Photos from Japanese Cellist SADAO HARADA'S Masterclass

It is fairly often that great instrumentalists turn up in Singapore and give masterclasses at our local musical institutions. In these pages, we've seen masterclasses by Murray Perahia, Leon Fleisher, Mischa Maisky and Yuri Bashmet. On Saturday afternoon (16 March 2013), it was the turn of the Japanese cellist Sadao Harada, who was from 1969 to 1999 the cellist of the famous Tokyo String Quartet. He spend two and a half hours working with three young cellists of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory. 

Huang Hsiao-Ling performed two movements from Boccherini's Cello Sonata in A major.

Unlike Mischa Maisky who talks mostly about himself, Mr Harada provides many practical performing tips to the young performers.

He listened intently to a complete performance of Debussy's Cello Sonata played by Thomas Marlin and pianist Low Shao Ying. In many ways, it was a gripping and very musical reading. 

Here, Mr Harada tries to describe the moonstruck demeanour of Pierrot in the work's 2nd movement. 

The master also demonstrated passages in Brahms's Second Cello Sonata for young cellist Cho Hang-Oh.

Here are some more practical hints on playing.

Not part of the masterclass, cello professor Qin Li-Wei tries out Harada's 1743 Guadagnini cello, as the master looks on.

The world's cellists unite: Qin Li-Wei (China-Australia), Sadao Harada (Japan) and Leslie Tan (Singapore)/