Pianist Alexander Djordjevic is known for his “formidable talent and technique,” “profound poetic sensitivity” and “elegant, expressive, yet powerful and electrifying playing.” The Washington Post has declared him “a constant infusion of original insight.” Gramophone Magazine proclaimed him “a fine young pianist.”
Alexander Djordjevic is recognized for his stirring performances of the late works of Franz Liszt. His CD, Gray Clouds: Piano Music of Franz Liszt, was the 2010 winner of the Hungarian Liszt Society’s 35th Annual Franz Liszt International Grand Prix du Disque. Alexander Djordjevic follows an esteemed list of notable pianists who have received this honor for their Liszt recordings including Vladimir Horowitz, Claudio Arrau, Alfred Brendel and Andre Watts. Mr. Djordjevic received the award and was featured in recital on the 199th anniversary of Liszt’s birth at the Old Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary. The Jury of the Franz Liszt International Grand Prix du Disque lauded Djordjevic for having “the key to the peculiar and meditative world of the works from Liszt's late years.”
Gramophone Magazine writes about Gray Clouds: Piano Music of Franz Liszt, “Djordjevic brings great subtlety to this well programmed Liszt Disc.” It goes on to write, “… Djordjevic's mastery and commitment are never in doubt. Listen to the first Elegie's carefully gauged climaxes, the subtle gradations in tone that help flesh out Nuages gris' sparse textures, the warm legato that embraces Romance oubliée's soft chords, or how the pianist imbues the Bagatelle ohne Tonart's grace notes with a convincing jazzy flair.” Phoenix Classical writes, “Through all of these works, Djordjevic displays a deep affinity for Liszt’s music, showcasing by turns their profundity, their thoughtfulness and their joy, and in every case transcending any limitations of technique. Gray Clouds: Piano Music of Franz Liszt by Alexander Djordjevic is a stirring collection of works from one of music’s most original artists.”
The Washington Post described Alexander Djordjevic in concert as, “an objective pianist in the sense that he remains always in scrupulous control of the music: Chords are immaculately voiced to yield the most minute harmonic changes; sonorities mix, hang around and then dissolve just when they should; and the musical line is scrubbed clean of artifice, clutter and distracting exaggerations. What then emerges is a constant infusion of original insight that freshens the music and makes even repertory staples seem new.”
A Fulbright Scholar where he studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg, Germany, Djordjevic was a prizewinner in numerous piano competitions including First Prize, Grace Welsh Prize for Piano; First Prize, Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra's Young Artists Piano Competition; First Prize, Chicago Artists Association Competition; Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition; Nena Wideman Piano Competition, Shreveport, Louisiana; and Union League Civic & Arts Foundation Piano Competition, Chicago. He was also chosen to participate in the Cleveland International Piano Competition; the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, New York; and the New Orleans International Piano Competition.
Alexander Djordjevic has performed as concerto soloist with the Central Oregon Symphony, New Philharmonic, Symphony of Oak Park River Forest, DuPage Symphony, Kankakee Valley Symphony, University of Illinois Symphony and Danville Symphony. Highlights from Mr. Djordjevic’s recent solo and chamber music performances include Symphony Center, Chicago; Academy of Arts and Sciences, Belgrade, Serbia; Liszt’s 199th Birthday Celebration Concert at the Old Liszt Academy, Budapest, Hungary; Phillips Collection, Washington, DC; Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, Chicago; PianoForte Chicago; Kosciuszko Foundation Auditorium, New York; Harold Washington Library, Chicago; Steinway Society Recital Series; Music Institute of Chicago’s Faculty and Guest Artist Series; 19th Century Club. Djordjevic has performed duo-piano recitals with Daniel Paul Horn, Mayumi Kikuchi, Brenda Huang, and Paul Barnes at various venues including PianoForte Chicago, Nichols Concert Hall, Wheaton College, University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), University of Louisville, Middle Tennessee State University, and University of Akron.
A Chicago native, Alexander Djordjevic began his piano studies at age three and made his debut as concerto soloist with orchestra at age twelve. As a Fulbright Scholar, Alexander Djordjevic furthered his piano studies with Russian pianist Vitaly Margulis at the Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg, Germany, where he was awarded the Aufbaustudium Diploma “With Distinction.” He also holds advanced degrees in piano performance and literature from the University of Illinois. His teachers have included Vitaly Margulis, Joel Shapiro, Gustavo Romero, William Heiles, and Ann Schein (Aspen).
He has released two CDs: Gray Clouds: Piano Music of Franz Liszt (2009), which features rarely performed late piano works of Franz Liszt; and Alexander Djordjevic Plays Scarlatti – Beethoven – Chopin – Rachmaninov – Liebermann (2000).
Djordjevic’s live performances and recordings have been broadcast on radio stations worldwide.
Mr. Djordjevic is on the piano faculty of the Music Institute of Chicago and maintains his own private studio.
"[Alexander Djordjevic] ... has the key to the peculiar and meditative world of the works from Liszt's late years. Djordjevic simply plays the sixteen pieces of different length without any kind of mannerism and with a poetic approach, finding the character and appeal of each piece."The Jury of the 35th Annual Liszt Ferenc International Grand Prix du Disque Hungarian Liszt Society
"...Djordjevic's mastery and commitment are never in doubt. Listen to the first Elegie's carefully gauged climaxes, the subtle gradations in tone that help flesh out Nuages gris' sparse textures, the warm legato that embraces Romance oubliée's soft chords, or how the pianist imbues the Bagatelle ohne Tonart's grace notes with a convincing jazzy flair."Jed Distler Gramophone Magazine
Gray Clouds: Piano Music of Franz Liszt is the latest CD release from pianist Alexander Djordjevic which features a variety of solo piano works from Liszt’s late period. Known most often for his great, powerful Romantic works (B minor Sonata, et al), Liszt was a master at smaller scale works as well, and many of these are beautifully intimate works which often feature great harmonic and musical invention. As with any Liszt works, these shorter pieces require a pianist of utmost skill and artistry, and Alexander Djordjevic brings formidable talent and technique to these works, coupled with a profound poetic sensitivity to the music. Gray Clouds features a number of Liszt’s “sacred” works for solo piano – the “Stabat Mater”, “Vexilla Regis Prodeunt” & “Sancta Dorothea” are among those on this collection, and Djordjevic gives each of these works a stately, yet reflective tone, bringing out their grasping for the Divine, while works such as the well-known “En Reve Nocturne” exude the spirit of Romanticism, and the incredibly original “Bagatelle Sans Tonalite” points towards the 20th century. Through all of these works, Djordjevic displays a deep affinity for Liszt’s music, showcasing by turns their profundity, their thoughtfulness and their joy, and in every case transcending any limitations of technique. Gray Clouds: Piano Music of Franz Liszt by Alexander Djordjevic is a stirring collection of works from one of music’s most original artists.Nick Peros Phoenix Classical
Alexander Djordjevic might be characterized as an 'objective' pianist in the sense that he remains always in scrupulous control of the music: Chords are immaculately voiced to yield the most minute harmonic changes; sonorities mix, hang around and then dissolve just when they should; and the musical line is scrubbed clean of artifice, clutter and distracting exaggerations. What then emerges is a constant infusion of original insight that freshens the music and makes even repertory staples seem new. Djordjevic's recital Sunday afternoon at the Phillips Collection traversed two of the most notoriously difficult pieces in the repertoire -- Mussorgsky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition' and Schumann's Symphonic Etudes -- and both benefited immeasurably from slower than usual tempos and his predilection for playing comfortably within his subtly precise technique. The Mussorgsky sounded almost civilized, and though the primitive Russian sweat the composer poured into this piece was missing almost entirely, compensations bloomed throughout -- a big sound that was opulent because it was always related to its antecedents, and a sure sense that every sonic picture was etched at the keyboard exactly as the performer envisioned it. Djordjevic pressed out unexpected colors in the Symphonic Etudes without braking momentum or fussing with the composer's linear design, and gamboled innocently but with gleaming elegance through Mozart's sunny Sonata in C, K. 330.Ronald Broun The Washington Post
In the first section, he attacked the brilliant runs, trills and scalar passages with confidence. Djordjevic's playing had glitter when this virtuoso display piece called for it, but he also showed the ability to evoke a deep emotional response in the consolatory theme of the slow movement. In the exciting finale, Djordjevic and the orchestra under [guest conductor Gregory C.] Cunningham kept the musical ball whizzing over the net to a brilliant conclusion. As a gentleman sitting nearby said to me, 'Well, that woke us up!' Many in the audience stood in appreciation at the end of the concert.The News-Gazette
Past Performances
Other works include:
BRAHMS: Variations on Theme by Haydn
Elaine Felder and Milana Pavchinskaya
MOZART: Sonata in D Major for Two Pianos
Inah Chiu and Sung Hoon Mo
Alexander Djordjevic and Gregory Shifrin
FRANZ VON SUPPE: Poet and Peasant Overture
Mark George, Ralph Neiweem, Gregory Shifrin, and Alexander Djordjevic
All are invited to this FREE classical piano recital of music loved by millions, performed in this new beautiful concert hall at Wheaton College. Parking is also FREE!
Whether you're new to the classical music scene, a piano student, or a regular concert-goer, we offer you a beautiful evening of great music. Come check it out.
Please feel free to share this event with friends! Hope to see you there!
This concert is presented by the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the American Liszt Society to share and promote classical music in our communities. For more information about our chapter or about the American Liszt Society, please visit https://www.facebook.com/LisztChicago and http://americanlisztsociety.net/
-Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23
-Waltz, Op. 64, No. 2 in C-sharp Minor
-From Preludes, Op. 28:
No. 20 in C Minor
No. 4 in E Minor
No. 15 in D-flat Major “Raindrop"
No. 24 in D Minor
-From Études, Op. 10:
No. 3 in E Major
No. 4 in C-sharp Minor
No. 6 in E-flat Minor
No. 12 in C Minor "Revolutionary"
-Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2
-Polonaise in A-flat Major, Op. 53 “Heroic"
No. 20 in C minor (Largo)
No. 4 in E minor (Largo)
No. 15 in D-flat major (Sostenuto)
No. 24 in D minor (Allegro appassionato)
3 Hungarian Folksongs from the Csik District, BB 45b by Bela Bartok
Etude No. 3 by Philip Glass
Concerto Pathetique and Reminiscences de Don Juan
Concerto Pathetique, Orpheus, and Reminiscences de Don Juan
Waltz, Op. 64 No. 2 in C-sharp minor by Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
Fantasia in D Minor, KV. 397 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Sonata in C Minor, Op. 13 -"Pathetique" by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23 by Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
In festo transfigurationis Domini nostri Jesu Christi by Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Impromptu (Nocturne) by Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Polonaise, Op. 53 "Heroic" by Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)
Frederic Chopin- Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23
Vladimir Horowitz- Danse Excentrique
Für Elise
Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor "Quasi una fantasia", Op. 27, No. 2, first movement
Performers include: Duo pianists Claire Aebersold & Ralph Neiweem, Alexander Djordjevic, Young Rising Star Andrew Guo, Daniel Paul Horn, Brian Lee, George Radosavljevic, Nicholas Roth and Aaron Stampfl.
Please join us to experience this event at the acoustically and architecturally magnificent Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston!
Tickets:
$15 General Admission
$10 for American Liszt Society Members
$5 for Kids 17 and under
FREE for Music Institute of Chicago Students/Staff
Tickets are available for purchase at LisztChicago.tix.com and at the door.
Alexander Djordjevic, piano
Vallée d'Obermann, from Première année: Suisse
Brian Lee, piano
Sposalizio, from Deuxième année: Italie
George Radosavljevic, piano
Sonetto 123 del Petrarca, from Deuxième année: Italie
Aaron Stampfl, piano
Tarantella from Venezia e Napoli
Andrew Guo, piano
I N T E R M I S S I O N
Aux cyprès de la Villa d'Este II: Thrénodie, from Troisième année
Daniel Paul Horn, piano
Les jeux d'eaux à la Villa d’Este, from Troisième année, transcribed for two pianos by Emil Sauer
Claire Aebersold and Ralph Neiweem, pianists
Après une lecture de Dante: Fantasia Quasi Sonata, from Deuxième année: Italie
Nicholas Roth, piano
Paul Barnes, pianist
Praised by the New York Times for his “Lisztian thunder and deft fluidity,” and the San Francisco Chronicle as “ferociously virtuosic,” pianist Paul Barnes has electrified audiences with his intensely expressive playing and cutting-edge programming. He has been featured four times on APM’s Performance Today and on the cover of Clavier Magazine and his recordings are broadcast worldwide. He has performed in England, China, Korea, Taiwan, Austria, Russia, Greece, Italy, Serbia, Hungary, and in all major cities throughout the US.
Deeply inspired by the aesthetic challenge of minimalism, Barnes commissioned and gave the world premiere of Philip Glass’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (After Lewis and Clark). The Omaha World Herald praised Barnes playing for his “driving intensity and exhilaration.” Nebraska Educational Telecommunications' production "The Lewis and Clark Concerto," a documentary/performance of the concerto featuring Barnes, won an Emmy for Best Performance Production. Additional performances included collaborations with conductor Marin Alsop at the prestigious Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and also the Northwest Chamber Orchestra where the Seattle Times called Barnes' performance "an impressive feat." The world-premier recording with the NWCO was released by Orange Mountain Music. Gramophone Magazine remarked that this recording is "certainly one of the most enjoyable recent releases of Glass's music...Paul Barnes is a shining soloist."
Orange Mountain Music also released Barnes' recording of his transcriptions from the operas of Philip Glass, including both the Trilogy Sonata and the Orphée Suite for Piano. Gramophone Magazine observed that “Barnes offers a surprisingly expressive reading…. Atmosphere and rhythmic vitality are important, and these qualities Barnes has in abundance.” The American Record noted that "Barnes is an expressive pianist with a lovely tone and a flair for the dramatic." New York critic Joseph Dalton described Barnes' playing of the Glass transcriptions as "atmospheric and elegant," while San Francisco critic Michael McDonagh hailed Barnes' performance as "remarkably effective, highly expressive.” The Trilogy Sonata and the Orphée Suite for Piano are published by Chester Music of London and are available at sheetmusicplus.com. Barnes’ eleventh CD The American Virtuoso featuring the music of Philip Glass, Samuel Barber, and Joan Tower was released on Orange Mountain Music to much critical acclaim. The American Record Guide wrote, "Another fine release from the amazing pianist Paul Barnes...with a pianist like this, new American music is in good hands."
Barnes also serves as head chanter at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Lincoln where his fascination with Byzantine chant led to a commissioned piano concerto "Ancient Keys" written by Victoria Bond based on a Greek chant. The world-premier recording of this concerto as well as Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue was released on Albany Records.
With performances throughout Europe, the Near East, the Far East, and the U.S., Barnes' unique lecture/recitals have received international acclaim. Liszt and the Cross: Music as Sacrament in the B Minor Sonata explores the fascinating relationship between music, theology, and the Orthodox icon. Barnes' live recording of this lecture recital was recently released on the Liszt Digital label. The British Society Newsletter reviewed the recording and wrote that Barnes was “a fine pianist and gives us a performance of resounding conviction.” Clavier Magazine wrote "It is a majestic, reverential performance that elevates listeners to the sacred experience Barnes so eloquently describes in the lecture."
Barnes is Marguerite Scribante Professor of Music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Glenn Korff School of Music. He teaches during the summer at the Vienna International Piano Academy and also coaches the students of Menahem Pressler, Barnes' own teacher, at Indiana University where Barnes received his doctorate in Piano Performance. In great demand as a pedagogue and clinician, Barnes has served as convention artist at several state MTNA conventions and was recently named ‘Teacher of the Year” by the Nebraska Music Teachers Association. Barnes also teaches and performs regularly at the famed Amalfi Coast Festival in Italy.
Upcoming projects include the release of Barnes’ twelfth CD: New Generations: The New Etudes of Philip Glass and Music of the Next Generation. Produced by Glass’s label Orange Mountain Music, the recording features a selection of Glass’s etudes juxtaposed with works by N. Lincoln Hanks, Lucas Floyd, Ivan Moody, Jason Bahr, Zack Stanton, and Jonah Gallagher. The sonic result is a breathtaking panorama of the energetic and expressive landscape that is twenty-first century piano music. Barnes has already performed the recital version of New Generations in Los Angeles, Seoul, and New York and is touring the US with the program during the 2015-16 season. Barnes will perform and lecture on New Generations at the Konservatorium Wien in June of 2015.
In celebration of twenty years of collaboration, Barnes is also commissioning Philip Glass to write a piano quintet to be premiered with the Chiara Quartet in September of 2016 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln. Barnes’ recordings are available on Pandora, ITunes, YouTube, and Amazon.
Alexander Djordjevic, pianist
Alexander Djordjevic is known for his "formidable talent and technique," "profound poetic sensitivity" and "elegant, expressive, yet powerful and electrifying playing." The Washington Post has declared him "a constant infusion of original insight." Gramophone Magazine proclaimed him "a fine young pianist."
Alexander Djordjevic has also been recognized for his stirring recordings of the late works of Franz Liszt. Djordjevic's CD, Gray Clouds: Piano Music of Franz Liszt, was the 2010 recipient of the Hungarian Liszt Society's 35th Annual Franz Liszt International Grand Prix du Disque. Alexander Djordjevic follows an esteemed list of notable pianists who have received this honor for their Liszt recordings including Vladimir Horowitz, Claudio Arrau, Alfred Brendel and Andre Watts, among others. Mr. Djordjevic received the award and performed a recital on the 199th anniversary of Liszt's birth at the Old Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary. The Jury of the Liszt Ferenc International Grand Prix du Disque lauded Djordjevic for having "the key to the peculiar and meditative world of the works from Liszt's late years."
Gramophone Magazine writes about Gray Clouds: Piano Music of Franz Liszt, "Djordjevic brings great subtlety to this well programmed Liszt Disc." It goes on to write, "... Djordjevic's mastery and commitment are never in doubt. Listen to the first Elegie's carefully gauged climaxes, the subtle gradations in tone that help flesh out Nuages gris' sparse textures, the warm legato that embraces Romance oubliée's soft chords, or how the pianist imbues the Bagatelle ohne Tonart's grace notes with a convincing jazzy flair." Phoenix Classical writes, "Through all of these works, Djordjevic displays a deep affinity for Liszt's music, showcasing by turns their profundity, their thoughtfulness and their joy, and in every case transcending any limitations of technique. Gray Clouds: Piano Music of Franz Liszt by Alexander Djordjevic is a stirring collection of works from one of music's most original artists."
The Washington Post described Alexander Djordjevic in concert as, "an objective pianist in the sense that he remains always in scrupulous control of the music: Chords are immaculately voiced to yield the most minute harmonic changes; sonorities mix, hang around and then dissolve just when they should; and the musical line is scrubbed clean of artifice, clutter and distracting exaggerations. What then emerges is a constant infusion of original insight that freshens the music and makes even repertory staples seem new."
In addition to being named a Fulbright Scholar where he studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg, Germany, Djordjevic was a prizewinner in numerous piano competitions including First Prize, Grace Welsh Prize for Piano; First Prize, Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra's Young Artists Piano Competition; First Prize, Chicago Artists Association Competition; Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition; Nena Wideman Piano Competition, Shreveport, Louisiana; and Union League Civic & Arts Foundation Piano Competition, Chicago. He was also chosen to participate in the Cleveland International Piano Competition; the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, New York; and the New Orleans International Piano Competition.
Alexander Djordjevic has performed as concerto soloist with the Central Oregon Symphony, New Philharmonic, Symphony of Oak Park River Forest, DuPage Symphony, Kankakee Valley Symphony and Danville Symphony. Mr. Djordjevic's solo recital performances have included the Academy of Arts and Sciences, Belgrade, Serbia; the Phillips Collection, Washington, DC; the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, Chicago, Illinois; PianoForte Chicago including Schubertiade Chicago; the Harold Washington Library, Chicago, Illinois; the Steinway Society Recital Series; Music Institute of Chicago's Faculty and Guest Artist Series; the 19th Century Club; the Kosciuszko Foundation Auditorium, New York; the Old Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest, Hungary; and various performances in Germany. Djordjevic has performed duo-piano recitals with Dr. Daniel Paul Horn, Dr. Mayumi Kikuchi, and Brenda Huang at various venues including PianoForte Chicago, Nichols Concert Hall, Wheaton College, University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), University of Louisville, Middle Tennessee State University, and University of Akron.
Born in Chicago, Alexander Djordjevic began his piano studies at age three and made his debut as concerto soloist with orchestra at age twelve. As a Fulbright Scholar, Alexander Djordjevic furthered his piano studies with the Russian pianist and pedagogue Vitaly Margulis at the Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg, Germany, where he was awarded the Aufbaustudium Diploma "With Distinction." He studied piano under full scholarship at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) where he earned his Undergraduate and Master's degrees and completed his Doctoral coursework. His teachers have included Vitaly Margulis, Joel Shapiro, Gustavo Romero, William Heiles, and Ann Schein (Aspen).
He has released two CDs: Gray Clouds: Piano Music of Franz Liszt (2009), which features rarely performed late piano works of Franz Liszt; and Alexander Djordjevic Plays Scarlatti - Beethoven - Chopin - Rachmaninov - Liebermann (2000).
Mr. Djordjevic is also highly regarded as a piano teacher. He is currently on the piano faculty at the Music Institute of Chicago and College of DuPage, and is the president of the Chicago/Midwest chapter of the American Liszt Society. For more information, visit www.AlexanderDjordjevic.com.
II. Act III Conclusion from Satyagraha
III. Dance from Act II Scene III of Akhnaten
Arranged and performed by Paul Barnes
From Orphée Suite for Piano (2000)
II. Orphée’s Bedroom
IV. Orphée and the Princess
Arranged and performed by Paul Barnes
From Piano Concerto No. 2 (After Lewis and Clark) (2004)
III. The Land
Arranged and performed by Paul Barnes
From The Complete Piano Etudes (1991-2012)
Etude 11
Etude 20
Performed by Paul Barnes
Etude 5
Etude 6
Performed by Alexander Djordjevic
Four Movements for Two Pianos (2008)
Performed by Paul Barnes and Alexander Djordjevic
Booking & General Inquiries
Bryson Artist Management
Linda Bryson - bryson.artist.management@gmail.comContact Alexander
Alexander Djordjevic is a performing classical pianist who teaches private lessons to students of all ages at his personal studio in Park Ridge, Illinois and at the Music Institute of Chicago in Winnetka. Besides having earned advanced degrees in piano performance and literature from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) and the Freiburg Hochschule für Musik (Germany), Mr. Djordjevic is a Fulbright Scholar who was the winner of numerous piano competitions. He frequently performs as a recitalist and concerto soloist, and has an extensive background in accompanying and chamber music. His performances have been broadcast on classical radio stations across the country. He has taught master classes and has judged regional and international piano competitions.
These experiences greatly contribute to his expertise as a teacher. Having taught professionally since 1992, Djordjevic has taught piano at the University of Illinois, Northern Illinois University, College of DuPage, Wheaton College, University of Notre Dame, Benedictine University, Elgin Community College, and at the Music Institute of Chicago. His studio consists of children, adolescents, college students and adults.
Alexander Djordjevic helps students of all ages become successful, confident, highly trained pianists. His comprehensive approach to teaching covers such topics as music theory, sight reading, transposition, ear training, and piano technique, as well as learning to play music for pure enjoyment. His students continue to win prizes in competitions and are regularly accepted into the nation’s top music colleges.
Please contact Mr. Djordjevic with any questions about lessons and to schedule an interview.