Five weeks studying music in Austria has enriched Cole Knutson’s musical life.
Knutson is a musician who grew up in North Battleford and is currently attending the University of Manitoba for saxophone performance. He spent July and a week in August at Franz-Schubert-Institut in Baden bei Wien, approximately 40 km southwest of Vienna.
According to the program’s website: “The high artistic standards and unique structure of the course ‘Poetry and Performance of the German Lied,’ together with its peerless guest faculty, explain why this master course has, since its inception in 1978, been widely regarded as the finest of its kind.”
“I was overjoyed and really excited,” Knutson said of being accepted into the program. “It’s the program I wanted to attend my whole music life.”
Knutson began piano at age 12, which he said is later than other professional pianists. He worked with local piano teacher Jaya Hoy before enrolling at the University of Manitoba.
A year and a half ago, Knutson began a collaboration with retired opera singer Robert MacLaren at the University of Manitoba, on a song cycle by Franz Schubert called Winterreisse, which Knutson described as “one of the most intense pieces of its kind.” The original plan was to work on the song cycle for a couple months then perform it, but the collaboration continued.
MacLaren, or “Bob” as Knutson calls, him, suggested Knutson audition for the Schubert Institute. The audition process required Knutson to record about 25 minutes of music, and MacLaren wrote Knutson a reference letter. Knutson received more reference letters and in April, was approved to participate in the program.
The program featured 35 musicians from a number of countries, including Columbia, Australia and Israel, with 12 representing Canada. Knutson said singers were paired with pianists to prepare a number of pieces. He was paired with Canadian singer Iain MacNeil, whom Knutson praised.
A number of figures of the opera world worked on music with program participants, including Dutch soprano Elly Ameling, and pianist Julius Drake, as well as actors and actresses. Practicing German was a training exercise, as even pianists must know the lyrics of the songs they perform.
Knutson said highlights of the experience include playing in a monastery, performing a recital on an organ Mozart played on, and playing Beethoven’s piano in a house where Beethoven used to live.
Along with the training and the experiences, Knutson said he gained a good idea of where he thinks he’d like to pursue a Master’s degree: at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, under the guidance of Julius Drake.
“I wanted to have Julius Drake as teacher since I started music,” Knutson said.
Knutson’s future performances include a miniature tour of Saskatchewan and Manitoba this fall with MacLaren performing Winterreisse (including a planned date in North Battleford), along with engagements scheduled for the upcoming year in New Mexico, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Vienna, Iceland, and London.
“And Frankfurt,” Knutson said, after a pause. “I nearly forgot Frankfurt.”
