“To play a wrong note is meaningless, to play without passion is unforgivable.”
Ludwig van Beethoven

SUMMER CAMP

UPDATE: Due to an extended PIANO BATTLE China tour in summer 2023, the Summer Camp dates need to be confirmed for a later period in 2024. We will let you know as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.

Today a student, tomorrow a star.

Off the battle field, pianists Andreas Kern and Paul Cibis have created the PIANO BATTLE ACADEMY to share their passion with young people and give them a chance to learn from their unique and creative approach. Each summer, the Academy holds a 2 week long Summer Camp in Germany – starting in Berlin with a week of master classes, workshops and fun activities in Germany’s capital, followed by a week of exploring the birthplaces of Germany’s three big “B” – Bach (Leipzig), Beethoven (Bonn), Brahms (Hamburg).

With their solid academic foundation, extensive performance experience, and a passion for nurturing young piano players, Andreas Kern and Paul Cibis adopt inventive and interesting methods to unlock participants’ potential and interest in piano playing, guiding them to develop a more personal and refined performing style.

Improve your piano skills, develop your own performance style, and discover Germany, the homeland of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms.

Be part of the next PIANO BATTLE ACADEMY Summer Camp which takes place in August 2023, and only 20 students (aged 14-22 years) can be invited to join. Send us an email to academy@pianobattle.com to make sure that you stay updated and can be among the first to register!

The PIANO BATTLE ACADEMY Summer Camp features both group and one-on-one activities conducted in an effective and creative atmosphere. A series of master classes are carefully designed to enable the students to gain performance experience and enhance their confidence when playing to an audience. The chance to keep learning when listening to the lessons of other participants will add to their understanding of musical and technical issues. During one-on-one lessons, the pianists will address the students’ individual issues, offering them specific guidance and exercises to polish their skill. There will also be ensemble session, lectures on piano playing technique, film screenings and evening concerts that will solidify the effectiveness and impact of the program on the young participants.

SUMMER CAMP STRUCTURE

The PIANO BATTLE ACADEMY Summer Camp consists of master classes, individual one-to-one lessons and a series of activities and events in Berlin, all related to music and piano playing. Further more, the package includes three trips to the birth places of the three big “B” of Classical Music – Bach (Leipzig), Beethoven (Bonn), Brahms (Hamburg). The students will also attend a concert at the “Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival” which is one of the biggest and most important music festivals world-wide. The two week long cultural experience will be complemented by leisure activities in all four cities related to the individual character of the cities.

All activities will be accompanied by a team of experienced staff from Germany and China, fully fluent in Chinese, English and German.

The tuition and activities include:

MASTER CLASSES IN BERLIN
Public lesson on solo repertoire with both Andreas and Paul teaching, and all students attending (each student gets one session).

INDIVIDUAL LESSONS IN BERLIN
In addition to the master classes all students get a total of 2 individual lessons (45 minutes) on their solo repertoire, one with Andreas, one with Paul. These lessons focus on both, technical and musical aspects: Awareness of individual strengths and weaknesses, practicing effortlessly and efficiently, being creative technically and musically, developing personal style while still respecting of the composer’s ideas, aspects of telling musical “stories”, playing with the music to find out what is the best sound, incorporation of other aspects mentioned and taught in the workshops.

GROUP LESSONS IN BERLIN
In addition to the individual one-on-one lessons, all students learn 4 hand ensemble repertoire and get taught in ensemble and group sessions.

GROUP LECTURE EXAMPLES

• Historical insides of Bach, Beethoven & Brahms
• Concert formats and the music scene in Europe
• Guest lecturer Prof. Cedric Pescia (Geneva) on Ernst Bloch
• Guided tour at University of Leipzig with David Timm (Director of Music at University of Leipzig)

GROUP WORKSHOP EXAMPLES

• How to practice
• Developing Technique (including technical studies from Johannes Brahms, Alfred Cortot and Peter Feuchtwanger)
• Improvisation
• Conducting
• Creative presentation of your performance
• How to listen to concerts and explore the old masters online

PUBLIC CONCERT
All participants have the chance to perform at a public concert in Berlin and/or Bonn.

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT GERMANY

• Concert visits at Pianosalon Christofori Berlin and Schleswig Holstein Music Festival
• Guide tours at Beethoven Haus Bonn, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Brahms Museum Hamburg, Bach grave & St. Thomas Cathedral Leipzig
• Instrument Museum Berlin
• Screening of documentary “Pianomania” at private barbecue in the garden of Andreas’ grandfather
• Further possible museums in Berlin: Bode Museum, German History Museum, National Gallery, Spy-Museum

For further information about the PIANO BATTLE ACADEMY Summer Camp please write to us at: academy@pianobattle.com