for dedicated musicians —
advanced students and professional singers, pianists and duos
24 years of teaching and artistic mentoring at Berlin University of the Arts and the "Hanns Eisler" School of Music
Interpretation is a process of discovering what a work makes possible. It draws on thought and intuition, takes shape through experience and relationship, and leaves room for an individual artistic perspective within the work.
Experience
Interpretation begins with the concept and comes alive through experience.
The words and music of a song give us its material, but they do not contain its whole world. They are the door through which we enter it.
The concept remains essential — it becomes lived.
Relationship
Interpretation happens between artists.
The relationship between singer and pianist is an essential part of interpretation — a continuous exchange of listening and responding, giving and receiving, leading and following.
Neither role is fixed. An impulse may come from either side; one may lead in one moment and respond in the next. Both remain fully themselves while becoming deeply attuned to one another, allowing timing, phrasing and expression to emerge in the moment.
Communication
When something extraordinary happens between the artists, the audience is drawn into it.
It becomes a shared experience.
Every song tells its own story — sometimes more than one — and calls for its own approach. The work provides the framework; within it, different perspectives and possibilities can unfold.
Discover the work — its language, music, structure, context and relationships. Move between detail and the larger arc, revealing new connections, deeper layers, and how they shape the whole.
Envision the situation in time and space, and let it unfold vividly through the senses.
Give musical form to what you discover and imagine — through phrasing, timing, colour, dynamics and articulation.
Bring these choices into the body, the voice and the instrument, so that they can be communicated freely and fully in performance.
Each piece opens a new world. Entering it deeply changes the way we listen, think and make musical choices. What happens in one piece stays with us, shaping how we meet the next.
Atelier
Send a recording of one piece for detailed individual feedback on interpretation and musical choices, or ask specific questions about it — €90.
Well suited if you are preparing at a distance, working independently between sessions, or would like to explore particular passages from a fresh perspective.
EnquireArt Song Lab
At the heart of each session is a specific question or musical phenomenon. Through listening, comparison and close observation, we explore the subject from different perspectives.
For singers, pianists, music students, and anyone who loves Art Song and poetry.
The date and time will be arranged once a small group has formed.
Register your interestNo VAT is charged (§19 UStG). Payment and cancellation terms are shared when booking.
About Liana Vlad
Liana Vlad is a pianist and Lied coach with over 24 years of experience working with singers, pianists, and art song duos. Her focus is on what makes a performance speak — how a piece takes on its character in the hands of a performer, and how that looks different every time.
She studied piano with Klaus Hellwig and Lied with Aribert Reimann, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, and Wolfram Rieger in Berlin, and completed her Konzertexamen with distinction. Her approach to the art song repertoire was further shaped by regular masterclasses with Irwin Gage. For twelve years, she also worked as assistant to Axel Bauni at Berlin University of the Arts, deepening her engagement with contemporary Lied repertoire.
She has taught at Berlin University of the Arts since 2002, with three years at Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media (2005–2008), and at "Hanns Eisler" School of Music since 2013. Over the years, she has worked with musicians from Europe, Asia, and North America, bringing together perspectives shaped by different musical and cultural backgrounds.
As a recital partner, she has performed with singers including Anna Korondi, Peter Maus, Regina Werner, Maximilian Schmitt, Olivia Vermeulen, Irina Jae Eun Park, Franziska Markowitsch, Shimon Yoshida, and Hanseong Yun, among others.
Her coaching is focused and workshop-based: collaborative, deeply rooted in the European art song tradition, and attuned to the full breadth of the repertoire.
Enquiries
Preferred session length and format — with a few words about your focus, if helpful.
Join the next Lab
The next Lab will be scheduled once a small group has formed. Register your interest to receive the theme, date options and preparation details.