Apparently Karajan "orchestrated" the video aspects of televised performances of the Berlin Phil. concerts. Members of the orchestra with non-German appearance were not shown(including James Galway).
This is outrageous! I don't understand the reason for not having the granddaughter of Feuermann sitting with the family and being included in the festivities of the competition other than unabashed racism. It is shocking that this still exists in our educated world, but obviously, not for some people. Marika, I am so sorry that you had to go through this, but you are handling it with the dignity of a "Feuermann"!
Thank you very much for this interview! I´m very sorry for what Marika Hughes had to go through... :-( Something more regarding Kronberg Academy, eventhough it doesn´t have anything to do with this specific case: I always had the feeling, and even experienced a couple of times myself, that this is NOT an institution which is open for everyone... but that it is a name-dropping instution which is open for those who have "the right connections" and "the right names" on the CV and recommendation letter(s)... actually I really had to laugh when in June 2018 I got some application-advertisement for this year´s cello masterclasses, because compared to previous advertisements of other events it suddenly included the following statement: "Every young cellist (born in or after 1989), regardless of his or her connections, can apply to take part." Well, I´m sorry to say, but I never had the feeling that they don´t care about one´s connections........ ;-) more the total opposite: f.ex. a few months before that advertisement they had the project "Chamber Music Connects the World"- the very first application criteria for that event was "a recommendation letter by a famous artist"... ;-) And if you f.ex. want to become a regular student at their Academy you: 1.) need to be recommended by one of their teachers... ;-) 2.) you should have "successfully" participated in one competition out of a list suggested by them or a similar one 3.) "ideally" you should have taken part in one or more projects organised by Kronberg Academy... (for which you usually needed to have recommendation letters...) ;-) I´m sorry to say, but due to such announcements and also due to my personal experiences in the past it simply doesn´t sound very credible to me that suddenly they claimed that "everyone can apply, regardless of his or her connections"... All of that is, of course, not the same as discrimination and racism. But creating such requirements for applicants is also a way of excluding people and therefore also quite problematic and critical... As discrimination itself has to do with excluding people... And I believe it´s not good when music institutions support such attitudes...
I could see Marika fighting to hold back her tears. Just terrible, terrible behavior and etiquette all around in some of these higher education areas that still encourage this kind of implicit(or in Marika's case, highly explicit) classism
Statement by Raimund Trenkler, founder and president of Kronberg Academy I deeply regret to hear that Marika Hughes felt hurt in 2002. We were delighted about her accepting our invitations to the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann in 2006 and 2010 and to have her as our guest there representing the Feuermann family. I am sorry for not having invited Marika Hughes as a cellist for artistic reasons. Now I am stunned at the accusations she is putting forward against me. I certainly did not set up the Kronberg Academy to put any people above others. Just the opposite is the case: 24 young soloists from 16 nations are studying at the Kronberg Academy. We feel highly committed to the humanistic heritage of Pablo Casals, Mstislav Rostropovich and Emanuel Feuermann. Respectfully, Raimund Trenkler
Herr Trenkler, please address Marika Hughes' specific accusations. In 2002 did you tell her that she couldn't sit with the family? Was this because you didn't want a black woman sitting at the front of your event?
Your behavior was unconscionable, and this response is circuitous, full of empty words, and evasive. Are you saying Ms. Hughes was barred from sitting with her family “as a cellist for artistic reasons”? If not, then please elaborate on your response by addressing the specific allegations mentioned in the video.
![Quartet Intonation [Part 1]: The Open Strings Dilemma with Paul Katz of Cleveland Quartet](/img/n.gif)
Wow... Thanks for sharing this!
Thank you, Marika, for describing Trenkler’s disgraceful, shameful behavior. And thank you, Paul, for posting the interview.
Apparently Karajan "orchestrated" the video aspects of televised performances of the Berlin Phil. concerts. Members of the orchestra with non-German appearance were not shown(including James Galway).
This is outrageous! I don't understand the reason for not having the granddaughter of Feuermann sitting with the family and being included in the festivities of the competition other than unabashed racism. It is shocking that this still exists in our educated world, but obviously, not for some people. Marika, I am so sorry that you had to go through this, but you are handling it with the dignity of a "Feuermann"!
So proud of you for telling this story of racism in the classical music world. Godnose it exists. You spoke for me.
The competition should be discontinued and something else should be done to honor Emmanuel Feuermann.
Thank you very much for this interview! I´m very sorry for what Marika Hughes had to go through... :-( Something more regarding Kronberg Academy, eventhough it doesn´t have anything to do with this specific case: I always had the feeling, and even experienced a couple of times myself, that this is NOT an institution which is open for everyone... but that it is a name-dropping instution which is open for those who have "the right connections" and "the right names" on the CV and recommendation letter(s)... actually I really had to laugh when in June 2018 I got some application-advertisement for this year´s cello masterclasses, because compared to previous advertisements of other events it suddenly included the following statement: "Every young cellist (born in or after 1989), regardless of his or her connections, can apply to take part." Well, I´m sorry to say, but I never had the feeling that they don´t care about one´s connections........ ;-) more the total opposite: f.ex. a few months before that advertisement they had the project "Chamber Music Connects the World"- the very first application criteria for that event was "a recommendation letter by a famous artist"... ;-) And if you f.ex. want to become a regular student at their Academy you: 1.) need to be recommended by one of their teachers... ;-) 2.) you should have "successfully" participated in one competition out of a list suggested by them or a similar one 3.) "ideally" you should have taken part in one or more projects organised by Kronberg Academy... (for which you usually needed to have recommendation letters...) ;-) I´m sorry to say, but due to such announcements and also due to my personal experiences in the past it simply doesn´t sound very credible to me that suddenly they claimed that "everyone can apply, regardless of his or her connections"... All of that is, of course, not the same as discrimination and racism. But creating such requirements for applicants is also a way of excluding people and therefore also quite problematic and critical... As discrimination itself has to do with excluding people... And I believe it´s not good when music institutions support such attitudes...
I could see Marika fighting to hold back her tears. Just terrible, terrible behavior and etiquette all around in some of these higher education areas that still encourage this kind of implicit(or in Marika's case, highly explicit) classism
The title or caption is misleading. If is was not the Academy that was being disrespectful. It was a personal rather than corporate matter.
Omg!
Daniel Davis
Statement by Raimund Trenkler, founder and president of Kronberg Academy
I deeply regret to hear that Marika Hughes felt hurt in 2002. We were delighted about her accepting our invitations to the Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann in 2006 and 2010 and to have her as our guest there representing the Feuermann family.
I am sorry for not having invited Marika Hughes as a cellist for artistic reasons.
Now I am stunned at the accusations she is putting forward against me. I certainly did not set up the Kronberg Academy to put any people above others. Just the opposite is the case: 24 young soloists from 16 nations are studying at the Kronberg Academy. We feel highly committed to the humanistic heritage of Pablo Casals, Mstislav Rostropovich and Emanuel Feuermann.
Respectfully,
Raimund Trenkler
Herr Trenkler, please address Marika Hughes' specific accusations. In 2002 did you tell her that she couldn't sit with the family? Was this because you didn't want a black woman sitting at the front of your event?
Well, Mr. Trenkler, what about this? What is your problem? How shameful and disgraceful!
Your behavior was unconscionable, and this response is circuitous, full of empty words, and evasive. Are you saying Ms. Hughes was barred from sitting with her family “as a cellist for artistic reasons”? If not, then please elaborate on your response by addressing the specific allegations mentioned in the video.
Right! Behind is not "below" -- it means: "go to that damn last row...".