Something all my teachers had in common was the ability to suggest the right pieces at the right time. For me, a good teacher is someone who realises that there is not just one way to do things, but that every student is unique. My first teacher, when I was four, was Christa Uhlstein. She taught me to love music. And when it became evident that I had talent, she gave me a lot of support with several lessons a week. When I was eleven I was a boarding student at what was then called the Spezialschule für Musik Dresden, a high school specialising in music. My teacher Roland Eitrich took me back to playing only open strings. It was a hard time but I’m very thankful for it. He gave me a new approach to the instrument and helped me to loosen up my muscles and play in a natural way. When I was 17 I went to study with Werner Scholz at Berlin’s Hanns Eisler Hochschule. At that stage, I had a lot of doubts about my playing and he managed to make me believe in myself. And as I could sometimes be unfocused, he helped me ignite my ambition. A very focused concentration is essential to our job as musicians, and I try to instil this in my students today.
Antje Weithaas in 1987– 88 with her teacher Werner Scholz in Berlin
MAIN PHOTO CREDIT KAUPO KIKKAS