Cellist Coleman Itzkoff on his Klein Competition Experience
Returning after his 2016 win, Itzkoff will serve as the competition's mentor and co-host with Klein Artistic Director Mitchell Sardou Klein
The Irving M. Klein International String Competition, produced by the California Music Center, is open to musicians between the ages of 15 and 23. Celebrating 38 years of championing the world’s finest young string players, the Klein International String Competition will kick off live at the semifinal round on June 3rd.
As the competition's official partner, audiences worldwide will be able to watch the competition LIVE on The Violin Channel.
We had the pleasure of catching up with cellist Coleman Itzkoff, 2016 Klein Competition winner, to gain insight into his Klein experience and advice he has for this year's competitors.
Congrats on your 2016 win at the Klein Competition. Can you tell us about your experience?
Thank you! It was ages ago, so I’ll have to dust off some brain cobwebs... My overall memory of that year’s competition was one of good vibes and a very warm, supportive environment, which is important given the general nature of competitions. This particular competition has a special family connection for me, as my Aunt Kris Yenney was briefly a student of Irving Klein, and my mother Heidi Yenney studied at the California Music Institute and actually placed 2nd in the 1977 competition (photos attached). I think I carried all that connection and history with me as I played my semi-final and final rounds, and it seemed to work out well!
What is your favorite aspect/memory from the competition?
One aspect of the competition that I loved was getting to know my hosts, Dexter and Kathie Lowry. They were lovely, welcoming me into their gorgeous home in a beautiful part of San Francisco, and made me feel totally at ease during what would otherwise be a very stressful period. We’ve kept in touch over the years, and will be reuniting at a dinner they’re hosting for all the candidates on the first night!
What further opportunities and performances did you receive after winning?
The Klein competition has a broad network, and really does feel like a family, so every time I have an event in the bay area, I see folks that I met at the competition. I even lived in San Francisco for a brief period in 2018, all because of a serendipitous meeting that occurred at a recital I was giving under the auspices of Klein. So in short, my participation in the competition was only just the beginning of a long partnership with this organization.
Did you have a mentor at the competition in 2016?
I did: the great and powerful Tessa Lark! Tessa and I sort of grew up together, attending the same prep program in Cincinnati for many years, so it was a sweet bonus to reunite with her and have such a wonderful artist shepherding us around and cheering us on from backstage. Love you, Tessa!
Each year, Klein commissions a contemporary composer to write a piece for each string instrument. What commissioned piece did you perform in your semi-finals?
This is one of the many fantastic aspects of this competition, I feel. In my year, we all played the same work by the Italian composer Giancarlo Aquilanti. I loved the piece, and actually ended up winning the commissioned work prize that year. Upon reflection, this opportunity to perform a brand new work helped inspire my passion for contemporary music, a passion that has since become integral to my musical life.
What is your role as a mentor for the 2023 competition? What are you looking forward to?
The mentors serve several functions. Before the competition, I’ll interview each candidate and introduce them to the broad Klein audience. During the competition proper, I’ll be offering any support I can, be it answering questions, acting as liaison between the competitors and the Klein staff, lending an ear and giving advice during their rehearsals, or simply grabbing them a snack when their blood sugar gets low! There is also a wonderful opportunity after the semi final round for us to all get together and have a little chamber music reading party, which, having grown up in a family of musicians, just so happens to be my favorite pastime.
How does it feel to come back to the competition as an alumni to serve the next generation? How important do you think this is?
It is an honor to be invited back to the Klein competition after all these years, and I love witnessing everything that the next generation of musicians is up to. I was recently browsing the Klein winners from years past, and it was remarkable to see how many of them have gone on to become the ‘who’s who’ of the music world. What a special thing it is to see the future leaders of this industry at these beginning stages of their careers!
What is your best advice to the competitors this year?
I’ll offer four pieces of advice for the competitors:
1) Practice slowly. This is advice I heard from my mentor Tessa Lark on more than one occasion, and it’s worth its weight in gold.
2) Get to know your hosts and the Klein staff, and have as many ‘human’ interactions and experiences as possible while you’re here. It’s tempting to want to silo ourselves off during competitions, but at the end of the day, music is about connecting with others, and the more connecting you do offstage while you’re here, the more you’ll connect to the audience and judges while on stage. I guarantee it.
3) Stay off social media during the competition. This may seem trivial, but social media tends to put us in a comparative mindset, which can be harmful for our mental health, especially in times of stress. Even though this is a competition, we want you to have as relaxed and positive an experience as possible, all so that you can share your unabashed passion for music on that stage, which leads me to my final point...
4) Don’t sweat the small stuff. Music is not about perfection. Competitions aren’t either. The judges won’t mind if you miss a shift or flub a run. What they’re listening for is your love of the music, your unique interpretation of that music... and if you do fall: get up, brush the dirt off, and keep going! To quote our dear friend Ludwig Van Beethoven, “To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable.”
Cellist and performer Coleman Itzkoff (2016 2nd Klein prizewinner) stands at the intersection of baroque/classical/new music, contemporary dance, and experimental theater. Whether premiering works by living composers and performing baroque music on historical instruments in the same concert, composing, arranging, or recording music for the Amazon film 'Le Baldes Folles,' Coleman continues to push the boundaries of what it means to be a musician of the 21st century.
As a soloist, he has made appearances with the Houston, San Diego, and Cincinnati Symphonies. He is a dedicated member of several ensembles, including the early music ensembles Ruckus and Twelfth Night, and is a founding member of AMOC, the American Modern Opera Company.
A graduate of Rice University, he holds a Masters in Music from USC, and an Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School.
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