Popper Cello Academy 2026
David Popper: The Art of High School of Cello Playing and Preparatory Studies
Where technique and music unite.
Dates
17-22 October 2026
Location
Thury Castle, Vรกrpalota, Hungary
Participants
15 selected young cellists
7 countries
Where Technique Becomes Artistry
The first Popper Cello Academy brought together fifteen young cellists from seven countries for an intensive and inspiring musical journey at Thury Castle in Vรกrpalota, Hungary.
Rooted in the artistic and pedagogical legacy of David Popper, the Academy explored the relationship between technical mastery and musical expression. Popperโs รฉtudes were approached not merely as technical exercises, but as works of music filled with character, imagination and artistic possibilities.
Throughout four days of intensive musical work, individual lessons with three distinguished professors offered each participant the opportunity to develop their technique, deepen their musical understanding and explore their own artistic voice. The learning experience was enriched by thematic รtude Workshops, an Open Masterclass, ensemble rehearsals and shared musical discoveries.
Beyond the individual lessons, the Academy created a space for dialogue between generations, musical traditions and artistic perspectives. Working together, listening to one another and sharing experiences became just as important as the lessons themselves.
Performance was an essential part of this journey. The professorsโ concerts offered artistic inspiration, while the Academyโs final concert brought students and teachers together on stage, transforming days of dedicated work into a shared musical celebration.
More than a masterclass, the first Popper Cello Academy became a meeting place for young musicians united by curiosity, dedication and a love of music โ marking the beginning of a new chapter in the living legacy of David Popper.
Professors
Professors at the Academy represent the distinguished traditions of European cello schools, bringing diverse artistic perspectives and pedagogical approaches together on a common platform.
๐ญ๐บ Csaba Onczay
Professor Emeritus, Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest
A defining figure of modern cello playing, he has built an exceptional international career as both performer and teacher. He is the recipient of Hungaryโs highest artistic distinction, the Kossuth Prize, and has also been awarded the Liszt Prize and the BartรณkโPรกsztory Prize.
Professor Emeritus at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest, he has served as visiting professor at the Hochschule fรผr Musik Freiburg (Germany), the Oberlin Conservatory (USA), and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington. For fifteen years he was a regular guest professor at the IU Summer String Academy. Through his masterclasses and dedicated teaching, he has profoundly influenced generations of cellists worldwide.
๐ฆ๐น Martin Rummel
President, Bruckner University, Linz
A distinguished Austrian cellist with a broad international career. Since 2021, he has served as President of the Bruckner University in Linz, where he is actively engaged in shaping contemporary approaches to higher music education.
Alongside his academic leadership, he remains active as a performer and teacher, giving masterclasses worldwide and inspiring a new generation of cellists.
He has recorded the complete High School of Cello Playing by David Popper, offering a unique and comprehensive artistic perspective on one of the most important pedagogical works in the cello repertoire.
๐ฉ๐ช Tobias Stosiek
Professor, University of Music and Performing Arts (KUG), Graz
An internationally respected German cellist and pedagogue, he has built a distinguished career as both performer and teacher. He currently serves as Professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (KUG) and regularly appears as jury member at major international cello competitions.
Particularly close to his artistic work is the pedagogical legacy of David Popper. Through his innovative edition of Popperโs รฉtudes โ including bass accompaniment and harmonic guidance designed to support intonation and musical understanding โ he continues to develop new approaches connecting technical training with musical expression.
Pianists
The Academyโs pianists share a strong professional connection to the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and a long-standing collaboration with the David Popper International Cello Competition, bringing extensive experience in working with cellists to the Academy.
Zsuzsanna Homor
Pianist Zsuzsanna Homor graduated from the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where she later completed her DLA degree and currently serves as Associate Professor. A prizewinner of several national and international competitions, she has developed an active career as a soloist and chamber musician, performing in Hungary and internationally. Her first recording was released by Hungaroton Records in 2005.
Imre Dani
Pianist Imre Dani graduated from the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where he completed his DLA degree in 2026. In 2014, he won first prize at the 21st Johannes Brahms International Competition in Pรถrtschach. An active chamber musician, he performs in a wide variety of instrumental ensembles and is regularly invited as a pianist to international festivals and competitions, including the International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove, the Bartรณk World Competition and the Kodรกly International Competition.
Concerts at the Academy
Performance was an essential part of the first Popper Cello Academy. Throughout the week, the stage became a place of artistic inspiration, musical dialogue and shared discovery โ where young cellists experienced their professors as performing artists, and where the work of the Academy found its expression in music shared with an audience.
Three concerts, each with its own distinctive character, reflected the Academyโs artistic spirit and celebrated the enduring connection between musical heritage, performance and the next generation of cellists.
Opening Concert โ A Tribute to Franz Schubert
18 October 2026 | Tobias Stosiek, cello ยท Nataลกa Veljkoviฤ, piano
_________________________________________________________
The first Popper Cello Academy opened its concert series with a captivating evening dedicated to the music of Franz Schubert.
Distinguished cellist Tobias Stosiek and pianist Nataลกa Veljkoviฤ presented a beautifully conceived programme that reflected Stosiekโs profound personal connection to Schubertโs musical world. From the beloved Arpeggione Sonata to the intimate lyricism of Schubertโs piano works, the evening explored the composerโs extraordinary expressive range.
A particularly distinctive feature of the programme was Stosiekโs own arrangements for cello and piano, including the Notturno and the magnificent Fantasy in F minor. These interpretations offered a fresh perspective on Schubertโs music, reflecting Stosiekโs dedication to exploring its expressive possibilities through the voice of the cello.
Together, Stosiek and Veljkoviฤ created an evening of musical sensitivity, lyrical beauty and artistic exploration. Warmly and enthusiastically received by the audience, their performance provided a memorable and inspiring opening to the first Popper Cello Academy.
A Celebration of David Popperโs Musical World
20 October 2026 | Martin Rummel, cello ยท Imre Dani, piano
_________________________________________________________
Cellist Martin Rummel and pianist Imre Dani gave an exhilarating concert that became one of the musical highlights of the first Popper Cello Academy.
Their richly varied programme offered a fascinating journey through David Popperโs musical world, bringing some of his rarely performed compositions into the spotlight. Alongside the elegant Walzer-Suite, the playful Arlequin and Humoreske, and the expressive Adagio, the audience had the rare opportunity to hear both his Second and Third Tarantellas โ works of dazzling virtuosity and irresistible energy.
The programme also created a beautiful connection with the Academyโs opening concert through Franz Schubertโs music, including several of his songs arranged for cello by Popper and a sonatina arranged by Rummel himself.
With extraordinary technical brilliance, expressive richness and a remarkable musical partnership, Rummel and Dani brought the programme vividly to life. Their performance captivated the audience and was greeted with tremendous enthusiasm, making the evening an unforgettable celebration of Popperโs artistry and musical legacy.
Closing Concert โ A Celebration of Music Across Generations
21 October 2026 | Popper Cello Academy
_________________________________________________________
The first Popper Cello Academy culminated in a festive closing concert, bringing together young cellists, their professors and pianists to celebrate the musical discoveries and shared experiences of an inspiring week.
The programme reflected the Academyโs artistic philosophy: the connection between technical development and musical expression, the joy of ensemble playing, and the passing of musical knowledge from one generation to the next.
A particularly meaningful part of the evening featured two cello ensembles, both prepared and led by Csaba Onczay, who performed alongside his students. The younger ensemble presented Andrรกs Sebestyรฉnโs Seven Little รtudes, a work that beautifully embodied the Academyโs central idea. Each of its seven movements explores a different technical or musical challenge, transforming the study of cello playing into a colourful and engaging ensemble experience.
The more experienced students performed a contrasting selection of works, including three Brazilian pieces arranged for cello ensemble by Mathias de Oliveira Pinto (a former student of Csaba Onczay at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest), bringing further rhythmic vitality and musical variety to the programme.
Alongside the ensemble performances, the concert offered young participants the opportunity to share their individual artistry with the audience, performing works by Schubert, Faurรฉ and Popper.
The evening concluded with David Popperโs deeply expressive Requiem, Op. 66, performed by Csaba Onczay, Martin Rummel and Tobias Stosiek, with pianist Zsuzsanna Homor. Bringing the three professors together on stage, this final performance gave the concert a particularly moving conclusion.
More than a celebration of the Academyโs achievements, the closing concert became a living expression of its deeper purpose: music shared across generations, artistic traditions carried forward, and the lasting bonds created through teaching and performing together.
