Renowned French violinist Gérard Poulet conducted a masterclass at TNUA on Nov. 28, sharing his skills with three violin students from the Department of Music.
Prof. Poulet showed the students how to play Ysaye’s “Solo Sonatas No.4 Op.27 in e minor,” Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto Op.35 / Mov.1 Allegro moderato” and Prokofiev’s “Violin Sonata No.2 Op.94 / Mov.1 Moderato.”
Prof. Poulet, impressed by the students’ performances,noted that a violinist must memorize the musical scores well and keep practicing in order to perfect their renditions of the music.
During the students’ practices, he made notes on the music sheets so as to remind them of particular points where they would need to practice more.
He also stressed the importance of basic performingskills, such as the control of the tempo and the movement of the violin bow.
He engaged himself in a question-and-answer session with the students at the end of the masterclass, sharing the experiences of his violinist career and insights into music.
Asked how he would maintain a good habit of practicing every day and keep a healthy body, Prof. Poulet said a
healthy diet and good sleep is crucial.
He said the most important thing is to maintain a passion for the violin and a passion for music. He said there are
gains and losses in learning to play the violin, but the key to achieving one’s goal is never gives up.