EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES 2007-2008

CONDUCTING MASTERCOURSE IN BONN
April 5-9, 2008
Kurt Masur will lead a mastercourse in Bonn, May 5-9. This continues Maestro Masur's series of courses on the works of Beethoven, held in the city of the composer's birth. The first, in October 2006, covered the first two symphonies. This year's course covers the 3rd and 4th Symphonies, both of which will be led by the conducting students at the culminating concert on April 9, along with the Egmont Overture, conducted by Maestro Masur. Maestro Masur is Chairman of the Beethoven House in Bonn.

CONDUCTING MASTERCOURSE AT MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC
March 24-28, 2008
Kurt Masur will continue his long relationship with the Manhattan Scool of Music when he gives a conducting mastercourse there March 24-28, 2008. Maestro Masur has worked with the student orchestra of this conservatory and has led numerous mastercourses there since coming to New York as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic. The repertoire for the course will be Matthus: Manhattan Concerto, Dvorak: Symphony No. 8 and Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 1. These works will be presented publicly by the conducting students in the culminating concert on March 28.

CONDUCTING MASTERCOURSE IN RIO DE JANEIRO
May 26-29, 2007
Kurt Masur will lead a conducting mastercourse in Rio de Janeiro from May 26-29, 2008. Taking place in conjunction with Maestro Masur's concerts with the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira, this marks his third mastercourse in Brazil since 2003, with previous mastercourses having taken place in Campos do Jordão and São Paolo.

CONDUCTING MASTERCOURSE IN LEIPZIG, GERMANY
January 22-26, 2007
Kurt Masur will lead a conducting mastercourse in Leipzig, Germany from Monday, January 22 through Friday, January 26. Maestro Masur's close association with Leipzig dates back to 1970, when he began his 26-season tenure as Kapellmeister of the legendary Gewandhaus Orchestra. He continues this association though conducting visits to the Gewandhaus and through courses such as this.

The works covered in this mastercourse will by Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 ("Scottish"), Schumann: Genoveva Overture, Liszt: Mephisto Waltz, and Wagner: Overture to Die Meistersinger. As with Maestro Masur's other mastercourses around the world, the focus will be on the students working directly with the orchestra, with a culminating concert allowing for live performances of the works being studied. The final concert for this mastercourse, taking place on the evening of January 26, will feature the student conductors leading the Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Liszt, with Maestro Masur closing the concert with the Wagner.