Efficient Rehearsing in Chamber Music Ensembles: Insights into Mainz Ensemble Work
Date and Time
Location
About this Event
Mood
Venue Type
How Chamber Music Truly Comes Alive in Ensemble Playing
How does a rehearsal succeed in creating a shared musical breath from individual voices? On November 29, 2026, Stefan Besan on violin and Tim Düllberg on viola will provide insights into the professional rehearsal work of a chamber music ensemble. The lecture will take place in the chamber music hall of the Hochschule für Musik Mainz.
Between Precision and Musical Freedom
Efficient rehearsing means much more than the repeated practicing of individual passages. At the center are sound imagination, communication, articulation, and precise coordination within the ensemble. Besan and Düllberg convey how musical decisions are developed collaboratively and transformed into a convincing stage performance.
Experience from the Oxalis Quartet
Both speakers belong to the Oxalis Quartet, which was founded in 2017 at the Hochschule für Musik Mainz. The ensemble combines a passion for the literature of string quartets with intensive international concert and training experience. Recent successes include the special prize for the best interpretation of a commissioned work at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy University Competition 2024, the 2nd prize at the chamber music prize of the Polytechnische Gesellschaft, and the opera oblita prize awarded in 2026.
From Personal Practice to Collective Sound
In a chamber music ensemble, musical synchronization emerges through precise listening. Questions regarding intonation, balance, tempo, articulation, and nonverbal communication shape the rehearsal work. The perspectives of violin and viola provide a direct insight into the sonic architecture of a string quartet and the finely tuned orchestration within small ensembles.
Insights into the Work of a Quartet in Residence
For the winter semester 2026/27, the Oxalis Quartet was appointed as the quartet in residence at the Hochschule für Musik Mainz. Therefore, the lecture combines pedagogical expertise with concrete ensemble practice. Visitors will experience how analysis, conductor-like impulses, and shared responsibility create a viable musical dialogue.
Conclusion: Understanding Chamber Music Up Close
The lecture is aimed at musicians, music students, educators, and anyone who wishes to learn about the workshop of a chamber music ensemble up close. Those who want to understand how a focused rehearsal produces musical tension, clarity, and expressiveness will experience an enlightening afternoon in the chamber music hall of the Hochschule für Musik Mainz.
Official Channels of Stefan Besan and the Oxalis Quartet:
- Instagram: no official profile found
- Facebook: no official profile found
- YouTube: no official profile found
- Spotify: no official profile found
- TikTok: no official profile found
