‘I had to give ten encores in succession’: From the archive: March 1903

Miss Hall waxes enthusiastic as she speaks of her work in the Bohemian capital. “Oh, Sevcik is undoubtedly the greatest teacher living, and I want everyone to know how much I owe to him.”

I remark that the young artist must have been talented to have accomplished in so short a time what Kubelik and Kocian spent years in achieving.

“Well, Professor Sevcik said that he had never had a pupil who worked so quickly, but I worked hard – ten hours a day. During my study time I played at eight concerts in Prague and was always well received, and after my performance of Ernst’s Concerto at the final concert of the Conservatorium received twenty-five recalls. My lesson lasted sometimes as long as four hours, but the professor is so kind and takes so much interest in his pupils that I enjoyed every minute of them. He is very strict with his pupils too, though now I consider him more as a friend than a master. His system is certainly unique.”…