Welcome to the website of the Schubert Foundation

Dear visitor,

The Schubert Foundation was established in 1993 and its purpose is to promote the study and performance of Schubert’s works. The foundation’s foremost activity is the organizing of the Schubert Masterclass for professional singers and accompanists. This biannual event takes place in the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam.
“The Schubert Masterclass has proved itself indispensable” This was the headline in the Volkskrant after the first masterclass in 1995. The first event earned an excellent reputation in The Netherlands and abroad. This appreciation is greatly due to the teachers, bass ROBERT HOLL and pianist RUDOLF JANSEN. The expertise of both teachers stretches further than their professional skills and pedagogical didactic abilities. These Schubert specialists par excellence explore new aspects in the art of Lied. In 2007 the foundation invited for the first time an internationally celebrated guest teacher: soprano ELLY AMELING  gave a guest session on February 9th.

Once again the foundation could depend on the help offered by host families to house the participants. The five-day course is not specifically an Amsterdam event. Statistics show that listeners come from all over the country and abroad.

Drawing from the participants’ reactions, we can conclude that the Schubert Masterclass compares favourably to other events, both for its organization and for its personal approach to the participants. Their musical development is an incentive to the foundation and justifies its existence.

Singer and accompanist: an inseparable entity

It is of utmost importance to both singers and pianists to continue to develop after completing their professional studies. A masterclass for voice and piano duos, specifically focused on the interpretation of Schubert songs, is a rare event in Europe. This masterclass is unique in the world of Lied interpretation and serves as an important source of knowledge and inspiration. Rendering these songs is not an easy task for the young participants. Words, vocal line and piano accompaniment are all intertwined and music and words reflect each other’s meaning. Moreover the duos must have perfect intonation, be able to express musically a subtle build-up of tension and emotion and be able to communicate with the audience.

The aim of the Schubert Masterclass is to help the duos gain a better understanding of how to broaden and deepen their interpretation. Schubert’s musical and literary ideas are completely merged in his songs.
Robert Holl continually urges the singers to achieve a more precise and subtle expression of the poetry. On stage he divests the songs of their innocence by pointing emphatically to literary qualities and the psychological refinement of the text portrayal. Holl’s expertise in this field, his knowledge of Schubert’s circle of friends and the cultural life of this period in Vienna gives the masterclass an exceptional character.
The music critic Marianne Broeder expressed her impressions of this masterclass thus: “The calm dialogue between Holl and Jansen and their students, based on complete equality, is a pleasure to both eye and ear. Holl and Jansen are masters, but not schoolmasters. They are neither dogmatic nor pedantic in their argumentation. They listen to the students, explore the framework of the interpretation and add depth to the composer’s intentions.”
The Schubert Masterclass is specifically intended for Lied duos and treats the singer and pianist not as separate individuals but as an inseparable entity.
The absolute necessity of this approach is obvious, for usually one-sided attention is given to the vocal aspects of the art of song.

International breeding ground for young Lied interpreters

Auditions are held to select the Lied duos. Since 2000 eight duos have been chosen each time to take part in the masterclass. The participants must have a degree or diploma as a professional musician and must have some years of performing experience. Those selected must prepare at least 18 Schubert songs for the masterclass. Of these, ten songs may be taken from song cycles.

The foundation attaches importance to a positive attitude towards the participants during the masterclass. There is no rivalry detected between the duos. It is this lack of rivalry which allows open interaction between participants and teachers and also among the participants themselves. This is an important aspect.
The foundation encourages the participants to listen in their free time to each other’s interpretations and to the teachers’ comments. This event offers opportunities to exchange expertise and to build up a network.

This masterclass has two daily sessions: from 14:00 until 17:15 and from 19:00 until 22:15. True to tradition the Schubert Masterclass ends with a festive closing concert. The programme of this concert is unique, in that all the duos and the teachers take part.

Other Activities

As well as the Schubert Masterclass, the foundation also arranges concerts and lectures. The programmes are chosen on the basis of historical musical criteria. The programming promotes Schubert’s less well-known works. The foundation sends information to subscribers and other relations in a newsletter.

The Schubert Foundation is registered at the Chamber of Commerce as number
41 21 29 20.

I hope to welcome you at one of our events. There is after all nothing to beat the real-life experience of a good performance in a concert hall.

Vincent G.M. Verheijen

Managing Director