How to enroll in Masterclasses?

[lisztstr]

I'm just wondering how people usually get enrolled/invited to masterclasses. I know that in California, where I live, the Music Teachers' Association of California choose 10 people each year to participate in a masterclass (this year happens to be Dang Thai Son and Frederick Chiu). I also know a very talented pianist in my area. His name is Elliot Wuu. He is truly a genius (he qualified for the Semi-finals of the Gina Bachauer Competition). He recently played in a masterclass with Ruth Slenczynska, who was taught by Cortot, Rachmaninoff, etc. How do people usually find masterclass opportunities. All I can find online are competition opportunities.  And how does one usually get coaching from masters. Do masterclasses and coaching from masters cost a lot of money?

[49410enrique]

i've had the privilege to perform and participate in several with ongoing ops moving forward, it really depends, i mean it is situatin specific and can be all over the place, if it is through a school , usually the masterclass is open to the public for viewing/audience but participation is limited to enrolled students, usually it will be by faculty reccommendation or perhaps by student audition.

for masterclasses as part of festivals, it will be similar , usually you will submit a recording or come in and do a live audition as part of the application, again this usually determines the ones who will play in the clinic.

for something like an association it may be by member (i.e music teacher association) vote, for example, certain students have a long consistent track record of excellence in association meeting recitals, or there are auditions, or each member may nominate a single student, etc.  or even then the students with tentative repertoire may be run by the artist and they decide what they would like to weigh in and teach on.

as an fyi i attended as a audience (first row behind the pianos on stage) a masterclass by Dang Thai Son two years ago, IT WAS INCREDIBLE, he is really something special, i really hope you can bring something to him, but even if not selected you should most definately go see it i learned a ton and you can to just via observation. and he is great with a variety of repertoire i don't remember all the pieces but the two i do recall the first day were the chopin ballade no 2 and the barber piano sonata, he as great things to say across the spectrum.

edit-also to my knowledge they are free, sometimes a nominal administration fee might be partof the package but it is no where near what the instruction is worth, we're talking a few dollars to handle perhaps adminstration costs with marketing, facility usage fees (utilities, etc), rare but occasionaly you might see that but all my deals have been free either the clinician volunteers or a private fund (either by foundation or from tuition etc) pays the clinician's fees or part of it.

[thorn]

As with all things, it's about who you know. My teacher is very well connected and I've had the chance to play to loads of people just because either she or a friend of a friend knows the pianist. I consider myself very lucky.

Do you have anything like piano summer schools over in California? In Europe we have tons, I have a friend from the US who comes over here every summer for one or another of them. They're a good way of getting lessons/contact with people; they can be really pricey but you do get some amazing people in these places, for example Noriko Ogawa and Leslie Howard are teaching at the one I'm going to this summer (though I doubt I will get either of them as a teacher!). You usually get assigned one teacher for the whole time you're there as well, so it's a bit more than going to a masterclass.

Just another thing to consider!