Personal Note is a new concert series curated by students of the Barenboim-Said Akademie. The series was conceived by the participants of the Akademie’s Concert Curation course, a program designed to empower young musicians to think beyond performance. In today’s rapidly evolving cultural landscape, classical music faces the challenge of remaining relevant while maintaining its traditions. Through this course, led by Prof. Yael Kareth, students have the opportunity to delve into the essence of the concert experience, exploring its social, sensory, and cultural dimensions. By asking questions such as, “What story does this music tell?” and “Who is it for?”, the course encourages students to reimagine the concert model and craft events that are meaningful, engaging, and accessible. The culmination of their work is Personal Note, a series of intimate performances that reflect their creativity and intellectual exploration, as well as their unique musicianship.

Concert II: Dialogue

The word dialogue carries a world of meaning, especially when it comes to music. It may refer to conversation, reflection, or imitation, in music as well as in life. In the second concert of the series, students will explore various musical expressions of dialogue through performance of well-known chamber music pieces, which they will personally introduce as well. They will demonstrate musical conversation between different players or instruments, explore the correspondence between two (or more) musical lines or voices within a composition, reveal the intergenerational dialogue between student and teacher or between composers of different epochs, highlight cultural exploration and exchange through composition, and even expose the inner—almost secret—dialogue a musician has with themself.

Dialogue is also a key word in the microcosmos of the Barenboim-Said Akademie, where the ability to truly listen across different backgrounds, viewpoints, and perspectives is crucial. In a very wholesome way, dialogue plays exactly the same vital role in music-making.