Cheers to Youth! 2024 Q & A

Pam Hahn Vanja Nikolovski

The focus on our annual Cheers to Youth! concert is, of course, young musicians. I asked Vanja some questions about the concert on November 3, 2024 and his experience as a teacher.

Q.  You have had a long career of teaching piano lessons to young students. How important do you feel it is for young people to learn how to read music and play an instrument? What is your best advice for students of any instrument?

A.  It is proven that music education sharpens the brain. A lot of my students admitted to me that practicing the instrument helps them to do much better at school, solving difficult tasks. I tell them that if they really enjoy their instrument they need to understand that practicing brings results. They can only become better players if they spend time studying the score and learning part by part. One of the very important things is listening to their performance while playing.

Q.  The three composers in the November 3 concert program are each from a different country and had different composition styles. In your opinion, which composer wrote with more complexity - Rossini, Elgar or Grieg?

A.  The way I see it is that Rossini, although his music sounds light, had developed a very detailed post-Mozartian style; Elgar is very complex in his articulation and expression but clear in his intention to bring all voices together as an accompaniment or soloistically; Grieg combines different families of instruments using beautiful melodies, accompanied by intense rhythmic counterpoints (second melodies).

Q.  If you could sit down to coffee with one of these composers, which one would you choose, and what would you talk to him about?

A.  I would definitely have coffee with Rossini, discussing the sauce he using on his spaghetti. We might talk some music after we finish lunch.