Internationally acclaimed cellist visits ECU
Gary Hoffman gives recital, master class
Two current East Carolina University School of Music students and two music alumni had the chance to work with internationally acclaimed cellist Gary Hoffman in October, when Hoffman visited campus to give a recital and offer a master class.
Prize-winning cellist Hoffman and pianist Chloé Jiyeong Mun performed a concert on Oct. 21 at Fletcher Recital Hall. Hoffman then offered a master class for student and alumni cellists on Oct. 22. Both events are available on replay on the School of Music’s (SOM) YouTube channel. From ECU, both musicians left for concerts in Korea.
SOM professor Emanuel Gruber hosted the events, and said the recital was “beautiful,” and the master class went well.
“Gary Hoffman was pleased with the level of the students and would like to come back to ECU,” Gruber said. “His visit was a good experience for everybody.”
Gruber, a professional cellist who teaches cello and chamber music, teaches six students this semester in his cello studio, and teaches five chamber groups. Two of his students attended Hoffman’s master class: Kaila Phillips, a Certificate of Advanced Performance Studies student; and Jake Wood, a senior.
The Pirate alumni who participated in the master class are Hillary Flowers ’10 and Daniel Lail ’20. Flowers is a freelance cellist and private instructor while working toward her doctorate at the University of Southern California. Lail earned his master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music in 2023.
During the master class, the young cellists played a piece, after which Hoffman worked with them on sounds, the way they used the bow, and the way they held and/or moved their bodies as they played. Dr. Narae Lee, an SOM teaching assistant professor, accompanied the students on piano.
“Very well played, both of you,” Hoffman said to begin the discussion to one student and Lee. To another, “There are many beautiful things.”
Hoffman answered student questions about their performance and positioning, and gave recommendations to improve and enhance their work.
“The fact is, it usually comes down to simple stuff,” he said, helping one student with the flow of their arm on the bow. “This can be fun, too. Don’t be afraid to move.”
Visits from performing artists like Hoffman and Mun are one of the ways the College of Fine Arts and Communication offers incredible experiences to our students, enhancing their educations in addition to their degree curriculum.
Video clip of Hoffman’s masterclass
Hoffman, from Vancouver, Canada, has served as visiting faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia since 2021. He also serves as master in residence for cello at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Brussels, Belgium. He has gained international acclaim as the first North American to win the Rostropovich International Cello Competition in 1986. He has appeared as a soloist and with national symphony orchestras; performs in major recitals, chamber music series and festivals; and leads master classes around the world.
Mun was born in South Korea and began studying piano at age 5. She is currently continuing her studies as an Artist Diploma Student at the Barenboim Said Academy with Sir András Schiff, after studying with Professor Daejin Kim at the Korea National University of Arts from 2010-2020. Mun came to the world’s attention in 2014, at age 18, when she won first prize at the Geneva International Competition in Switzerland. In 2015, she won the Busoni International Competition in Italy. She has collaborated with leading conductors and performed with orchestras around the world.