Please, teacher: Stringing along with the profs
NewsThe Korean violist Sara Kim is leaving Leipzig to be professor of viola and chamber music in Bremen. Sara (pictured) starts in April.
Ex-Bavarian Radio violist German Tcakulov is now viola professor at Salzburg’s Mozarteum University.
The German-Spanish cellist Gabriel Schwalbe is now professor at the Music Academy in Lübeck.
And ex-Kronos cellist Jeffrey Zeigler has rejoined the faculty of Mannes School of Music in New York.
Also noted: The Deutsche Hochschulverband has awarded Prof of the Year to Nils Mönkemeyer, Professor of Viola at the University of Music and Theatre Munich and from April 2025 at the Hanns Eisler University of Music Berlin.
These music schools continue to hire players with minimal teaching experience. Some of these faculty hires are so young, it seems they will be competing with their own students for gigs; maybe that’s why they’re hired.
Ivan Galamian, Dotty DeLay, the Schoenfelds, the Vamoses, the Gruppmans, and numerous others were/are valued as marvelous teachers.
Hiring early career orchestral dropouts? Wild move.
Bravo to all involved!
In the old days those with degrees, especially advanced degrees were assumed to not be good players because why would you stay in school if you can actually play.