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Anthony Netz
New York City native Anthony Netz, who holds a bachelor's degree from
Queens College and a master's degree from the City College of New York, also
pursued doctoral studies at CUNY Graduate Center. He is a former lecturer at
City College and Brooklyn College. A member of the Juilliard faculty since
1996, Netz also began teaching in the Evening Division in 2000.
When did you first know you wanted to be a musician and how did you come to
know it?
I attended Music and Art High School in New York City as an art major. My
homeroom teacher, Mr. Lawner, played the piano throughout homeroom period
every morning. I was overwhelmed by the music he played—Chopin, Beethoven,
Brahms—and I had to make it a part of my life. I relentlessly begged my mother
for a piano; at last, she gave in! From that point on, I knew that music would
be the center of my life.
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| Anthony Netz with his cats Natasha (on floor) and Colette, Christman 2002. |
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Who was the teacher or mentor who most inspired you when you were growing
up and what did you learn from that person?
My mother raised me on her own, from my fourth birthday. She was very
resourceful. From her, I developed a deep sense of responsibility and learned
from an early age to become self-reliant.
What was the first recording that you ever bought? What was its
significance to you?
Two answers here! The first recording I owned was a gift I received along with
my first stereo, a two-LP set of popular concert music: Gershwin's
Rhapsody in Blue, Concerto in F, and An
American in Paris, and concert music derived from
film scores (the Spellbound and
Warsaw Concertos). I played those two records until
the grooves turned white! The first record I ever purchased on my own was the
soundtrack recording of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel
. At that time (age 14), I was in the midst of a fascination with musical
theater, an obsession that naturally led me in a short time to opera. The
feelings of the characters in Carousel
(and the finer musicals in general) became almost tangible through the music.
To this day, I am transported by the opening bars of the "Carousel Waltz."
What's the most embarrassing moment you've had as a performer?
I was accompanying a choir in a fast, rather complex piece at a concert and
turned two pages at once. Complete derailment!
What are your non-music related interests or hobbies?
I am passionately involved in the animal rights movement and wish I had more
time to devote to it. I have a profound respect for animals: I do not believe
the Earth is solely ours and I do not believe that animals are here to be used
by us. I have been a vegetarian since I was 14 years old (as long as I've been
a musician!). I was very pleased when the Juilliard Greens asked me to speak
on the subject of animal rights in connection with the Earth Day festivities
they sponsored in April 2002.
What is your proudest accomplishment in life?
Beware of hubris! But I can say this: I consider myself to be extremely
fortunate. I find myself at the midpoint of my life doing exactly what I
always wanted to do. There is no distinction between my vocation and my
avocation.
What's the most satisfying aspect of teaching for you?
Teaching provides me with an opportunity to explore with others the richness
of the musical repertory, as well as its background and context. One of the
most rewarding aspects of teaching is presenting a corner of the repertory to
a student who was unaware of it before. To expose a sensitive and receptive
student to the sublimity of a Josquin motet for the first time is an
extraordinary privilege.
What's the most frustrating aspect of teaching for you?
There is never anywhere near enough class time to cover what I would like to
cover.
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