Kronberg Academy

The Kronberg Academy is a private music school based in Kronberg im Taunus, Germany. Founded in 1993[1] by Raimund Trenkler, the academy trains a select group of young musicians who have the potential to build international careers as soloists and chamber musicians.[2][3]

Kronberg Academy
TypePrivate
Established1993 (1993)
ChairmanRaimund Trenkler
DirectorFriedemann Eichhorn
Students~ 25
Location
Kronberg im Taunus
,
Hesse
,
Germany
Websitekronbergacademy.de

Initially, the focus of the Kronberg Academy was to train and support young cellists, but has since branched out into the piano, violin and viola disciplines. It also organizes a diverse range of projects, competitions, masterclasses and concerts.[1] It was granted charitable status in 2004.[4]

Programmes

The Kronberg Academy offers study programmes that are unique within Europe.[5] These include a Bachelor and Master programme for outstanding young musicians who have the potential to build international careers as soloists.[6] The course is designed for a maximum of 25 individuals, lasts a total of three years and is offered in collaboration with the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts.[7] The school also offers a Professional Studies programme and is a two-year course focusing on concert performance.

The Kronberg Academy also houses a pre-college programme; intended for instrumentalists who, at 16 or 17 years of age, are too young to apply for the Kronberg Academy Bachelor of Music programme. Since Autumn 2018, the Sir András Schiff Performance Programme for Young Pianists has offered a programme to select young pianists who wish to focus on chamber music.[8]

Artistic council

Kronberg Academy receives active support from many well-known artists. The members of the Artistic Council are Marta Casals Istomin, Yuri Bashmet, Christoph Eschenbach, Gidon Kremer and Sir András Schiff.[9] The cellist, Mstislav Rostropovich was also a member of the Artistic Council until his death in 2007. He declared Kronberg to be the “world capital of the cello” as early as 1997, and founded the Rostropovich Cello Foundation in Kronberg to support young cellists.[10]

From 2005 to 2012, the Director of Study Programmes was Stephen Potts. Friedemann Eichhorn has been Director of Kronberg Academy's study programmes since 2012 and is Co-Artistic Director with Raimund Trenkler.

Facilities
Further information: Casals Forum
The public opening of Casals Forum in 2022

In September 2022, the Kronberg Academy opened a new concert hall, the Casals Forum. Designed by Volker Staab from Berlin, building started in 2017 and was completed in 2022. It is named in honour of the cellist Pablo Casals.

The venue houses two concert halls; the main hall which has a capacity of 550, and the Carl Bechstein Saal, a smaller hall with a capacity of 150. The complex also includes rooms for lessons and practicing for academy students.

Projects
Kronberg Academy’s Violin Masterclasses & Concerts in 2019

Numerous renowned events are organised by the Kronberg Academy; all designed to inspire, train and shape young musicians, making Kronberg a meeting place for artists from across the globe:[11]

  • Kronberg Academy Festival (every two years since 1993, titled “Cello Festival Kronberg” until 2013)[12][13][14]
  • Cello Masterclasses & Concerts (every two years since 1994)[15][16]
  • Violin Masterclasses & Concerts (every two years since 2009)[17][18]
  • Viola-Fest (1989 and 2003)
  • “Chamber Music Connects the World” (every two years since 2000)
  • Kronberg Academy in Seoul, South Korea (2004, 2006 and 2008)
  • Projects for children and teenagers: “Classic for Kids”, “Mit Musik – Miteinander” and various youth concerts

The Kronberg Academy also organises these competitions:

  • Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann, organised in collaboration with the Universität der Künste Berlin (every four years since 2002)
  • International Pablo Casals Cello Competition (2000 and 2004)
Chamber Music Connects the World with cellist Steven Isserlis

World-renowned artists have established foundations based in Kronberg:[10]

  • Rostropovich Cello Foundation
  • Gidon Kremer Stiftung[19]
  • Yuri Bashmet Viola Foundation

Kronberg Academy also offers violin, viola and cello tuition for children and teenagers through the Emanuel Feuermann Conservatory. The conservatory is one of three representatives of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) in the state of Hesse.[20]

Many of Kronberg's residents – who make up most of the 1320 or so members (As of October 2018) of the Friends of Kronberg Academy – act as hosts for the numerous young string players from around the world who come to Kronberg for its workshops, concerts and festivals.

Pablo Casals Award

As part of the Kronberg Festival, the Kronberg Academy presents the Pablo Casals Award – For A Better World.[21]

Notable alumni

Notable faculty

References
  1. "Kronberg Academy feiert Richtfest ihres Kammermusiksaals". Süddeutsche.de (in German). dpa. 28 September 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  2. "About Kronberg Academy". Kronberg Academy.
  3. "Kronberg Academy cancels all major events until the end of the year". The Strad. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  4. "Die Kronberg Academy Stiftung". CULTURall (in German). Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  5. "Kronberg Academy: Education". kronbergacademy.de. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  6. "Study "Kronberg Academy" in Germany – College of Music and Dramatic Art, Frankfurt am Main". www.daad.de. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  7. "Degree Programs A–Z". www.hfmdk-frankfurt.info. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  8. "Kronberg Academy: Sir András Schiff Performance Programme for Young Pianists". kronbergacademy.de. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  9. "Kronberg Academy: Kronberg Academy Foundation / Artistic Council". kronbergacademy.de. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  10. "Kronberg Academy: Kronberg Academy Foundation/ Trust foundations". kronbergacademy.de. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  11. "Kronberg Academy: Events". kronbergacademy.de. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  12. "Konzertsaal – Eröffnungskonzert – Kronberg Academy Festival 2021". hr2.de (in German). 26 January 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  13. "Festival zu Frauen in der Musik". Frankfurter Rundschau (in German). 9 July 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  14. "Gipfeltreffen der Streicher". Kronberg Academy Festival (in German). 13 September 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  15. "Kronberg Academy announces programme of cello masterclasses and concerts". Rhinegold. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  16. "Meisterkurse – Kronberg Academy". Deutsche Bank Stiftung (in German). 26 April 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  17. "Kronberg Academy announces prizewinners for its 2021 series of Violin Masterclasses and Concerts". The Strad. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  18. "Event Benefiz-Aktion: Der Ton macht die Musik – Besuch von 2 Geigen-Meisterkursen der Kronberg Academy & Gespräch mit Geigenbauer". Frankfurter Stadtevents (in German). 1 May 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  19. "Gidon Kremer Stiftung". Gidon Kremer Stiftung. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  20. "Kronberg Academy: Emanuel Feuermann Conservatory / general". kronbergacademy.de. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  21. "Premiere: "Pablo Casals Award – For A Better world": Marie-Elisabeth Hecker und Martin Helmchen ausgezeichnet". Kronberg Academy (in German). 3 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  22. "Lars Vogt erhält postum den Pablo Casals Preis". Klassik Radio (in German). 28 September 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.

Further reading

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