11/02/2022
A new session of the School of Trumpet established by Sverdlovsk Philharmonic in 2017 and currently led by Timur Martynov, soloist of the Mariinsky Orchestra and Professor of St. Petersburg Conservatory is taking place these days at the Philharmonic chamber hall. Among participants are students of the Specialized School, the Tchaikovsky Music College and the Ural State Conservatory take part in the masterclasses along with artists of the Ural Youth Symphony Orchestra. Soloist of Ural Philharmonic Orchestra Sergey Petrashkevich brought his student to the workshop and answered a couple of our questions.
❓How useful do you find this form of education?
-Extremely useful, and this is a wonderful school. When Timur starts working with the youngest students, he not only teaches them technical skills, but also helps them learn music as such, explaining how and why a particular articulation is made, etc. Even when they deal with a scale or some exercise, he shows that it is not just a range of pitches, but always tries to develop their musical sense, make them think, nourishes their musicality. He shares many interesting techniques with the students. For us, professional musicians, his classes are just as interesting and inspiring, as this enriches our vision of music making.
❓Do you feel the difference in schools?
-Yes, indeed, the European school of trumpet playing differs from the Urals tradition, which is also a distinguished one, starting from the famous Schelokov’s school and later on, but its style is closer to what they call ‘social realism’. I personally prefer the European style of trumpet playing. It is somewhat softer, less straightforward, has more to do with a masterly performance… I would compare it to a quiet explanation vs an expressive making the case. Thanks to this long-term initiative, I suppose this approach will resonate well with the new generations of the local musicians.
❓Why trumpet?
-In the brass family, plays a role of a leader, a soloist. Such master-classes let the kids not only upgrade their skills but as also boost their confidence, their leadership skills and soloist qualities, which is vital for any orchestra.🎺🤩
