Ravel Masterclass 2025

Masterclass • Location • Costs • Application • Contact

2^nd Henle Masterclass at Schloss Fürstenried

This course, exclusively sponsored by G. Henle Verlag in honor of the 150^th birthday of French composer Maurice Ravel, is dedicated to young professional pianists who wish to receive advice and guidance from one of the world’s leading interpreters of Maurice Ravel’s music.

Pierre-Laurent Aimard is widely renowned for his musical interpretation and knowledge of Ravel’s piano works. His international schedule of creatively conceived concerts, broadcasts and recordings is complemented by a career-long commitment to teaching, giving concert lectures and workshops worldwide.

Six students of the Pierre-Laurent Aimard Piano Masterclass will have the exclusive opportunity for in-depth study of chosen pieces by Maurice Ravel.

Each student will receive three 45-minute public teaching sessions, one-on-one with Maestro Aimard, and will learn from the sessions conducted with the other participants of the masterclasses. For this reason, all students are requested to visit their co-students’ sessions. Non-public group de-briefing sessions at the end of each day are additional milestones for each student’s personal development and support the process of learning from their peers and actively exchanging thoughts and experiences.

The masterclass will be held in:

MUNICH (GERMANY) FROM JUNE 5 – 8, 2025

The masterclass will be uniquely enhanced by workshop sessions with one of Europe’s most experienced and sought-after piano technicians. Stefan Knüpfer was a teacher at the Steinway Academy in Hamburg, Germany for many years before his passion for the grand piano compelled him to become a self-employed traveling technician.

Without exaggeration it can be said that Stefan Knüpfer’s knowledge of historic and modern grand pianos of different brands and builders is unsurpassed. He will be present throughout the duration of the masterclass and offer theoretical and practical workshop training to the participants on each of the three evenings.

He is a co-founder of “piano duo”, a project aimed at providing high class instruments for concerts and recordings to talented young musicians.

Location

The masterclass will be held in the historical setting of the Schloss Fürstenried on the Southern outskirts of the city. The venue is a picturesque palace with surrounding park, dating from the 17^th century. The masterclasses and performances take place in the main building, accommodations are provided in the building annex. We kindly ask that all participants arrive on the evening of Wednesday, June 4 and schedule their departure for the afternoon of Sunday, June 8, 2025, not before 1 p.m.

Schloss Fürstenried is a historic building on the Southwestern rim of Munich. It was built between 1715 and 1717 for the Bavarian Prince Electoral Max Emanuel as a hunting residence. The main building is now a popular venue for cultural events, while the adjoining buildings have been remodeled to provide modest overnight accommodation for visitors. The extensive park surrounding the historic building and its annexes still today is maintained in the tradition of baroque landscaping, with a variety of tree and plant specimens as in a botanical garden.

Costs

Application fee: 50 €

Course fee: 500 €

Rooms and meals: approx. 129 € / day

For accepted participants the application fee will be balanced against the total costs.

Schloss Fürstenried affords modest rooms with ensuite bath. Communal meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner - are served in the dining hall; allergies and dietary preferences are considered. Overnight stay in Schloss Fürstenried is mandatory for all participants.

Applications will only be considered if the full registration fee has arrived in our bank account. Payment details are listed in the application form.

Applications must be submitted before February 15, 2025. Information as to admission or non-admission will be sent by email from March 15, 2025.

How to apply

The application process involves four steps:

Completing the application form
Sending a copy of your ID ››› ravel2025@henle.de
Uploading the required videos
Payment of the application fee

Acceptance Process

Applicants must send the completed Masterclass Application Form, a photocopy of their passport or ID card or birth certificate and a short biography. The pianist will make a video recording of their performance of one movement of a composition by Ravel of their own choice, after introducing themselves in English. This is not necessarily the piece that will later be the subject of the course.

In addition, the applicant will make a video of a short piece of another composer of their own choice.

An in-house Henle jury will pre-select 20 candidates. The final selection of participants will be made by Maestro Aimard. The judges’ and the Maestro’s decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

The closing date of the application is at 23:59 h Central European Time (CET) on February 15, 2025. All applicants will be informed by mid March 2025.

Application form

Please use this link to apply.

Payment

The application fee is 50 €. Application is not valid until the application fee has been paid (you will receive confirmation). The application fee is non-refundable.

Please reference your name and Ravel Masterclass.

Payment by bank transfer:

Name of Bank: HypoVereinsbank München

Account Holder: G. Henle Verlag

Account No. 321417

IBAN DE64 7002 0270 0000 3214 17

SWIFT HYVEDEMMXXX

To acces other payment methods (credit card, PayPal, Klarna, Alipay) follow this link, or scan the QR Code:
https://buy.stripe.com/28oeVe3Lm4CdfjaaEF

Instructions for uploading the application video on YouTube

UPLOADING THE VIDEO

Privacy settings: When you upload the video to YouTube, you should select “Unlisted”. More information about uploading your video can be found in the “Help” section on the YouTube homepage. ANNOUNCEMENT The video must begin with a personal introduction by the applicant, stating, in English language, his/her name, country of origin, current occupation and personal incentive for applying to the course.

VIDEO QUALITY

We do not expect a professional video. Video editing forbidden: Both piano recital videos must not be edited in any way and must run continuously from beginning to end.

PICTURE DETAIL

The pianist’s head, arms and hands must be clearly visible on the video. Best is a consistently fixed camera position.

SOUND RECORDING

The performance recorded for the video entry must be acoustic and not amplified or altered electronically in any way. The only microphone(s) used should be for recording. General tips can be found in the “Help” section on the YouTube website.

PERFORMANCE AS IF IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE

The pianist should behave in the video as if they are performing in front of an audience. The video can either be shot at home, at a (music) school, in a recital hall or any other place where there is a suitable piano.

TITLE OF THE VIDEO

The video for the Masterclass application must be titled as follows on YouTube: “Pierre-Laurent Aimard Masterclass Ravel 2025 [First and last name of the pianist]”; all words should be separated by a space, e.g. “Pierre-Laurent Aimard Masterclass Ravel 2025 Jane Turner”.

Get in touch

For any questions, please contact us via e-mail: ravel2025@henle.de

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2nd Henle Masterclass at Schloss Fürstenried