History

I launched Copper & Cow in the spring of 2024 with twenty young timpanists from many corners of the globe, Lilian Genn from Vienna, Rainer Seegers from Berlin, Markus Rhoten from New York and Marek Stefula from Leipzig. After a fabulous week nerding out with a ton of copper and quite a lot of cow at Colditz Castle, I decided it couldn’t remain a one-off.

Having persuaded all the participants in advance to think beyond Krüger 45, Delécluse 29 and Beethoven 9…I thought it might be a good idea to complement the original Copper & Cow with a second, contrasting course, with its emphasis purely on audition repertoire. Thus, Copper & Cow Probespiel was born in autumn 2024.

So, from 2025, both masterclasses – the original Copper & Cow now receiving the epithet Unleashed – continue (with a little fine-tuning) in their original form, in the spring-autumn cycle.

See below what we got up to at Copper & Cow up till now:

Copper & Cow Unleashed

Copper & Cow 2024

Copper & Cow Probespiel

Copper & Cow Probespiel 2024

In association with Berliner Paukenwerkstatt Hardtke

Copper & Cow 2024

Rainer Seegers

Former Principal Timpani
Berliner Philharmoniker
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
Tutor of Timpani
Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin
Former Professor of Timpani
Zurich University of the Arts

Markus Rhoten

Principal Timpani
New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Tutor of Timpani
The Juilliard School

Lilian Genn

Tutor in Body Awareness, Embodiment and Performance
Musik and Arts University of the City of Vienna
University of Music and Performing Arts Graz

Marek Stefula

Principal Timpani
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Former Tutor of Timpani
University of Music and Theatre Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Leipzig

Copper & Cow Probespiel 2024

Torsten Schönfeld

Principal Timpani
Staatskapelle Berlin
Former Principal Timpani
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
Professor of Timpani
Rostock University of Music and Drama

Lukas Beno

Principal Trumpet
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra
Former Professor of Trumpet
Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts

Leonhard Königseder

Sport psychologist & mental coach
Tutor
Musik and Arts University of the City of Vienna
University of Music and Performing Arts Graz
Former Timpani and Percussion
Graz Philharmonic