BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Undoubtedly, the best way to learn about your future career is through direct industry experience.
Luckily for emerging talent at the Australian National Academy of Music, one major symphony orchestra is facilitating a program to offer exactly that.
The West Australian Symphony Orchestra will this month host Side by Side — a collaborative performance in which ANAM players will perform alongside professional staff players in one massive concert of Shostakovich and Prokofiev.
We wanted to know what this experience means to a young player, so we asked one. Will Huxtable (who happens to come from Perth) is an ANAM violinist who will play alongside WASO concertmaster Laurence Jackson.
And, you bet: we asked Laurence about his role in the event, too.
Laurence and Will have already worked together when WASO players travelled to Melbourne for previous rehearsals and workshopping at ANAM. When it all comes together for the big event in the Perth Concert Hall, they’ll be united under the baton of Simone Young.
Here’s where things are at.
Will, at ANAM, you were greeted by Laurence from WASO for a lesson ahead of Side by Side. What did you work on together, and how’d it go?
WILL: So, one day in early June, various WASO musicians came to ANAM to host sectionals for the musicians travelling to Perth in July. The violins and violas were tutored by concertmaster Laurence Jackson, and worked through some of the difficult passages in Romeo and Juliet and Shostakovich 7.
Laurence was really helpful, and it was an informative experience as he gave us various tips on the style of the repertoire, such as the type of sound we need to produce in each piece. For example, I remember in the Shostakovich, he said we’re aiming for a slightly heavier tone.
Laurence, why did you want to take on this integral role in the Side by Side project?
LAURENCE: It’s extremely important, for a number of reasons, why we need more projects life this. Mentoring is vital in an orchestral setting, but often overlooked. So it’s great that this project is happening over the next three years.
The students will be sitting amongst my colleagues in the string sections, and thus able to benefit from a range of players seated near to them. Myself and the other principal players will be very near, and able to offer our support and advice, when needed.
What were your expectations when you headed over to ANAM, and how was your visit received?
L: I met many of the current Side by Side students there, and it also prepared me very nicely for the high standard and quality of playing and musicianship that is ANAM’s trademark. The students were well prepared on the pieces, so we could talk more about the style of playing and all the details that really help to define the music; in this case, it was Shostakovich and Prokofiev.
We also talked a little about the background to the Shostakovich symphony, the circumstances of its writing, and how that would affect our approach to playing this incredible work.
What’s it been like to work with Will so far?
L: Will was great to work with, as were all the other violin and viola students that I coached that afternoon in June. There was a very easy-going but serious atmosphere, and it was an intense class lasting a couple of hours.
Unfortunately due to time restraints, we only scratched the surface of both works. But nevertheless, I think we made good progress towards the first rehearsal with Simone.
Will, it must be pretty exciting to travel to WA to perform with one of the best orchestras in the entire country, right? How are you feeling about Side by Side?
W: Since Perth is my hometown, I was very excited to be rostered in this ANAM project!
Growing up in Perth, I’ve always wanted to play in WASO. And to get the chance to do so performing great repertoire by Prokofiev and Shostakovich will be a memorable experience.
I also can’t wait to work with Simone Young again, having had great experiences under her baton in the past.
As an emerging musician, what do you think long-term staff players in the orchestra can gain from your visit?
W: I reckon side by side projects can be an important mentoring experience for long-term orchestral players. During the week, they can show us and help with what’s required and what to be aware of when rehearsing and performing in a professional orchestra.
Particularly for some of us, this is our first time performing with a professional orchestra. We’d love to learn as much from this experience as we can, and bring this knowledge into our professional careers after ANAM.
What’s the number one lesson or experience you hope to achieve by working with WASO?
W: I feel excited to have the opportunity to sit alongside Laurence at the front for this project, and I feel like I’ll learn so much just by sitting next to him, being mentored and watching him play.
I love performing all forms of music, whether it be chamber, solo, or orchestral — and I can’t wait to gain more insight in the professional orchestral life.
And Laurence, what do you hope he’ll gain from working with WASO?
L: I hope Will and the other students will gain a real insight into working at a very high level within a symphony orchestra — with the technical precision, awareness, stamina, and overall musicianship required to a member of an orchestral string section.
But, as well as these potentially quite onerous and very serious aspects of our work, I hope they will also enjoy working and sharing with their colleagues around them. Orchestras, and particularly their string sections, are very sociable places; and getting to know and make lasting friendships will be a real positive outcome for both them and us.
See WASO and ANAM perform Side by Side at the Perth Concert Hall, 7.30pm July 26.
Images supplied.
