Visiting Guest Artist Master Class: Annie Fullard

Lauded for her “gleaming artistry, bravura and sensitivity” (Cleveland Plain Dealer), violinist, Annie Fullard joyfully celebrates a life devoted to chamber music playing and is grateful for the deep collaborative bonds developed with students and colleagues throughout her multi- faceted career. A passionate leader in the field of chamber music advocacy and education, Annie views the empathy and connectivity of chamber music as a metaphor for the kind of communication that we should strive for between cultures and nations. Ms. Fullard is honored to embark on her new position as Director of Chamber Music, Professor and Sidney M. Friedberg Chair at The Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University and also currently serves as Distinguished Artist and Charles and Mary Jean Yates Chair in Chamber Music at The Robert Mc Duffie Center for Strings, Mercer University. On the horizon is a much anticipated book The Art of Collaboration: Chamber Music Rehearsal Techniques & Teambuilding co-authored with Dorianne Cotter-Lockard, PhD to be published by Oxford University Press. A founding member of the Cavani String Quartet, Annie has toured extensively throughout the US and abroad, including a residency with Juilliard Summer Arts in Shanghai. She and her colleagues are recipients of The Naumburg Chamber Music Award, The Cleveland Quartet Award (Eastman) and prize winning laureates of the Banff International, Fischoff, Coleman, and Carmel Chamber Music competitions. Described by the Washington Post as “completely engrossing, powerful and elegant” the Cavani Quartet’s artistic excellence, generous spirit, and their fervent ambassadorship for great music has placed them among America’s greatest string quartets. Quartet accolades include The Guarneri String Quartet Award for Artistic Excellence from Chamber Music America, Ohio Governors Award for The Arts, ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, and Musical America Magazine’s Young Artists of the Year. Summer program affiliations have included Kneisel Hall, The Perlman Music Program, Center Stage Strings, Encore String Quartet Intensive, Interlochen Center for the Arts Advanced Quartet Seminar and The Aspen Music Festival. She and her colleagues have been featured on NPR’s Performance Today and “Says You” and the short documentary film TOGETHER! Beyond Beethoven with The Cavani Quartet (https://youtu.be/BNesD1FBgAM).

Formerly Coordinator of String Chamber Music at The University of Michigan, Annie has served as a juror for the Washington International Competition, as well as St. Paul String Quartet, Fischoff, and Chicago Young Artist Chamber Music Competitions. From 1988-2018, Ms Fullard served as faculty and as a member of Quartet- in- Residence at The Cleveland Institute of Music where she and her Cavani colleagues lovingly directed, in collaboration with Peter Salaff, one of the country’s most well known and respected programs devoted to the serious study of chamber music. Program initiatives included the Apprentice Quartet Program, Intensive Quartet Seminar, New Quartet Project, The Art of Engagement, M.A.P. (Music, Art & Poetry) Program, and Chamberfest Workshop for adult amateur musicians. Ms. Fullard and her Cavani colleagues are delighted to have coached and mentored members (former and present) of the many of the country’s most acclaimed ensembles, including the Aeolus, Afiara, Attaca, Azuri, Biava, Catalyst, Daedalus, Dali, Ehnes, Fry Street, Harlem, Isidore, Ivalas, Jupiter, Linden, Maia, Miro, Omer, Telegraph, Thalea, and Verona String Quartets, as well as members of the New York Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, The Chicago Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, ECCO, A Far Cry, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, KINETIC and DeCoda. Recognizing the natural ability of chamber music playing to inspire cognitive and emotional development in children through empathy and interaction, Annie has curated chamber music residencies in communities and neighborhoods around the country and founded Friday Night Chamber Music for pre-college age music students. At the collegiate level, Ms Fullard and her Cavani colleagues have presented The Art of Collaboration Seminar: Coaching Strategies and Techniques-Building Empowered and Collaborative Teams by Applying Principles of Chamber Music Pedagogy at universities, conservatories and business schools around the country including the renowned Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. Ms. Fullard and her colleagues are former Artists-in-Residence at Cleveland State University, University of California, Riverside, University of Texas, Austin and Northern Illinois University. Ms Fullard has the honor of collaborating with some of todays most distinguished and innovative artists including Alisa Weilerstein, Kim Kashkashian, Tessa Lark, Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson, Josh Henderson, Itzhak Perlman, Stephanie Blythe, Sergei Babayan, and poet Mwatabu Okantah, as well as members of the Cleveland, Juilliard, Takàcs, Ying, Emerson, Borodin, Ehnes, Amadeus, and St. Lawrence String Quartets. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, she pursued additional studies at Yale University, and Indiana University. Teachers and mentors include Donald Weilerstein, Josef Gingold, Franco Gulli, Earl Carlyss and Peter Salaff. She plays an 1846 Vuillaume violin copied from Paganini’s Guarneri del Gesu “Il Canone” and is an avid Ella Fitzgerald and Beethoven fan. She promotes silliness as often as possible.

For more information, please visit cavanistringquartet.com.

This book, The Art of Collaboration, is an invitation for all who wish to cultivate a deeper understanding of working productively and joyfully within an ensemble, and elevate their level of artistic expression and performance. The concepts and techniques included help artists find their own unique vocabulary and tools to refine their music making process and learn how as a team to direct their group endeavors. The book offers a systematic approach to individual preparation for rehearsal, score study, planning, implementing a constructive and effective rehearsal, and the interpretive process. The authors address tension and conflict within groups, including strategies for working well together and creating a healthy environment for rehearsals and performances. Approaches are highlighted for research and discovery regarding the context, character and meaning of musical works and as well as cultivating vital collaboration with living composers. The final chapters include proven practical techniques, organized by their intended purpose for everyday use in rehearsals and teaching. Based on 40 years of rehearsing, performing, and teaching by the Cavani Quartet, the rehearsal strategies and techniques are deeply inspired by a community of colleagues, mentors and students, former and current. These essential techniques are designed to give each ensemble member an equal voice in the interpretive process while solving technical issues. Topics include cueing and breathing, rhythmic alignment and ensemble, intonation, sound production, projecting expression, strategic listening, and balance. The final chapter includes a capstone technique called LBAD (Live, Breathe, and Die) that heightens the connection between ensemble members through nonverbal communication.

Click here to view an e-flyer for The Art of Collaboration, or click here to view an image of the front and back covers. For more information, visit chambermusiccollaboration.com.

Recognized by industry leaders and top performing arts institutions, Chamber Music | OC’s Pre-College Program is the only pre-professional classical music training program of its kind in Southern California. Open to promising young musicians between the ages of 10 and 18, Pre- College participants will join Chamber Music | OC’s vast professional network of performers, educators, and community advocates while developing essential skill sets guaranteed to bring success both on and off the concert hall stage.

With four separate curriculum tracks, Pre-College participants curate the experience that best fits their needs and schedules. For questions or for more information, please visit chambermusicoc.org/pre-college.

Approximate Duration: 0:14

Program Notes: Rachmaninoff’s Trio Élégiaque No. 1 in G minor is a single-movement work filled with brooding intensity and sweeping lyricism. The piano introduces a haunting, sorrowful theme, soon echoed by the violin and cello in a rich, melancholic dialogue. Waves of dark harmonies and surging climaxes create a sense of deep yearning, while moments of delicate introspection offer contrast. The trio’s lush textures and expressive depth foreshadow Rachmaninoff’s later works, blending Romantic passion with a sense of elegy. Though brief, this trio captures a world of emotion, making it a striking early masterpiece.

I. Allegro

Approximate Duration: 0:09

Program Notes: Beethoven’s Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 1 No. 1 opens with a spirited Allegro, brimming with youthful energy and wit. The piano introduces a bright, playful theme, quickly taken up by the violin and cello in lively conversation. Dynamic contrasts and sudden harmonic shifts showcase Beethoven’s boldness, while intricate interplay between the instruments adds depth and charm. The movement’s formal clarity and rhythmic drive reflect Haydn’s influence, yet Beethoven’s emerging individuality shines through. This vibrant first movement sets the stage for a trio full of character and innovation.

I. Moderato

Approximate Duration: 0:11

Program Notes: Arensky’s String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 35 opens with a dark and expressive Moderato. Scored for an unusual ensemble of violin, viola, and two cellos, the movement’s rich textures and deep sonorities create a solemn yet lyrical atmosphere. The main theme, infused with Russian folk influences, unfolds in a flowing dialogue between instruments, highlighting Arensky’s gift for melody. Shifting between introspection and urgency, the movement balances warmth and intensity, setting the tone for the quartet’s deeply emotional journey.