BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
In the past week, we’ve been showcasing some very special emerging talent — each group of which took part in the Mimir Emerging Artists program. It’s a professional development initiative for young chamber musicians, and its participants — unanimously — describe the experience as hugely beneficial to their burgeoning creative careers, as we heard from the Kalon Quartet and Invictus Quartet alike.
This time, we chat with one of the newest Mimir groups, the Zeitgeist Quartet. It was founded just a few months ago and features violinists Helen Shen and Jackie Wong, violist Kiara Kim, and cellist Daniel Ng.
These musicians met at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music — though two of them, Kiara and Helen, are no strangers to Mimir, having participated in its festival for the past couple of years.
We chat with Daniel about what it’s like for the full group to take part in this prestigious and international Mimir program for emerging musicians.
So, your group came together in Melbourne, and you’ve been achieving a great deal of success so far! What was it like to form a professional ensemble during the time of your studies?
This is my first year living in Melbourne, so this has been all so overwhelming. I have been extremely fortunate with the opportunities on offer in this city. We have been playing together since the beginning of the year, and to consider ourselves a professional ensemble is something I haven’t fully grasped because we are such a young group!
The group was born from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music’s String Ensemble program. So far, we’re just seeing where things take us as we continue to work together.
I’ve really enjoyed the experience so far — the music making process is very rewarding! It has been a big learning curve. Being able to manage my personal projects and uni assignments, and dedicating enough time to my quartet, has been challenging. Also, coordinating the schedules of four people can be tough, especially during weeks with lots of rehearsals for other Conservatorium ensembles and assessments.
How do you first get an ensemble off the ground, anyway? How did you go from a student ‘idea’ or ‘dream’ into a more structured and professional initiative?
We all were part of the String Ensemble program and were put together in a group. We all had heard so much about the Mimir Emerging Artists program from friends that had experienced it before and how much they enjoyed it. We were all willing to give it a serious shot.
After being accepted into the program, we received our repertoire and increased our rehearsals during the study break to prepare for Texas. We roped friends in to listen to us and give us feedback.
How important is guidance from mentors and teachers along the way — and what’s the best guidance an established artist can offer an emerging one?
Guidance from mentors is a must: they are established artists that have been through similar situations that we are experiencing in the present. They have that experience that we don’t yet have!
The guidance isn’t just in crafting musical ideas — it’s rehearsal technique, career advice, and related anecdotes. Really formative stuff. Of course, their guidance is from their perspective. It is up to us to choose and keep what works for us.
Why were you interested in going for the Mimir Emerging Artists program?
I met cellist Oscar Woinarski at the Akaroa International Music Festival (New Zealand) in January this year. He gave me insight to what his experience was like. I was really blown away. The time he had there sounded fantastic; the artists he got to work with are all incredible musicians, which I got to experience first-hand.
I’ve previously visited the United States, but Texas is one of a kind, so being able to experience the culture [through Mimir] was something I was interested in.
What was the application process like for you?
Not going to lie: we were stressed and scrambling a bit. One of our performances before the recording had some corners we had been trying to solve, so we had to buckle down to figure those spots out. When it came to recording, we had to work efficiently as time was limited and fatigue kicks in. Remembering all of what you did in the practice room can be difficult.
We really don’t like listening to our recordings, but it was a must to fix balance and contrast. Between takes, we would take a couple of minutes to reset, circle spots we needed to remember and, most importantly, trust each other when we started recording again.
Once you got into this program, how did you feel and what did you hope to achieve from it?
I was pretty dumbstruck. This is my first year in Melbourne, and to be accepted into this program was very exciting. Being able to immerse yourself in a couple weeks of intensive work is great. The opportunity to learn more about chamber music from pros, and having the time to focus solely on playing, isn’t something you always have — especially with uni life going.
How were those hopes maintained or altered as you progressed?
Mimir was more than I could have ever imagined. The coaches are all phenomenal musicians and are incredibly down to earth. Watching them perform in the evenings, with all the things they had talked about during our coaching sessions incorporated into their own performances, was fantastic. Very grateful for the two weeks we had. Super inspirational.
Why was this program such a valuable one for you at this stage in your career?
Having the opportunity to hone my craft and develop as a musician was fantastic. Learning about how to problem-solve, analyse music, and convey emotions to tell a story or portray a character are all skills that I will continue to use.
Having the opportunity to ask established artists how they got off the ground and what has worked for them is very useful, especially when there are a fair number of them.
It was great making friends with the other emerging artists. We would compare notes of our coaching sessions, over meals, and chat about our own differing stages of studies. It made it all the more memorable. We went to make music, but we also met great people.
What was your favourite part of the program?
Really difficult to pick one thing! I really enjoyed working with the coaches and getting to know the other emerging artists. The coaches have great stories, and it was really enjoyable having food and drinks with them.
A few of the coaches met when they were teenagers at festivals and music programs, and hearing those stories was really wholesome.
The evening concerts were unbelievable. Night after night watching such incredible concerts was awesome.
What advice would you give to others considering applying?
Definitely apply. You have nothing to lose, and all to gain. Plan well in advance: recordings are tough, so give yourself time. I can’t stress how amazing an opportunity this program is.
This year’s Mimir Emerging Artists will perform at the Mimir Chamber Music Festival 2019 on 31 August. The full festival takes place from 24 August – 1 September 2019 at The Ian Potter Southbank Centre.
We’ve partnered up with Mimir to bring you stories about its past and present emerging artists — did you check out our latest story with Invictus Quartet?
Images supplied.
