic and never showed up! So my teacher filled in and we had one of my best performances ever--partly because I was so keyed up about my partner not showing that i didn't have a chance to become nervous about the playing part! :)

From Anne Horvath
Posted on February 28, 2014 at 8:40 PM

When I was 13, I got to play the Bach Double with my teacher at her church. I was very proud. She also taught me the "Golden Sonata", which is a lovely piece to play with students.

I play the occasional Bach Double movement with my own students on their student recitals. I take the 2nd v, and my student gets the 1st. Always great fun!

From Joyce Lin
Posted on February 28, 2014 at 10:47 PM

Yes, in each recital, her students in Suzuki book 4 and above would perform an ensemble piece, and my teacher would play with us - she would play the solo part that is too difficult for her students, fill in for an absent student, or join the part that have more difficult music or weaker players.

From Joyce Lin
Posted on March 1, 2014 at 4:49 PM

In our last recital, one of the students broke her bow arm before the recital. My teacher performed with her and did the bowing while the student fingered the notes...

From Paul Deck
Posted on March 2, 2014 at 4:53 AM

When I was in 7th grade, my teacher, who was concertmaster of the Allen Park (Michigan) Symphony Orchestra (now the Southern Great Lakes Symphony) invited me to join at the back of the first violins with another of his students. I stayed in the orchestra for five years. Thus, I have played in numerous performances together with my teacher.

From 74.76.245.57
Posted on March 2, 2014 at 9:44 PM

I am fortunate! My teacher is also my colleague. He is concertmaster for several symphonies I play in. But we have also performed Navarra by Sarasate together, and when I performed Vivaldi's four seasons he played first violin for me.

From Jessica Dalton-Morgan
Posted on March 2, 2014 at 11:10 PM

At my sister's wedding (a civil service in my parents' house), my teacher and I played the flower duet from Lakme as a duet. My teacher's husband was also involved, playing the Purcell trumpet voluntary on the flugelhorn for the processional.

From Emma Otto
Posted on March 3, 2014 at 4:57 PM

Wow - it looks like many of us have performed the Bach Double with our teachers! When I played it with my teacher, neither one of us had our music completely memorized. So we arranged to flip each others' music during the solo parts. I remember coming to my solo part and she forgot to to turn my page for me. Luckily, she remembered at the last second and we were able to continue without an awkward pause for me to turn my own page.

I remember performing Gavotte from Suzuki book 1 with her a few months after I started lessons. She played the accompanyment part, which is mostly pizzicato. I don't really remember what it sounded like, but I enjoyed it.

When I was about 12 years old, we performed the Mozart Table Music together. That was pretty cool. I explained how it worked to the audience, demonstrating by holding my book upside down and then turning it right side up. Then we put it on a flat stand and played it.

In 5th grade, I took the first two ABRSM exams. My teacher wanted me to get some experience performing some of my pieces, so I think I played two of them in my fall recital while she accompanied me on the piano. I was going to have another accompanist for my actual exams, but somehow she wasn't able to do it at the last minute, and my teacher played my accompaniment.

I think it's great to have experience performing with your teacher. I have always made a point to play with my students when they perform. Even if I just play the piano accompaniment, it's a great way to be involved in their performance.

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V.com weekend vote: Can you remember ever playing in a public performance with your teacher?

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