BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Joshua Hooke hails from country Victoria, though you might’ve seen him perform on the biggest stages of inner-city Melbourne.
The pianist has hit up the Melbourne Recital Centre, Palais Theatre, and Melbourne Convention Centre, among others – and he’s done it all solo.
You’ll get the chance to see why he’s forging such a solid performance career when he presents a neat lunchtime program on his own this August 25, as part of the Concerts at St George’s Friends of Music Series.
Joshua, brings with him knowledge and technique gained through his University of Melbourne scholarship, European performance experiences, live radio broadcasts, and masterclasses with leaders in the field from Anna Goldsworthy to Paul Badura-Skoda.
It’ll all unravel in a program of Schumann, Schubert, Debussy, and Prokofiev.
Joshua, tell us how you became a ‘Friend of Music’ with Concerts at St George’s.
I had a few concerts and competitions coming up where I was playing new repertoire; and was just looking for somewhere to run it through for a few people in public, to see how it all went in performance. I got put on to the folks at St George’s by a friend, and it all sort of went from there.
Last year, we ran a series about how these live performances got up and running. As a musician, how have you found the experience of working with this venue?
The people at St George’s have been a real pleasure to work with. They have been so accommodating and friendly, and the venue and location are really inspiring.
For me, it’s really in performance that one really comes to terms with their craft and their ideas, so it is necessary to perform as much as one can. To get the opportunity to do so while getting the support from people like those who work at St George’s is an ideal situation, and helps to bring out the best in each musician!
You’ve chosen a gorgeous program. Why do you think these works are great for a lunchtime concert in the city?
The program is made up of fairly crowd-pleasing music! The first half consists of two works, both intensely personal, both in the key of C. I’ve always been interested in the kind psychological attachments so many composers have with certain keys; and these two pieces, worlds apart in character, offer an interesting exploration of this.
The second half features music of Debussy and Prokofiev. While there might not be an immediate connection, both composers sort of take the piano and reinvent it for their own purposes, and the effect that they had on piano composition in the 20th Century is enormous. Both really understand the possibilities of suggestion and colour that are unique to the piano.
This is certainly not your first solo performance. You’ve quite a list of solo performance credits under your belt – performing in major venues as well as rural Australia. What have you learnt through so much time spent performing alone?
When one is placed in a situation where they need to communicate their ideas and feelings, this teaches you so much about your own playing, and the music that you’re performing, that you can’t find so easily in a practice room.
I think the more you perform, the more likely it is that you will hit on one of those really inspiring moments, where you feel you reach a new depth of understanding with a piece. And, most importantly, encounter that strange, ineffable sense of communion with an audience.
And the thing is, you can never be sure when this will come. It’s not something so much dependent on the quality of the instrument or size of the hall; but it is the crux of why performers do it, I suppose.
Leading up to this performance, you bring with you an insane quantity of achievements. How have you found the ride so far?
I guess like any path in life, it brings with it ups and downs. It’s the music that makes it all worth it, though.
I’m not sure classical music is something you can make a life in if you pursue it for the achievements – although, of course, it’s helpful to always be trying out for things! I suppose you just focus on the things you can control, and then whatever happens with the rest just happens.
You’re still at uni, of course – studying your Masters of Music Performance. Where will all of this take you? What are your big hopes and dreams?
I’ve been thinking that, maybe, it’s not so helpful to have big plans as far as careers go. Ten years ago, I never really thought that playing the piano would be what I would be doing at this point in my life. So who knows where things might end up?
Any parting words before the concert at St G’s?
Bring your friends, it’s free, the more the merrier!
Watch Joshua perform solo at St George’s Anglican Church as part of the Friends of Music Series, 2.30pm August 25.
Images supplied.
