"A musical experience that will change you as a musician"

The piano masterclass held in Madeira is a wonderful occasion to enter in contact with great
artists and work on your interpretation, in an international environment, with students coming
from different parts of the world, all in the frame of the beautiful island of Madeira. This
masterclass makes you more aware of what an interpret should work on when he wants to
present a piece to an audience, thanks to the lessons taught by great pianists. The students
show what they have been working on in the masterclass and perform in the final concerts
held in the gorgeous hotels of Cliff Bay and Porto Mare. This masterclass is an inestimable
occasion to improve as a pianist, surrounded by great professors and friends from all over the
world, united by love for music.

I have to say the master class in Madeira was an unparalleled experience for me. Many
interesting and touching things happened there.
Although the studying time was only a short week, but the daily task is relatively compact. In
most cases, it's two lessons a day. […]
At the end of the classes, we had two concerts, I was very happy that so many people came to
see our performance. In my case, I don't have many opportunities to perform on stage, it was
very valuable. Through this master class, I not only gained a lot of methods to play the pieces
better, but also made some new friends and saw the beautiful scenery. Thank you to everyone
who helped me and appreciated me during these memorable days. I wish this masterclass
becomes more and more successful in the future.

I have to say that I learned a lot from three such wonderful professors at this week-long piano
festival. First, I would like to talk about my professional feelings. Every day we have lessons
with three different professors. It was the first time I was able to have lessons with different
teachers in a short period of time, and I think it is a good way to approach a piece that the
teachers will have their own focus. Of course, there are times when teachers have different
suggestions for the same place, so we can learn to think about how to find a suitable way to
combine ourselves and the music.
Personally, as I am not a native English speaker, this is also a good way for me to speak English,
by making good foreign friends and having daily lessons with teachers.
Moreover, the concert at the end I felt was a good showcase for everyone's efforts throughout
the week and boosted my confidence.
Finally, I would like to say that I really love this island, Madeira. The island has beautiful
scenery, a pleasant climate and kind and friendly locals, so much so that I was tempted to stay
on the island. On this island, you can enjoy a variety of different landscapes,
unfortunately, the week was too short for me to take in all the sights and I hope I will have
the opportunity to visit again next year.
All in all, I would like to say how grateful I am to have had such an enriching experience by
attending this masterclass, and I am looking forward to being able to do it again next year!

This masterclass, besides all the corrections and opinions on the pieces given by the
professors, also helped me understand if what I and my teacher are doing is on the right path.
The masterclass provides opinions of international teachers, which is important at every level
on the piano, but particularly at the beginning. You can also watch other international students
play, that can have the same level as I or better, which is also important at the beginning of the
piano studies.
In general, I liked this masterclass very much, because the professors gave me opinions that
will certainly help me in my studies!

This masterclass has exceeded by far my daughter’s expectations. It was a unique experience,
being able to work with three teachers as well as the contact with other students of various
nationalities. It enriched her technique, interpretation and performance. In addition, I have to
emphasize the hospitality and affection of everyone who received us.
A special thanks to the Porto Bay (Hotel) Group for supporting this initiative and allowing the
pianists to show the results they accomplished during the week.

A very enjoyable experience, as a result of the combination of the beautiful landscapes and
nature of the island with my love of music. What I found the most fruitful and enjoyable was
getting to know people from different parts of the world, music connecting us all, and I hope
for more opportunities to do this in the future.

The AACMM masterclass was an enjoyable and fulfilling experience, made even better by its
location - Madeira. The island is stunning, accessible and magical. I felt that my playing could
take on new shapes and ideas simply because I was in a different environment to what I am
used to. This novelty is well worth the financial investment required to attend the course….
Overall, there was no shortage of camaraderie and I felt very connected and lucky to be part of
a great team of talented musicians. I would love to come back!