We caught up with the violinist to learn more about the impressive endeavor!

You’ve recently started a groundbreaking project with the British recording label Orchid Classics to release a significant amount of live recordings over the coming years, covering a wide range of the violin repertoire. Can you tell us about this and how it came together?

The idea about bringing out my Live-Recordings is one I’ve had for many years, but my management team didn’t have the capacity and time for such a big project, as we work a lot on social media, YouTube, and my online-lessons platform. These projects are growing very fast and need lots of time and attention.

So I was very happy to meet Matthew Trusler from Orchid Classics, who has the perfect team and knowledge about the audio streaming and CD Market. Now, we work closely together with companies like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, YouTube Music, and many others.

Where did the inspiration behind this very big idea come from?

After my concerts, many people from the audience have told me that they would love to have a recording of the concert they just attended. I always wanted to share my music with a wide range of audiences so that is how this idea came about!

How many recordings are you anticipating in total and how do you see the rollout of these releases?

So far, we have around 40 recordings ready for release and for now, we are bringing out a new album every month. For the next 3 years, the schedule is done☺

What’s so special for you about live recordings, as opposed to ones made in the studio?

Live recordings have always a different touch and musical flow, as these concerts are recorded live. There is just this one version of this moment and concert! Also feeling the audience in the hall and hearing the applause at the end of the concerto or recital makes the listener feel that he was part of this particular concert.

How have you managed a project of this size?  

Yes, we have mostly about four to five projects at the same time with my team and we are used to working to our limits and enjoy the feeling when everything works out as we planned.

To date, you’ve released Mendelssohn, Scottish Fantasy, and most recently, Tchaikovsky. What else will be coming out this year?

The next Albums will be Violin Duos with my dear friend Julia Fischer, a Paris Recital with my sister Alexandra at the piano, Dvorak Quartet live from the Kaposvar Festival in Hungary, Mozart Violin Concertos, Astor Piazzolla Four Seasons, Schubert & Mozart Rondos and many more.

Do you have any favorites you are most excited about?

Yes, the Violin Duos recording with Julia Fischer. We had the idea of recording something since we first played together many years ago. And finally, we managed to find the right time, spot, and repertoire!

Why is discography so important to you and what are you hoping to achieve with this project?

Discography is like a personal statement, featuring special moments of music-making in magical places around the world. It is such a great feeling to be able to share these moments with my audience and music lovers from all the continents of our world.

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Violinist Miranda Cuckson on the Stimulation of Collaborating with Artists of Different Genres

In first grade, my class was asked to make human figures from colored paper to illustrate what we wanted to do when we grew up.

Enthusiastically, I made three figures and called them a violinist, a writer, and a poet.

I remember drawing and cutting out the figures and outfitting them with clothes and violin and bow, paper and pens.

I had recently begun playing violin and had just written my first short story.

I grew up in a house filled with music and my own life has been centered around music since my pre-teens.

Music is the most mysterious of the arts, sound being invisible yet highly physical, its emotional impact obvious yet its meaning hugely subjective.

Music is made of materials and tools - sounds, rhythms, time, silence, volume - which together communicate and move us in ways we can never totally define.

Since childhood, I’ve kept up writing of various sorts and always been immersed in all the arts, taking in performances, movies, books, visual art, and learning about the artists.

In recent years, I’ve had opportunities to collaborate with a number of wonderful choreographers/dancers, poets/speakers, and visual artists. In my experiences collaborating with, or creating in, different genres, I’ve found it thrilling to combine the bodily senses and steer the imagination to less familiar pathways.

Sometimes artists in other genres work in ways that go on tangents or are more circuitous than I’m used to, and that can be stimulating.

I think what has most intrigued me and affected my work is how blended the art forms actually are.

When we think of putting art forms together, we of course think of opera, or dancing to music, or film with music.

Or we think of musical compositions specifically inspired by another artwork, say a painting or poem.

Besides the ways in which the genres can enhance or inspire each other, I’ve been fascinated exploring the aspects they share.

For instance, playing music involves physical qualities of dance: in the movements we make in response to the music, in playing our instruments and in performing or communicating with others.

Dance is related to acting, in the embodiment of motivations, desires, the gamut of emotions.

Both acting and dance involve a musical kind of phrasing, of timing and inflections.

In music, a performer takes on roles like an actor: I often think of the composer as the playwright whose personality permeates the work, and the composition as the various characters, and maybe narrative, in the play.

Musical composition also can be analogous to ideas in visual art: the use of space/time, repetition, perspective, and so on.

When I study a piece of composed music, I sometimes visualize it as a painting or sculpture, and when I write about music, I go back and forth between the verbal and musical, grappling with the specificities and ambiguities in either genre.

When I’m playing music, sometimes I think of myself an actor or dancer to connect more deeply with the humanity expressed in the sounds.

-Miranda

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A “visionary and tremendously talented artist” (Sequenza21), Miranda Cuckson is a highly sought-after performer, delighting audiences with her performances of music ranging from older eras to the most current creations. Known for her organic communicative ease, dexterity, sincerity and insight both specific and contextual, she is active as a soloist and collaborator, violinist and violist. In addition to working with many emerging artists, she has worked closely with many of the greatest composers of the modern era, including Dutilleux, Carter, Adès, Sciarrino, Boulez, Crumb, Saariaho, Davidovsky, Ran, and Murail. She teaches at the Mannes School of Music/New School University, both college and prep. She studied at The Juilliard School, starting in pre-college through earning her doctorate, and won Juilliard’s Presser Award.

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Violinist Todd Phillips Discusses the Importance of Staying Curious in your Musical Endeavors

It is not only important to be musically curious, but also to be artistically and intellectually curious in a broader sense and to open one's mind enough to be receptive to different art forms–literature, art, dance, drama. Being inspired by other disciplines can spark one's imagination and can deepen your relationship with music.

The greatist artists – in all genres – are looking to create an experience that is more meaningful and powerful than the normal events of our everyday lives. Beethoven was certainly an example of this. He requires us to be stronger, more intelligent, more emotional, and more uncompromising in musical intent than just about any other composer.

Being curious enough to explore the varied choices of harmony, melody, articulation, and phrasing that composers make when putting together a piece of music can lead to discovering some of the underlying essences of character, emotion, and structure.

Looking beyond the simple, external markings on the page and to be courageous enough to endeavour to internalize the music can help one develop a way of playing a composer's piece with naturalness and authentic feeling.

It is then necessary to explore specific instrumental techniques such as tone color, vibrato, and articulation as well as a more direct and efficient physical approach to the instrument so that one can illuminate what has inspired you about a particular work.

When you have a curious mind you can enjoy a lifelong journey of artistic exploration that can keep you connected to the most cosmic creations humanity has to offer!

–Todd

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Violinist Todd Phillips enjoys a varied career that harkens back to the traditions of previous generations of musicians who were in equal demand as soloist, chamber musician, orchestra leader/conductor, and teacher. Since making his solo debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony at the age of thirteen, he has appeared with many orchestras throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan, including the Brandenburg Ensemble, the Jacksonville Symphony, Camerata Salzburg, Honolulu Symphony, Sejong Soloists, and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1982 with the New York String Orchestra and conductor Alexander Schneider. Return engagements at Carnegie Hall soon followed, as well as solo performances in Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Boston Symphony Hall, and the Frankfurt Opera House.

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Bienen School of Music Viola Professor, Helen Callus shares her expert advice on the topic.

Violist Helen Callus talks about how she prepares herself for recording a new album

Preparing for a recording is like preparing for a marathon. Not only are you responsible for every aspect of the process administratively (actually getting a recording company to jump off the cliff with you, finding the artists and engineer, the venue, hiring of special instruments, travel arrangements etc. etc.) you are up at dawn to practice and late to sleep worrying about everything else.

No matter how exhausting the process is (not to mention the discomfort of standing up for hours on end in the sessions themselves – my feet are always killing me on the last day although I don’t wear shoes anymore when I am recording), I absolutely love it and am so grateful for the experience which I believe has made me a better player and (hopefully) a useful educator.

When I talk to people about making a recording I think there is a disconnect between seeing the final product which seems so shiny and polished, and all the effort it takes to get there.

Recordings sessions are not, contrary to belief, opportunities to come unprepared and record a phrase over and over until you have it just right – there is no time for such luxuries.

A CD typically takes three days to record with a six-hour session each day. The schedule must be followed in order to stay on track and be completed when the venue reservation is up and the artists need to go home. If you are making a concerto recording, then you must have all the concertos in your fingers, well thought out and prepared as if to perform.

That said, in normal life, we don’t ‘'perform’' for six hours straight. At most a recital is 90 minutes and a concerto 20-30 minutes long!

Recording takes a different kind of energy so that you can keep all your ideas in your mind from take to take for consistency (your producer is your trusted companion in that journey) and to play at your very best physically because that '‘take’' might be the one where everything was captured as everyone might like it.

Preparation really is the key. To be completely focused you should go over the repertoire you are recording before the session starts and once a session is over, begin working on the repertoire for tomorrow’s session.

When I was recording a double disc set, we had only the same three 6 hour sessions for a single disc so to prepare I performed the works in 30 concerts before we got into the studio.

If you are working with a harpsichord, you have to understand that it has to be tuned in every break and the natural flow of performing can feel disrupted.

However there are times when no amount of thinking ahead prepares you for a jumbo jet flying overhead because the venue lies on the flight path to Heathrow, or for a thunder and lightening storm that is not only noisy but blows out the electricity in the church, or for a gardener to come out with his weed whacker just as you get to that sentimental moment in the slow movement.

It might sound far fetched but I have encountered each one of these unexpected moments where recording was halted by the red light going off and the orchestra groaning once again….

If you want the best of yourself on a recording you have to bring the very best of yourself to the sessions and sometimes that might just mean treating yourself to a professional foot massage every night.

–Helen

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Helen Callus, hailed as “one of the world’s greatest violists” (American Record Guide), “a violist of the highest caliber” (Strings magazine), and “one of the foremost violists of her generation” (Fanfare magazine), continues to captivate audiences with her lyrical tone, technical command, and profound artistry. Sought after as a recitalist, chamber musician, and concerto soloist, Ms. Callus has performed with such world-class ensembles as the Tokyo and Juilliard String Quartets and the BBC Concert Orchestra. She is described by The Seattle Times as “a player with impeccable sensibilities and a beautiful sound, infinitely malleable into all kinds of musical subtleties.” The American Record Guide observed that “her playing is so deeply felt [that] the music’s message goes straight to the heart.”

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Being a professional musician requires many skills and abilities — whether it be mental, physical, or emotional. The Violin Channel member Daniel was keen to know what are the main qualities required to have a successful career.

What are your main strengths and weaknesses? How are you overcoming the latest? Please let us know in the comments below. We’re all keen to learn more from you.

LUCIE ROBERT ON THE MAIN QUALITIES REQUIRED TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL PROFESSIONAL STRING PLAYER

Hi Daniel,

What are the qualities that make one performer stand out from all others? Is there a secret formula? Of course not, but nevertheless there seem to be a few common characteristics that somehow stand out. Here are some that I have observed:

Superior hearing — sensitivity for sound quality, intonation, and a natural way of hearing/feeling/understanding the musical implications of harmony and how it affects the drama of a work.

 

Rhythm — organic sense of pacing, knowing how a tempo relates to the character and structure of the piece you are playing. To be emotionally connected to your sense of pulse since rhythm is the breath of music.

 

A strong will, the x-factor, charisma — someone who needs to be heard, whose voice is so strong, and who has urgency and imagination in their performance.

 

A natural coordination for the instrument — facility, of course, can be learned, but there is truth in being “born to play” the violin, viola, cello, double bass, or any other instrument.

 

Emotional connection — to have your emotions in sync with your intellect, instinct, intuition, and the physical aspects of playing your instrument.

 

Concentration — the ability to stay intensely focused for long periods of time.

 

Curiosity, intelligence, independence — the ability and desire to probe deeper to find out more than what you are asked for or just what is in the score. To search for the underlying structure of a piece. To be curious about all aspects of music and also about life. To question.

 

Possess a great memory — having this seems crucial, not just for printed notes but for what works and what does not so as not to waste time.

 

Work ethic — everyone works differently and needs different amounts of time with their instrument. However, everyone needs to work regularly to keep their highest possible standards at all times. You need to do what you need to do — it is your job and your responsibility!

 

The ability to learn efficiently — the intelligence of problem-solving in practicing. The ability to learn everything at once quickly. The ability to “digest” music and retain that memory for the future.

 

To be and stay grounded! — to know how to deal with your psyche, your emotional self. The ability to bounce back, create opportunities and know how to present yourself. To be able to accept criticism and learn from what you feel is important. To keep a strong sense of who you are and what you want, and not let doubts override all the above!

 

Of course, there is so much more, but overall the deep love and commitment to our art, the beauty of music, and our desire to share this beauty is what I feel makes this journey so special.

 

—Lucie

 

Do you have a burning question for one of the Pros? Simply email: hello@theviolinchannel.com

 

A former teaching assistant to luminary Josef Gingold, violinist Lucie Robert has held long-term teaching professorships on faculty at New York's Manhattan School of Music and the Mannes School of Music — and serves on the jury of a number of prominent international violin competitions.

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What are your tips and strategies when curating a solo recital program? Or a recital program you have performed or experienced that held a memorable impact? Please let us know in the comments below. We're all keen to learn more from you.

Violinist Yevgeny Kutik Shares Thoughts on Designing Solo Recital Programs

Dear Josephine,

One of my favorite things to do as an artist is to put together recital programs. It's a challenging and rewarding process that allows for lots of creativity and exploration. There are a number of ways to go about this. The more traditional way--the one you are most likely to encounter early on during school--is to put together a program that highlights the best of your abilities touching upon various works representative of something from each period of Classical Music, i.e. something Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th century, and perhaps a hint of something modern. This is a great way of going about program building at first, as it allows you ample opportunity to develop your technique, knowledge, and artistry.

In recent years, I've found that the best recital programs convey a story to the listener.

Your audience should be led on a 90-minute journey (or however long the recital may be). There are lots of different ways to go about this. One easy place to start is to get "personal." What pieces mean the most to you and why? They don't all have to relate musically. You can be the point of connection for the program. Another obvious way is to find patterns amidst the music. For example, a recent program I put together highlighted the popularity of the 'theme and variations' structure in music. Over the course of the program, the audience gets to hear 'theme and variations' in various musical languages, in obvious iterations, as well as in more discreet settings. Ideally, for the listener, Theme and Variations become less conceptual over the course of the evening and come to hold a more immediate emotional logic.

Get to really know your playing and artistry. You likely have something very unique to your style of playing that can be highlighted and developed in a musical program. Perhaps you have a particular way with the music of Bartók or French impressionism. I would consider focusing on this and developing "outward" from the area of focus. So, in the case of Bartók, maybe coupling his music with that of a close contemporary such as Kodály and showing Bartók's early influence, with a piece by Debussy. Also, dare to search out something obscure. So, in this program, it would be fun to arrange and perform some of the folk songs that Bartók catalogued and loved so much. Also importantly, if at all possible, talk to your audience. It doesn't have to (and probably shouldn't) be a 15-minute speech! Just a few quick sentences. This has an obvious way of helping the listener relate to you, your playing, the music, and the story you are telling.

-Yevgeny

Do you have a burning question for one of the pros? Simply email: hello@theviolinchannel.com

A graduate of Boston University and the New England Conservatory, where he studied with Zinaida Gilels, Shirley Givens, Roman Totenberg and Donald Weilerstein, Yevgeny Kutik is a former first prize winner at the Boston Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition and former recipient of a prestigious Salon de Virtuosi Grant. He has appeared worldwide as both a recitalist and orchestral soloist, and is also a keynote speaker for the Jewish Federations of North America Speakers Bureau. 

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What are some qualities that ensure a successful collaboration between conductor and soloist? Please leave a comment below, we are keen to know your thoughts.

Conductor Cristian Macelaru on Qualities He Looks for in Soloists for a Great Collaboration

Hi Kukka,

I always look forward to a new collaboration. Either meeting for the first time or with ‘old’ friends, each performance is different and I am grateful for that. However, the traits I have observed that make the most impact on the orchestra, audience, and me are the conviction with which each musical gesture is communicated.

I might not always agree with a point of view, but if it is presented with great conviction, I am always compelled to endorse its presentation.

To go a bit further, what qualifies as a performance of ‘strong conviction’ is one that is justified by the composer’s intent, yet presented with a personal understanding of the meaning behind the scribbles on the page. Somehow this conviction of meaning is always translated into great rhythm, because one shouldn't look to perform a tempo, or a speed so much as to have the right pulse. The speed of a performance is relative to the space between musical pulses. And understanding the meaning behind a musical gesture will give the right pulses to the music, rather than playing at a certain speed just for the sake of being true to the composer’s suggestion, yet not understanding why it was suggested in the first place. A strong pulse makes it possible to accompany where a tempo will force one to be followed. 

So I find myself being drawn by a performer whose musical understanding of a piece goes far beyond the technical ability to communicate the meaning intended by the composer.

–Cristian

Do you have a burning question for one of the Pros? Simply email: hello@theviolinchannel.com

Currently Music Director of the Orchestre National de France in Paris, one of Europe’s leading orchestras, GRAMMY® Award winning conductor Cristian Măcelaru is Chief Conductor of the WDR Sinfonieorchester, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Interlochen Center for the Arts’ World Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Music Director and Conductor of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. In January 2020, Măcelaru received his first-ever GRAMMY® Award for conducting the Decca Classics recording of Wynton Marsalis’ Violin Concerto with Nicola Benedetti and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

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What are touring survival tips do you know of? Have you met your favorite musicians while they were on tour? Please leave a comment below, we are keen to know your thoughts.

Violinist Leila Josefowicz Shares Her Personal Experience for Touring Musicians

Dear Yoon,

The question, what are survival tips for touring musicians, is a great one. It is often not thought about or overlooked, with focus rather being on the music played or places one is going on the tour.

Having had the travels in my career that I've had I know how absolutely essential it is to make oneself as comfortable as possible on the road. What this means is that you have to know yourself and what makes you happy and comfortable. When on the road, it is not time to "endure" more things that you find difficult or uncomfortable that you could avoid if possible.

For example, pack that extra cozy sweatshirt or take your favorite snacks that will pull you through to the next meal. Those things can mean a lot when you're hungry and don't want to go to a restaurant, or when you're having trouble heating your hotel room and feeling chilled.

Most importantly, you have to be good at taking your own temperature, mentally and physically. If mentally you need that extra quiet time to prepare for the next concert or have that time to meditate before your next flight, you can set your awareness to it and take care of yourself. Or, if you feel like you would like to release tension and go for a jog around the nearby park then you can do that too! It's all about being self aware and taking things more in the moment, depending on how you are feeling. Planning is always a good thing, but in the lifestyle of touring, when you don't quite know how you will be feeling and the schedule could move very quickly, flexibility is a very advantageous tool to feeling at your best.

–Leila

Do you have a burning question for one of the Pros? Simply email: hello@theviolinchannel.com

Leila Josefowicz’s passionate advocacy of contemporary music for the violin is reflected in her diverse programmes and enthusiasm for performing new works. In recognition of her outstanding achievement and excellence in music, she won the 2018 Avery Fisher Prize and was awarded a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship in 2008, joining prominent scientists, writers and musicians who have made unique contributions to contemporary life.

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Do you think performers should also learn to teach? Please leave a comment below, we are keen to know your thoughts.

Violinist Alexander Kerr Shares Why it is Necessary for Performing Musicians to Learn to Teach

Dear Robert,

Should performing musicians learn to teach?

Without a doubt, performing musicians should learn to teach!

I truly love teaching. It is a basic part of who I am and I can honestly say that it has been every bit as fulfilling as my performing career. That being said, in today’s increasingly competitive environment, musicians MUST be fluent in every facet of our endeavor. Young people must be more well-rounded and even more entrepreneurial than my generation was twenty years ago; ready for any opportunity that comes their way, whether orchestral, soloistic or pedagogical. People who succeed in our field are sometimes considered “lucky” but in my opinion, luck is merely opportunity coupled with preparedness!

Teaching also helps the teacher. Throughout my career, working with others has helped solidify my own violin playing. By putting my technical ideas into a succinct, coherent and verbal form, I have been able to better outline and simplify my approach, allowing me to be less occupied with mechanical thoughts on stage. I can therefore concentrate more on relaxing my body and communicating my musical ideas to my audience.

Einstein once said that “if you can’t describe something simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

By being forced to explain my process in the simplest terms to others, I have gained a deeper understanding of the inner workings of violin technique.

Lastly, teaching keeps me young! Being in constant contact with the next generations of up and coming artists makes it easier for me to relate to them in professional situations and it inspires me not only to sustain the level of my playing but continuously search for new ways of improving it.

I am so lucky to have had such a diverse career as a musician. I can’t even imagine my life without teaching as an integral part of that mix, so I strongly encourage every young musician to, at the very least, take a pedagogy class as part of their college education. It will only help make one an even better and more complete artist.

– Alex

American violinist Alexander Kerr has established himself as one of the most accomplished and versatile violinists on the international music scene today. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, at the age of 26, Mr. Kerr was appointed as the concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He currently serves as Concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and holds a distinguished teaching position at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

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