Help Jimmy Berger Attend Aspen Music Festival
Donation protected
After a grueling yearlong recovery, Jimmy Berger returned to UT Austin to deliver a Master's Recital including “A beautiful and elegant Mozart Sonata in F, K. 533/494 and a superb, moving performance of the Schumann Davidsbundlertänze.”
Jimmy Berger, a 25-year-old classical pianist who grew up in Buffalo, New York, and now lives in Austin, Texas, is raising money to attend the Aspen Music Festival this summer.
Jimmy is a 2nd year master's student studying piano performance under the direction of renowned South African pianist Anton Nel at UT Austin and was recently accepted into the Artist Diploma program at UT to continue studies with Professor Nel, where he will be only the 3rd pianist ever admitted into this program. Prior to his studies in Austin, Jimmy completed a 5-year dual degree program at the Bard Conservatory of Music in upstate New York, earning a BA in Philosophy and a BM in Piano Performance. Jimmy has attended several prominent summer festivals, including the Chautauqua Piano Program and the Maine Chamber Music Seminar. He has won 1st prize in several piano competitions, including the Brevard Music Center, Claudette Sorel, and Nazareth College Piano Competitions. This week, he fulfilled a lifelong dream of being accepted to the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado.
“This acceptance was particularly meaningful to me because a little more than a year ago, I was unsure if I’d ever play the piano again. In the fall of 2022, shortly after beginning my master's program, I started to experience severe nerve pain in my arms, which prevented me from playing entirely. I saw countless medical practitioners, from orthopedic surgeons to chiropractors to neurologists, yet nobody could discern what was wrong. Frustrated but determined, I decided to take a year off of school. Thankfully, in January 2024, I fully recovered and returned to piano playing with newfound resolve. To my great relief, I have experienced no playing-related pain and have been able to continue my piano studies as I’d originally hoped to.
The festival consists of musical instruction by many of the world’s most outstanding performers in a famously idyllic natural environment. Pianists receive instruction through lessons, masterclasses, chamber music, and attending concerts by world-class musicians such as Lang Lang, Renee Fleming, and Seong-Jin Cho. It is an incredibly exciting opportunity for me–there is nothing else I’d rather do with my summer. I am sincerely grateful that anyone is willing to support me in my pursuit of becoming the best classical pianist I can be.”
-- Jimmy Berger
Jimmy must raise $11,00 to cover tuition, travel, room, and board. Neither he nor his family has the financial means to pay more than a small portion of the cost. All donations will go toward Aspen's attendance costs. Any amount is deeply appreciated. Please consider contributing to help Jimmy achieve his dream. Your support is crucial in making this dream a reality.
VIEW UT MASTER'S RECITALS:
Bard Recitial:
Organizer and beneficiary
Nicole Hansen
Organizer
Buffalo, NY
James Berger
Beneficiary