BY TIM HANNAH
The Orchestra Project was founded by conductor Fabian Russell in 2002. The idea? Offer young, up-and-coming orchestral musicians the opportunity to play alongside the best professionals in Australia.
On 21 April, the collective will perform Mahler’s epic Symphony No. 5. With musicians from almost every major orchestra in the country joining an impressive line-up of young talent, they’ll wow audiences in the South Melbourne Town Hall.
One of these young musicians performing on the day, Melbourne trumpeter Joel Walmsley, spoke to us about the experience.
This is your first time participating in The Orchestra Project. How valuable is an opportunity like this, performing alongside top professional orchestral musicians?
The Orchestra Project is an invaluable experience for someone like myself. Being able to rub shoulders with leaders of the Australian orchestral profession like Brent Grapes (principal trumpet, West Australian Symphony Orchestra) and Sophie Rowell (concertmaster, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra) is a privilege and a real opportunity for growth. It’s also a great chance to connect with other musicians from around the country. I feel very lucky to be part of it.
You’ve performed with professional orchestras before, being on the casual list with Orchestra Victoria and the MSO. What makes this experience different?
In terms of putting it all together, The Orchestral Project will be similar to how a professional orchestra runs, which is part of the point, I think. The musicians that make up the orchestra are what make the project unique. Fabian Russell has created the group from the best orchestral professionals and students from around the country to perform one of the great masterpieces. It’s a celebration of the Australian music community.
The project provides a challenge for the orchestra, as many of us haven’t played together before. But this also brings a really exciting and fresh experience for all, which is something everyone benefits from, including the audience. Everyone will really be on their toes, and that’ll create something really special come concert day.
Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 is a mammoth work, especially for the brass. What’s it like tackling such an immense work over a concentrated period of time? How does it differ from other works you’ve rehearsed and performed?
I’ve played a few Mahler symphonies before (1, 4, and 5), but never with an orchestra like this. The only way a project like this works is if everyone knows the entire work inside out well before the first rehearsal.
Mahler’s writing is incredibly detailed – he gives much more direction with tempi, dynamics, and articulations than most composers; and the attention to these little details makes his music truly work. A typical orchestral trumpet part may have four or five pages of music, where Mahler 5’s first trumpet part has 12!
It’s honestly some of the most exciting brass writing in the orchestral repertoire, especially for first horn and first trumpet. I’m super keen.
Why do you think it is important to have the opportunity to play these large-scale works at this stage in your musical development?
I think it’s vital for all young musos to be exposed to big works early on. There’s so much to be learnt about the orchestra, section playing, interpretation and overall musicianship in something like Mahler.
The best part about The Orchestra Project is that I get to play next to inspiring professionals, and learn how they approach this kind of music as they would on the job. Listening to a teacher play an excerpt in a lesson is one thing, but sitting next to them and listening to how they approach a difficult works in context is the next level. I already know I’ll get a lot out of this project, and I’ll be a better player because of it.
It’s quite a journey for the audience, as well! For those who have never seen Mahler live, what can they expect?
The audience is in for a real treat with Mahler 5. When I think of Mahler’s fifth, I think of the drama and power, but it’s just as much about tenderness, beauty, and humour. There is virtuosic playing to be seen across the entire orchestra, and just when you think the piece has reached the final climax, Mahler throws in some more fireworks for good measure.
My favourite movement of the symphony is the Adagietto – it’s one of the gems of the orchestral literature. The brass section doesn’t play in this movement. We get to sit there and watch the strings and harp play some of the most beautiful music ever written. I’ll be that guy up the back on fourth trumpet bawling his eyes out.
You’ve had some pretty amazing mentors during your studies, including the conductor for this project Fabian Russell, your current teacher Shane Hooten (MSO), and those you’ve met overseas during your time at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, and International Music Masterclass and Festival in Sicily. What impact have these figures had on your development as a young musician, and how have they shaped your ambitions?
I’ve been lucky to have a range of teachers and mentors who’ve had my back and created opportunities for me over the years. My first two trumpet teachers, Sue Wedding and Joel Brennan, encouraged me early on to get out of Australia and attend festivals and masterclasses. Being surrounded by excellence in environments like these makes you a better musician without even trying – it just rubs off.
I’m sure every professional player in The Orchestra Project could easily list the individuals that made their career aspirations a reality. Someone who would appear on many of those lists would be Fabian Russell. He has played a part in the creation of hundreds of musical careers around the country. He cares about the future of music in Australia, and I have great respect for him.
The world of orchestral music can be competitive, and requires a lot of commitment and hard work. What keeps the love for this music alive for you?
I love the trumpet and I love music. Playing great music with great players and great mates is a feeling that cannot quite be described. I love how music connects me with other like-minded people, and I love collaborating with others to create something greater than ourselves. When you and 100 musicians are tearing through the last page of The Rite of Spring, none of us are thinking about the difficulties of our career paths: we’re having the time of our lives! (And praying no one plays in a rest). We’re lucky to do what we do.
See The Orchestra Project at 2.30pm April 21, Australian National Academy of Music, South Melbourne Town Hall.
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If you like, you can say thanks to Tim for volunteering his time to bring you this story. No amount too much or little 🙂
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Images supplied. (Features Fabian conducting The Musician Project). Credit: Lucien Fischer, courtesy The Musician Project.
