Palisades Park Viola Standout in Prestigious Master Class

Ashley Park of Palisades Park, NJ has spent her time in coronavirus isolation perfecting a viola piece that won her a coveted spot in The Philadelphia International Music Festival’s virtual Master Class with Philadelphia Orchestra Assistant Principal Viola Kerri Ryan on Friday, December 11th, 2020 at 7 p.m. The prestigious online Master Class series attracts auditions from gifted musicians the world over, eager to perform for stars of The Philadelphia Orchestra on PIMF’s faculty.

“We’ve been seeing some very high-caliber young musical talent submitting extraordinary auditions,” says PIMF President Sandy Marcucci. “We’re delighted by the enthusiasm and so heartened to see how young musicians are pursuing their musical passion with a will to learn and improve in spite of so much disruption.”

Ashley, a 17-year-old junior at Palisades Park High School, will play Paul Hindemith’s Der Schwanendreher Movement 1 “Zwischen Berg und tiefem Tal” for Ms. Ryan and a worldwide online audience at the interactive Master Class, after which she’ll receive analysis and constructive criticism from the nationally-renowned violist, along with supportive running commentary from viewers in real time.

“I think it will definitely be a new experience being on a digital stage but still very grateful for this opportunity,” Ashley says. “I have been thoroughly practicing by listening to recordings of my practice session and finding any imperfections I can find to the best of my ability.”

Hindemith’s Der Schwanendreher ("The Swan-turner") is a virtuosic viola concerto composed in 1935 and based on four folksongs. Ashley hopes the Master Class with Maestra Ryan will help her to deepen her understanding of the piece and produce a more mature sound when performing it.

“I feel like with many other instruments, contemporary music is not very common to play,” she notes. “However, the viola has more ‘normal’ contemporary pieces which includes the Hindemith, a more modern piece and I believe it is a wonderful piece to give one an introduction to contemporary music.”

Ashley is a member of Julliard’s Pre-College Symphony and studies viola with Elizabeth Chang at The Juilliard School Precollege Division.

“More and more, we’re finding that there’s a real hunger for that connection to live classical music performance that we’ve had to put on hold during the pandemic,” Ms. Marcucci adds, “along with a growing interest in improving musical skills and even just learning something new. Not to mention, we’re showcasing the classical music superstars of tomorrow! Our Master Class series hits all the right notes for so many music lovers, and we’re delighted to make them widely accessible.”

Tickets to the Master Class series are complimentary for educators and music students.