Wednesday afternoon the Oregon ASTA chapter presented, along with the Community Music Center, a masterclass conducted by Cleveland Orchestra concertmaster Bill Preucil. The class took place at the recital hall of CMC, and there was a near-capacity crowd on hand to see the work of four excellent, young violinists and one of the leading violinists of his generation.
What was most enjoyable with the class was the total lack of pretension on the part of Mr. Preucil. He was warm, engaging, witty, and gave each student his undivided attention (in spite of noise bleeding through from the upstairs studio rooms and some antsy young observers in the hall). His advice tended to be very practical – centering around what sort of impression each phrase should make, and basic alterations to the basic sound to make that happen – and not at all esoteric or pandering to the audience. Preucil was intent on making a connection with each student, and they seemed to enjoy the interaction.
Preucil also played to reinforce the point he was trying to impress upon the students, and his rich, powerful sound filled the hall, as did his gregarious personality.
Four OSO violists and five violinists (including former Preucil student and OSO concertmaster Jun Iwasaki) were in attendence.