Emmanuel Pahud in Guangzhou | II. Masterclass!

The concert hall hosted a public workshop featuring the Berlin Philharmonic Quartet. I hadn’t realized they were inviting students and young musicians from local conservatories to perform live. What a rare and generous and scary opportunity to play for world-class artists.

And who would pass up a free masterclass? Especially one led by musicians who live and breathe chamber music. The joy of deep musical conversation was more than enough to offset the… shall we say, colorful distractions of the event’s host — whose long-winded, self-important commentary made many of us long for the mute button. Let’s just say: not every question needs to be asked, and not every moment needs a monologue.

A few takeaways I jotted down:

• For chamber music: tune backstage. Don’t waste the audience’s attention span. Begin with intention.
• One of Mozart’s defining musical characteristics is the strength of the middle voice. For example, in a string quartet, the second violin and viola must project and hold the core texture — not just accompany passively.
• In Bach’s music written in 4, the rhythm is inherently danceable: 1 (downbeat), 2 (lift), 3 (leads into 4), and 4 flows into the next bar. Feeling the momentum in groups of four brings life to the phrasing.
• Stage presence matters. Let your body move with the music. A small step forward can reinforce a crescendo; stepping back can signal intimacy. Onstage, even the subtlest gesture magnifies. Feel the space, and use it musically.

I personally, am not an easy audience — I like to sit front-row, and my frown without filtering must be a terrible reaction for the musician (I’ve been there). Like, the quality of the performance today would have me walk out at intermission. But the members of the Berliner Quartet were not only extraordinary performers but also incredibly generous in their feedback. They stayed, listened. And I learned. The teaching was honest, detailed, and encouraging — everything a great masterclass should be.