Seven students from the Glenn Korff School of Music traveled to Greece this summer for the Summer Piano Institute organized by Piano Plus Festival in Xánthi, Greece.
Marguerite Scribante Professor of Piano Paul Barnes also taught and performed at the institute, which is organized by Glenn Korff School of Music alumnus Andreas Xenopoulos (D.M.A. 2014). Around 40 students, in all, attended the institute, which is in its 10th year.
“What I love most about teaching at this festival is the community that is created when the Greek piano students take all of the American students under their wing,” Barnes said. “The UNL pianists experience a cultural immersion that is transformative. This year I was also asked to chant at the Cathedral in Xánthi which was a profoundly moving experience.”
Xenopoulos said hundreds of students and professors from all over the world have offered their services and shared magnificent experiences through the Summer Piano Institute.
“This particular project is a unique combination of music education and cultural vacation at the same time,” Xenopoulos said. “The institute is open for graduate and undergraduate university students from all over the world, but at the same time, we try more and more to recruit students all the way from the elementary schools in order to attend the lessons, concerts and masterclasses. By doing so, we build a culture of piano education by exposing the younger generations to professional-level piano performances and world-class lessons and masterclasses.”
He is thrilled to have Barnes return to teach at the institute.
“Dr. Barnes is a great chapter in my personal development since he was my professor during my doctoral studies at UNL,” Xenopoulos said. “It’s different when you meet a professor during this stage of your life because you work together as fellow artists. Dr. Barnes came to work with the rest of the team of professors at the SPI with a very open heart and respected everyone without trying to convene about his greatness over the rest of the people, and this made him extremely beloved by both professors and students.”
He appreciates the connection between Nebraska students and Greek students.
“For me personally, it is extremely important to keep this channel of communication with UNL open since I spent there three of my most creative years. I met extremely talented people, professors and friends, who all treated me like family,” he said. “It is really a blessing to have a group of people on the other part of the world and feel that there is always someone that will help and support you with anything you might need. For that, I am truly grateful to the UNL community.”
The Glenn Korff School of Music students who attended included graduate students Rebekah Stiles, Daniel Herbener, Andrew Daugherty and Jeremy Duck; undergraduate students Nathaniel Brown and Khang Nguyen; and incoming freshman Zachary Jacobsen.
For Brown, a junior, this was his second time attending the institute.
“I wanted to go to Greece again because I had such an amazing time last year meeting all the students and faculty from around the world,” he said.
He said this year’s experience was even better than last year’s.
“I was more familiar with the town of Xánthi and how to operate the festival,” Brown said.
He said it was “intriguing” to meet the students from around the world.
“I learned so many new Greek words throughout the week and many different elements of Greek culture and compared them to American culture,” he said.
He also appreciated the opportunity to meet and work with the professors.
“The biggest thing I got out of this experience was meeting professors from different schools that could potentially be future faculty members that I work with in pursuit of my master’s degree,” Brown said. “Making these connections now is crucial to getting an edge before I even audition for these schools because a personal connection with the professor is key to ensuring a successful education path.”
Brown received a Hixson-Lied student grant to attend the institute.
“The funding I received was very important because it covered the majority of the travel costs, which made it much easier to attend the festival again this year,” he said.
For Stiles, this was also her second summer at the institute.
“It was even deeper and more meaningful than the last,” she said. “2023 marks 10 years for the Summer Piano Institute, and it’s built such a beautiful community of alumni and friends, by this point. I returned in order to reignite those friendships and continue furthering my own musicianship. Moving into the second year of my doctoral degree, it provided a burst of inspiration that I can’t wait to apply to my upcoming recitals and research.”
In addition to Barnes and Xenopoulos, the faculty roster included Lambis Vassiliadis, Grigorios Zamparas, Solungga Liu and Kate Boyd.
“I observed them all in both teaching and performance, and their artistry resonated with me deeply,” Stiles said. “During the week, I received private lessons from Drs. Liu, Zamparas and Vassiliadis, and I gave a solo performance at the house of Manos Hadzidakis. Its history and intimacy have made it one of my most cherished places to perform.”
In addition, they took group excursions to the F.E.X. folklore museum and the Nestos River. They also had an Argentinian tango lesson.
“After the institute, I traveled to the Vlatadon monastery in Thessaloniki, built on the spot where the Apostle Paul reportedly preached,” Stiles said. “Afterwards, I had a layover in Istanbul visiting the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. The history and solemnity of worship in both cities was immediate. I’ve never been so awestruck by a place.”
Stiles said they were welcomed by the Greek students.
“Their camaraderie, tenacity and artistry are the heartbeat of the institute,” she said. “They are teaching me how to tell the truth on stage and in my teaching. Music is so much more to them than just a hobby. Even though we live on opposite sides of an ocean, we’re pursuing the same artistic tradition that is very much alive. It really is a miracle.”
Stiles said she wishes every student could have an adventure like this and hopes to return.
“There is something special happening at Summer Piano Institute, and I’ve determined to be a part of it for as many summers as I can,” she said. “One the first day of the institute, Professor Vassiliadis issued all of us this challenge: How can we help one another? How can we take our gifts and learning and turn them away from ourselves to benefit the world? This is the primary reason I recommend the institute with my whole heart. The world could use more artists like that.”
Xenopoulos said the SPI will continue.
“Summer Piano Institute will continue to exist as long as there are people who want to communicate through music without a competitive spirit,” he said. “If you enjoy music and piano as much as we do, we will always try our best to organize such projects in order to grow this family and share together our culture, our hospitality and our personal truth as human beings.”