Thessaloniki, Greece
November 18 - 26, 2018
Students and parents from the Teng Studio arrived at the Thessaloniki airport Monday evening and enjoyed their first taste of Greek food at a small restaurant in Kalamaria.
The Teng Studio walked through an open-air produce market on Tuesday morning, sampling fresh feta, olives, and oranges. Later in the day, they warmed up on the Vivaldi Concerto for four violins and rehearsed with the University of Macedonia Orchestra.
Tuesday and Wednesday, Professor Teng gave lessons and coachings to the students of the University of Macedonia - Thessaloniki. In the evening, the students were given a taste of European musicality in their masterclass with the Dean of the University of Macedonia and Professor of Violin, Dimitris Xandrakis.
Thursday evening, an appreciative audience listened to the Teng Studio as they performed violin concertos by Conus, Mendelssohn, and Tchaikovsky at the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. The Studio was joined in concert by David Bogorad, Principal Second Violin of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, and students from the University of Macedonia.
The Teng Studio enjoyed a private tour of the museum on Friday morning with archaeologist Diana Stefani. Then they made their way through thousands of Black Friday shoppers on their way to lunch downtown near the sea coast. That evening they listened to Alena Baeva perform the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra. At dinner after the concert, Professor Teng and his teaching assistant, Paul Hauer, enjoyed talking with soloist Alena Baeva and conductor Zoi Tsokanou, as well as their Oberlin colleagues, Concertmaster Simos Pananas and Principal Second Violin David Bogorad.
On Saturday morning David Bogorad, Principal Second Violin of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, gave the Teng Studio a different perspective on the solo sonatas of J.S. Bach during a masterclass.
Later that afternoon, Professor Teng presented a lecture on the importance of supportive studio culture at the Greek Society for Music Education (E.E.M.E.) in conjunction with the International Society for Music Education (I.S.M.E.).
The evening was a showcase of collaboration between the University of Macedonia Symphony Orchestra and the Teng Studio, with a performance of traditional Greek music followed by the Vivaldi Concerto for four violins and J.S. Bach's concerto for two violins. The Vivaldi concerto featured Professor Teng and his teenage students, while the Bach concerto highlighted Professor Teng, Professor Dimitris Xandrakis, David Bogorad, and Paul Hauer.
The Teng Studio enjoyed their first and only free day with a trip to Mt. Olympus, sight-seeing at several Greek Orthodox churches dating from the 7th century, and a look at the Roman-era Forum discovered by accident in the 1960s.
It was a wonderful experience of Greek culture, and we made friends with fellow musicians from the Mediterranean.
Efcharistó!
Photo Credits: Patricia Messina, Lucy Little, Paul Hauer