BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
A couple of months ago, we had a chat with Sydney piano students Jina Lee and Scott McDougall about that time they participated in an Utzon Music Series Masterclass with none other than Freddy Kempf.
This month, two more emerging musicians will face the challenge of training under the watchful eye of a Sydney Opera House audience, and Trio Wanderer violinist Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian.
The pressure is on. But then again, as we chat with violinists Jade Blanchard-Paterson and Nicole Kim about the upcoming public Masterclass, it seems these two young musicians are more excited to learn than afraid of the pressure.
Perhaps it’s due to their experiences: both Jade and Nicole study at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music; and both have also received more scholarships and awards than we can list for you here.
Here’s what they’re going to make of the Trio Wanderer Masterclass experience.
Tell us, why did you want to take part in the Trio Wanderer Masterclass?
JADE: I think it is such a privilege to perform for an international violinist such as Jean-Marc. I wanted to take part in this Masterclass as I think it’d be a great opportunity to learn more about the piece I will be performing for him.
I am going to play one of Mozart’s violin concertos and, this being a staple concerto in the violin repertoire, it’d be amazing to get his opinion and knowledge on where he takes this piece.
NICOLE: I thought it would be such an amazing experience to learn from Professor Phillips-Varjabédian. I think it will be a very important learning experience, not only for my playing but also my approach to music.
Why do you feel it’s important to extend your professional development outside an academic environment?
J: I think that the two environments are so different. Expanding professional development outside an academic environment is so important: I feel that one’s approach to something that isn’t ‘grade- focused’ can be beneficial, as concepts can be grasped without the added pressure of a pass or fail.
I think that ‘outside’ performance opportunities can also help develop performing skills, as it is a very different atmosphere, playing for an audience [compared to] playing for a panel of teachers.
N: I feel that it’s very important to experience and learn from many different environments, because it really challenges and expands our perspectives on every aspect of our playing.
Musical teachings from all over the world can be quite different to how we’re taught here. With this, I think they can give us a better understanding of the music and make us feel less confined in how we can interpret it.
What are you hoping to gain from this educational experience?
J: I would definitely love to get further advice on how to approach the different characters my piece demands. I’d also love more guidance in how to create different types of sounds in my playing to further embellish these characters.
Furthermore, I’d love to hear Jean-Marc’s interpretation of the piece. It is so interesting hearing other people’s perspective of such a well-known concerto!
N: I’m looking forward to hearing how he interprets the piece I am playing. I hope that his perspective will help me further develop my understanding and performance of the work.
And what do you hope audiences gain from watching the masterclass as you perform?
J: I hope the audience really enjoys listening to the pure sounds of Mozart’s music. I hope they too gain insight on how amazing and versatile [are] the sounds and textures a violin can make.
N: Through the Masterclass, I’m hoping that the audience will become more open-minded, and also feel inspired by the idea of different musical interpretations.
Watch Nicole and Jade in the upcoming Utzon Music Series Masterclass at 6pm April 14.
READ NEXT: Jina Lee and Scott McDougall chat about Freddy Kempf’s Masterclass.
Images supplied.
