Reflective Writing

Reflective Writing

When I first enrolled into the Masters of Arts program at the Academy, I had already been studying in the building for four years. I was not discovering a new environment; instead I was facing the challenge of finding new ways to develop my playing within an established structure. I had to look at this program in a new way, one which permitted me to progress as a musician whilst giving me the freedom to start transitioning into the professional life outside of the Academy. The first step I took towards my development was changing teachers. Although I immensely enjoyed my fours years studying under David Strange, I thought that new guidance would be a wise choice for the next two years. After various consultation lessons, I decided to study with Mats Lidstrom. He is by far the most detailed teacher I have ever studied under, which I think is ideal to finish my student years with. He pays a lot of attention to technical mastery, and I have considerably refined my bow arm technique over the last two years. His intellectual approach to music is very interesting and original. This has in turn made me improve in the attention to detail in musical shaping, and taking care of every aspect of cello playing in a much more strict manner. Over the course of these two years, I have had the opportunities to perform an incredible amount of concerts as a freelancing musician. In the Summer of 2013, right before my Masters degree began, I became a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra. This was a very valuable experience, which made me learn a lot of repertoire and my skills as an orchestral player progressed considerably. I have since remained a member until the end of my studies. I then managed to perform concerts with the London Symphony Orchestra as part of the String Experience Scheme, which was also a great lesson in orchestral playing. Performing with one of the top cello sections of the world was an incredible experience, and I fully came to realize how united they play on a technical and musical level, and how much control is demanded of an orchestral player. I have also done some extra work for the Britten Sinfonia. Playing in a chamber ensemble was a very different experience, and learning to blend the string sound was also rewarding. I also freelance regularly with various orchestras in London and the UK, which has generally made me really come to love the symphonic sound and repertoire, and has focused my career goals. Within the Academy, the Masters program allowed me to enjoy orchestral playing at the highest level. Being principal cellist of the Academy Soloists under Clio Gould and Vengerov, as well as Symphony Orchestra with Semyon Bychkov especially were the most rewarding orchestral projects I have been part of. In my first year as a Masters Student I strived to be part of a succesful chamber music group. As such, my colleagues formed the Kustendyke Quartet, which was comprised of Marisol Lee, Mark Lee, Ricardo Gaspar and myself. We rehearsed quite intensively and learned a fair amount of quartet repertoire. We got accepted into the Poznancki Quartet Scheme which gave us some intensive coaching weeks. The group was quite successful, and we performed in various festivals and got the 1st prize at the Wolfe Wolfinsohn Quartet competition at the Academy. I believe that quartet playing helped me progress a lot on my instrument, in matters such as clean intonation, sound matching and musical intent. However, I also learned how difficult it is to maintain a nice group atmosphere. At the end of my first year the group split up due to too many personal differences. I am now quite content to perform chamber music in a more relaxed atmosphere. Due to increasing orchestral engagements I am also less available for rehearsals, which in a way might be a more professional way of preparing a concert. Having a couple of intense rehearsals before a concert rather than long months of learning a piece is probably a more efficient work ethic. Even if I am now more busy with orchestral work, I have been lucky enough to learn a lot of cello concertos and sonatas over the last two years. Interestingly enough, my teacher is very much focused on the performance aspect of cello playing. I have had very good guidance on orchestral playing during my undergraduate years with David Strange, and my new teacher is not so interested in listening to orchestral excerpts. Instead we have delved into the rich cello repertoire, relearning classics as well as discovering interesting and original pieces of music. I managed to perform the Brahms Double Concerto and the Beethoven Triple Concerto with orchestra over the last two years, something I am very grateful for. I have also discovered a wealth of unplayed french cello sonata repertoire of the beginning of the 20th century, of which I am playing some for my final recital at the Academy as well as planning to perform next year in a series of recitals. At the end of my first year as a Masters student, it was becoming clear to me that my affinities lay with orchestral performance, and that I should enter some auditions to gain experience and perhaps get some work. My next plan was deciding where and what to audition for. Coming from an American family but growing up my whole life in Paris, France, I possess dual citizenship. After much consideration I decided that I like the lifestyle in London much more than the one in Paris, and that I would not like to return to France. For me, there is much more opportunity and the orchestral quality is much better in the UK. I was also interested in trying out a couple of auditions in the United States as I still have a lot of family there. As it turns out, at the beginning of my second year the only job openings available were in America, and I had to wait till January for some to open up in the United Kingdom. The first position I applied to was the Section Cello opening at the Boston Symphony Orchestra. I was fully aware that this was one of the hardest positions to get into, but I was trying more for experience`s sake. I was quite pleased when I even made it through the CD round. However, once in Boston I didn` t play as well as expected, probably due to nerves and inexperience. I then auditioned for positions at the Houston Symphony and the San Diego Symphony. Although none of the auditions were successful, I have felt that in every performance I played a little better, and am hoping that this upwards trajectory keeps on maintaining itself. The only setback I received was at my next audititon, for the London Symphony Orchestra. Once again I did not play as expected and did not make it through. I have come to realize how different performing in an audition is compared to a recital or solo performance. In the latter, I find myself very focused on the totality of the work I am playing. If a little slip happens, it is pretty inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. In orchestral auditions, the mastery of the instrument has to be total, and I find that this is a new skill that I have yet to completely feel comfortable with. From the month of March 2015, I had to start concentrating on Academy work to successfully complete my Masters Degree. I worked hard for my concerto exam and am now preparing my Final Recital. The only audition I have left in this Academic year is for the Bournemouth Symphony at the end of June, for which I am feeling quite ready and relaxed. In the coming year, I will be looking towards getting more orchestral work and applying for more auditions. An important aspect to consider in the life of a professional musician, is financial stability. Over the course of my Masters Program, I was fortunate enough to receive support from the Shoresh Trust, the Academy, as well as from my family from time to time. Next year, this will no longer be the case. To gain some sense of security, I have developped a small but steady class of private students. I have come to enjoy transmitting musical knowledge to young children, but the long travelling and the total amount of teaching does feel like wasted time when one is busy. In the future, I hope to get a position in a high level orchestra, whether it be here in the UK or in the United States. Playing amidst a fantastic cello section is what I hope to achieve, as well as playing under great conductors and with famous soloists. Overall, I would say that my Masters of Arts has helped me become a better musician. I have become more self-aware of the finer technical details of cello playing, allowing me more control over my instrument. I have discovered new repertoire and have become more mature about musical shaping. The program has definitely helped as a transition into the professional world, and I feel fairly confident that I have a solid musical education going into a cello career.