November 7, 2016
James Ehnes Gives Master Class to Preparatory Students at ±ΖΑ¨±ΖΑ¨
Renowned violinist James Ehnes came by the ±ΖΑ¨±ΖΑ¨ on Saturday morning to give a master class for students in ±ΖΑ¨±ΖΑ¨βs Preparatory and Continuing Education Division. βKnown as a brilliant technician, thoughtful musician and all-around great guy, Mr. Ehnes spent his morning huddled in our Presidentβs office with our talented young string players. A standing-room only crowd laughed, applauded and cheered their way through the class,β said Cleveland Orchestra and ±ΖΑ¨±ΖΑ¨ faculty member Martha Baldwin, who organized the event.
Ehnes worked with four students, ages 11-17, from a range of the Divisionβs programs including Suzuki, the Young Artist Program and chamber music. After witnessing a particularly innovative fingering from student Phoenix Avalon, Ehnes said, βYou and I could be good friends.β
The class concluded with a short Q&A and included probing questions such as, βHow do you deal with nerves?β and βAre you a Blue Jays fan?β which sparked honest conversation. βThe Prep Division is honored to have had the opportunity to present our brilliant students with the chance to work with one of our generationβs best violinists,β says Baldwin.