About Prof. Babayan (1)

胡瀞云的恩師，Sergei Babayan教授不僅是活躍於世界舞台的鋼琴家，也是一位熱衷教學的教育家。近年來，他指導的學生分別在各大比賽皆拿下非常亮眼的成績，包括台灣之光胡瀞云、獲得2011年柴可夫斯基鋼琴大賽首獎得主Danill Trifonov(同時也是2010年蕭邦鋼琴大賽三獎得主與2011魯賓斯坦鋼琴大賽首獎)。

Mr. Sergei Babayan, the teacher of Ms Ching-Yun Hu is not only an acclaimed pianist but an instructor enthusiastic for teaching. In recent years, his pupils received prizes in various international piano competitions, including Ms Ching-Yun Hu and Danill Trifonov, First Prize winner of 2011 Tchaikovsky Competition, Third Prize winner of 2010 International Chopin Piano Competition, and First Prize winner of 2011 Arthur Rubinstein Competition.

他自1996年起，於克里夫蘭音樂院(CIM)成立了密集訓練式的暑期音樂營─”International Piano Academy”(“國際鋼琴學院”)，每年僅錄取八名學生，這些學生在為期兩個禮拜的課程裡，會有六堂個別課，並在課程結束時參與馬拉松式獨奏會演出。

He established the Sergei Babayan International Piano Academy at the Cleveland Institute of Music in 1996. Only eight students will be accepted by the academy every year. Each one of them will have 6 lessons by Mr. Babayan as well as performs in a marathon recital at the end of the course.

Babayan教授特別在其官方網頁留下了這番話：
“我相信藝術家為了持續追求完美表現與最高的藝術性是必須以非常狂熱的方式來生活與工作的。我希望能夠幫助學生懂得如何非常專注地來達成他們自身最渴切的目標，即使這需要花上非常多時間。這種同時著重藝術表現與個人特質的理念承襲自我的老師們，也就是俄羅斯學派的大師們，包括Vera Gornostaeca, Lev Naumov 與 Mikhail Pleatnev。非常期待這個暑假能與學生分享我這一路追求藝術的歷程。”

Mr. Babayan has left these words for students on the official website of the academy:

"I believe that artists must live and work at a fever-pitch in the incessant pursuit of ideal beauty and the highest degree of artistry. My hope is to inspire students to focus intensely on a single facet of the music, for hours if necessary, in their 'search for the fire-bird.' This way of searching together for artistic expression and individuality has evolved from the great traditions in the Russian school of my teachers - Vera Gornostaeva, Lev Naumov and Mikhail Pletnev. I look forward to sharing this journey towards artistry this summer."

由這番話，我們便能理解Babayan演奏中那份驚人的能量與萬般細節是來自這般對藝術的熱情與執著。我們也能想見「云想音樂節」大師班將帶給台灣學子如何巨大的啟發。以下放上兩則Babayan彈奏Rachmaninoff的精彩錄音，先聞其俄式風采：

These words completely reveals why Mr. Babayan’s playing is always full of energy and details. Here are two clips played by Mr. Babayan on Youtube. Let’s hear the original taste of Russian School mentioned above.