Music without Borders International Piano Festival returns to the Gould Academycampus in Bethel for its 13th season, July 1-27.

Concert artist and master teacher Tamara Poddubnaya assembles aspiring young pianists from the U.S. and Europe for up

to four weeks of intensive study on the Gould campus, where they live and enjoy the exceptional practice and performance facilities offered at this All-Steinway School, in a

friendly community nestled in the mountains of western Maine.

The first two recitals for the general public are on Thursday, July 4, and Saturday, July 6.

Thereafter, regular public recitals are held every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, July 9 through July 27. All recitals are free and begin at 7:30 p.m. Programs are held in air-conditioned Trustees Auditorium of the McLaughlin Science Center on the Gould campus. No reservations necessary, but seating is limited.

Director Tamara Poddubnaya and Festival Participants Festival artistic director Tamara Poddubnaya is a distinguished graduate of the Rimsky- Korsakov State Conservatory in St. Petersburg. Much sought after as a master teacher, she also frequently serves as a juror at international piano competitions and keeps a busy schedule, teaching and performing in Europe and the United States, where she is Professor and Head of the Piano Department at the Long Island Conservatory, Albertson, N.Y.

Festival participants represent a truly international group. They may range in age from 10 to 30 and in recent seasons have come from Russia, Bulgaria, Turkey, the Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, and the United States. Many of them are destined for careers as concert artists and teachers and all have studied piano since childhood.

Several participants are Professor Poddubnaya’s students, while others have met her at master classes and competitions in the U.S. and in Europe, or have been referred to her by their own teachers. They enjoy performing for an audience – growing every season – of admiring area residents and summer visitors. Indeed, regular summer visitors often arrange for their vacation time to coincide with the piano festival. Over the years, Festival veterans have developed strong friendships with each other and with Bethel area residents.

A unique feature of Music without Borders is that all students have a daily lesson – sometimes two – with Poddubnaya and a personal practice piano at which they spend many hours each day. They perform several times each week during the public concerts, and advanced students present a solo recital during the final week. At the end of their time in Bethel, students will perform from memory repertoire which they will have begun to study only after arriving on campus.

For a list of festival alumni, facts about the program and the venue, occasional changes in recital location and times, and the latest news, including the announcement of Poddubnaya’s famous “piano marathons” during the final week, go to the website: www.musicwoborders.com.

Gould Academy – An All-Steinway School

Founded in 1836, Gould Academy is a coed college preparatory boarding school with 225 students. Gould is on the list of “All-Steinway Schools,” a distinction denoting that Steinway and Steinway-designed pianos are exclusively used in the school’s performance and practice spaces.

During the regular academic year, students participate in distance learning lessons with Manhattan School of Music faculty who teach via a high-definition video link with two on-campus studios. Visit the Gould website, www.gouldacademy.org , for more information.

MWB at a glance:

What: Recitals during Music without Borders 13 th International Piano Festival

Where: McLaughlin Science Center Auditorium, Gould Academy, Bethel

When: Opening recitals at 7:30 p.m. on July 4 and 6. Thereafter, at

7:30 p.m., every Tues., Wed., Fri. and Sat., July 9 through July 27, 2019.

Admission: Open to the general public at no charge.

Go to www.musicwoborders.com for more information and the latest Festival news.

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