With extensive teaching careers, Wagner & Kong are dedicated to inspiring and educating musicians around the world. In working with soloists, chamber musicians and orchestral performers, building musicianship goes beyond developing technical proficiency and interpretive acumen, to acquiring skills and mindsets that are fundamental to both artistic and personal growth. Among these include critical thinking, self-evaluation, concentration, attention to detail, problem solving, analysis, effective communication, listening skills, teamwork, adaptability, flexibility, short- and long-term goal setting, leadership skills, perseverance, and poise under pressure.
As mentors working with students at all levels, the duo motivates performers to embrace their unique gifts, gain confidence in charting their musical journeys, and discover how music is a source of fulfillment, embodied communication, and creativity. Dr. Wagner is noted for his work in string performance injury prevention, as well as expertise in musician wellness and mindfulness. Dr. Kong is in demand as a performance coach for vocalists and instrumentalists, and her piano students have been prizewinners in national and international competitions.
In addition to individual lessons, masterclasses, and chamber and orchestral coaching, examples of specialized workshops/presentations include the following:
WAGNER
- Audition Mastery
- Musician Health and Peak Performance
- The Whole Body Sounds
- Leveraging Emotional Intelligence: A Cornerstone for Wellness and Peak Performance
- Injury Prevention in Orchestral Musicians
- Promoting Wellness and Performance in Chamber Music through Team Coaching
KONG
- How to Practice for Success
- Strategies for Coping with Performance Anxiety
- Chamber Ensembles: Everything You Need to Do Before the First Rehearsal!
- Baroque Interpretation
- Art Song Interpretation
Beyond their impact as music educators, they are gifted speakers who raise awareness of the connections between performance, nutrition, health, mindfulness, and sustainability. Christoph is a regular speaker at the Performing Arts Medicine Association International Symposium, has presented workshops at the International Society for Music Education World Conference, and holds certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Cornell University’s Plant-Based Nutrition program, Yoga Alliance, and the International Coaching Federation. Joanne is recognized around the world as a compelling and eloquent speaker who addresses how an elevated sense of compassion, spiritual oneness, and deeper connections to Nature and all beings are vital to bringing about positive world change. She is a noted vegan advocate www.vegansmakeadifference.com, and her TEDx talk, The Power of Plant-Based Eating, has over 1 million views on YouTube.
TEACHING FEEDBACK
“Dr. Wagner’s visit was a wonderful experience for our students! Not only did they have the chance to hear him perform a chamber recital with Dr. Kong, they also had the opportunity to work with him in many other capacities. Dr. Wagner spent time with the full orchestra, sharing some of his ideas on the repertoire and giving some tips on Beethoven performance practice. He also worked with students in a smaller group/sectional format. In this session, students had the opportunity to ask more specific technique-related questions and received guidance on how to practice and perfect difficult passages. The students gained a lot from Dr. Wagner’s visit and we hope that he will return again.”
Dr. Naima Burrs, Music Director, University of Richmond Symphony Orchestra
“Dr. Kong is AMAZING! She helps me to play more expressively and really make the music musical. She is a fantastic chamber coach, and under her instruction, I am really proud of the piece we put together. She also motivates me to practice and improve, and makes me feel valued as an individual.”
University chamber student
“We are so grateful you visited our school! The faculty and students talked for weeks about what a wonderful morning we had with you and Joanne. We were all highly impressed. The cellists (Grades 4-8) absolutely loved working with you, Christoph, and they incorporated your techniques into their posture and playing for the remainder of the year. Your ability to provide imaginative pictures allowed the students to easily apply the techniques you were demonstrating, whether they were beginning cellists or more advanced players. Your warm, encouraging presence and gorgeous, precise playing inspired them to improve their own playing. On top of that, the concert for all of our students in Grades K-8 was incredible. As the organizer of the event, I appreciated your flexibility to include our youngest students for a shorter time to fit their needs and schedule—they were delighted to be included! You shared pieces that were impressive, interesting, and diverse in nature. You also prefaced them with developmentally-appropriate introductions which allowed the students to connect more deeply with the music. Overall, the students and teachers were captivated by your playing. Several mentioned that they got chills (or goosebumps!) during your performance of Giovanni Sollima’s Il bell’Antonio. Finally, given that we are a Waldorf school, the students loved knowing that you, too, attended a Waldorf school and greatly enjoyed your personal stories.”
With gratitude,
Erin Zaremba
Lead Strings and Music Teacher, Corvallis Waldorf School
“I just wanted to thank you for profound, penetrating and detailed comments which are so very helpful to all who played. Yours was one of the best guest [piano] masterclasses here in the last 5 years.”
Dr. Dmitri Shteinberg
Piano Coordinator, Virginia Commonwealth University
“I want to express my appreciation to the music department [University of Richmond] for providing such a valuable experience for us! The chamber coachings significantly helped our group dynamic and our relationship with the music we are playing. Dr. Wagner created a safe space for all of us to freely explore new perspectives of the piece and rediscover our passion for connecting with one another through music. It also left us with a renewed sense of enthusiasm that continued in the following rehearsals when we were practicing without a coach. Simply, this was the best chamber coaching I have ever experienced!”
Esther Kim
University violin student
“Dr. Kong, I wanted to thank you for all you’ve done for me over the past four years. You have helped me grow so much as a musician, and I feel like I play much more expressively and with more confidence and energy.
You are also such an inspiring person, in addition to being an incredible pianist and teacher! You’ve had a huge positive impact on me.”
Mandy Zhou, University violin student
“Thank you to Dr. Wagner for once again supporting music through a variety of platforms by providing access to excellence in performance and teaching. The performance hall [at Castilllero Middle School, San Jose, CA] transitioned into a classroom and the students experienced his teaching which made an immediate impact. 48 hours later, Christoph was presenting a masterclass supporting our most experienced chamber musicians in the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra and showing our sold-out audience the depth we can go as artists while also presenting on health and balance to support our young musicians. Thank you to Dr. Wagner for finding ways to inspire us to be at our best in balanced and healthy ways.”
Scott Krijnen
Music Director, Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra
Rachel Davis, Strings Coordinator, Richmond Waldorf School
“I truly can’t stop thinking about how special your visit to our school was yesterday. Christoph, you’ve become an overnight celebrity here on campus, and the students have been a-buzz today recalling their brush with Cellist Fame! At our staff meeting yesterday afternoon, we started with a ‘check-in.’ Inspired by what we know will be a lifelong memory for many of our string students, we each shared a transformative music moment in our lives. You truly have made an impression on them, and who knows what you may have ignited!”
“Dr. Kong, I cannot thank you enough for everything you have done. I have appreciated every moment out of your busy schedule, every bit of knowledge and wisdom that you have shared, and every encouraging word. Most of all, I have enjoyed your inspiring presence and thoroughly believe that without your coaching, I would not be even the humble musician that I am today. It has truly been an honor to work with you.”
Joyce Bennett, University chamber student
“Dr. Kong, You have had an incredible impact on my life as a musician, and I would not be the singer I am today if it weren’t for you.”
Chelsee Woodey, mezzo-soprano
“I found Mr. Wagner’s session helpful because beforehand, I had not really thought about how factors such as our diets, sleep, and exercise can all affect how we play our instruments. I found the one-on-one lesson very effective because he emphasized the role that I play as a soloist in relation to the orchestra, which is very important for my piece (Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto). He also gave me detailed feedback on bowing strategies for a quick triplet section in addition to precise strategies on how to practice a complex quick fingering run with my left hand. Overall, I felt that it was very beneficial and found many things that I can implement into my practice.”
Katherine Stackler, cellist
“Joanne, you gave such a wonderful lecture at our RMTA [Richmond Music Teachers Association] event! Seeing the interaction between you and our members—you could tell everyone so enjoyed sharing these ideas and learning amazing insights into performance and performance anxiety.”
Jennifer Scott, Richmond Music Teachers Association Past President
From a string student parent, following a community strings Masterclass:
“Isadora says that Mr. Wagner was so fun and interesting, and even more thrilling than the Masterclass she recently got to attend with Yo-Yo Ma. His visit has been an inspiration to our family.”
Dr. Julietta Singh, Professor of English, University of Richmond
“Dr. Kong is very passionate with how to improve our quality overall, and help us create fantastic chemistry. She is an amazing coach.”
University chamber ensemble
“I enjoyed Dr. Wagner’s class because it was interesting to think about the many aspects of health that we need to take care of in order to perform well as a musician. I especially liked the idea of warming down after practicing and doing physical exercises before practicing to get your body in shape to play. I also found his chamber coaching beneficial. We worked on playing the first movement of the Dubois very precisely, in keeping with the overall tone of the piece. In the second movement, we worked on passing the melody between ourselves (particularly when Tim [Wen, saxophonist] and I have call-and-response bits), and I try to think about this every time we play this movement. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Wagner, and it was definitely a positive experience overall!”
Rilyn McKallip, flutist
“Dear Dr. Kong, I wanted to personally thank you for sharing with our audience of patients and staff the charm and talent of your gifted and poised [piano] students. I was able to attend the performance and was pleased beyond description. I can say that the mood of the holidays descended upon me that day, owing to the magic of the various performances. My best to you and those fortunate enough to strive under your tutelage.”
Wayne Fitzgerald, Arts in the Hospitals, Medical College of Virginia
“Christoph gave a fantastic talk on musical wellbeing in our Salon series, focusing especially on emotional intelligence and its role in musical performance and beyond (relating it to, for instance, performance in sports). There, he shared specific techniques that can help with nerves, as well as a chart that helps visualize all the extramusical elements that can affect performance. “
Dr. Stefan Greenfield-Casas, Visiting Professor, University of Richmond
“It was really helpful how she broke down the process of practicing into different steps and strategies. She made the distinction between practicing the basics (notes, rhythm) versus engaging with the piece while practicing, which is something I’m trying to utilize. I also really liked the exercise she had us do about staying focused on a particular emotion, which will help us keep the tone of a piece while playing it.”
Health & Performance Workshop, Lone Star College (TX)
“Dr. Kong, I just wanted to express again my deepest thanks for everything you have done for me over the years. Your constant support and understanding, desire to see me succeed, and assistance in guiding me through everything is so overwhelming that I don’t think I could ever thank you enough. I am forever grateful.”
Ly Phan, community piano student
“I had the pleasure of meeting with Mr. Wagner for private lessons during his visit. He was an extremely careful listener and very insightful. We had conversations about the character of the piece and what we thought the best way to convey that character would be. He also had me do quite a few exercises that were extremely helpful for my technique and which I am now doing in my own practice sessions. His session on Musician Health was also a great time for introspection and reflection on my own health in relation to music.”
Brianna Cantrall, cellist