Good journalism has a special place in my heart. In fact, due to some insane luck in being able to squeeze my way into the Journalism team in high school, the Deseret News was good enough to give me an award, way back in the day, for Best Light Feature for a 4A High School Newspaper for a write-up of an interview with my A.P. Physics teacher, reflecting on his childhood memory of building rockets.
So I was very interested in these violinist interviews by Laurie Niles. I have a friend in the Utah Symphony to thank for recommending these books to me. I’ve finished the first volume so far. And it did not disappoint!
Niles interviewed a slew of world-famous violin soloists from a variety of generations. See a sampling of names below; see how many you recognize! She has more interviews on her site, Violinist.com.
As a violinist herself, Laurie knew what to ask. These stars shared a lot of great perspective on a bunch of critical topics. There were opinions on new music, old music, a debate on using shoulder rests, reflecting on life as a recording artist or improv soloist, the popular music scene, insights into fashion (did you know a dress can be in the tens of thousands for a famous soloist?), Strads vs. instruments by modern makers, stories of things gone awry (including during high-profile performances*), traveling, the nature of competitions, the physics of violin technique, athletic preparation, conquering physical accidents, procuring an instrument, recovering from theft, balancing performance with family, viola, chamber music--including getting to choose first or second violin, mentors, having another career in teaching or conducting, and I felt I caught a glimpse into some of the busy lifestyle and areas-of-focus choices every serious violinist should consider.
- Augustin Hadelich
- Joshua Bell
- Gil Shaham
- Hilary Hahn
- Ann-Sophie Mutter
- Maxim Vengerov
- Simon Fischer
- Sarah Chang
- Ruggiero Ricci
- Anne Akiko Meyers
- Aaron Rosand
- Lindsey Stirling
- Ray Chen
- Daniel Hope
- Nathan Cole
- Rachel Barton Pine
It’s the beginning of a new year, where many resolve to approach their life afresh. If you’re looking for something new and thought-provoking, I recommend these books as a fascinating read, particularly for anyone interested in the life of a hard-working violinist.
*I found myself chuckling out loud, reading at my gate at the SLC airport, while picturing Joshua Bell’s rubber band for his sponge shoulder rest flying across stage and hitting the principal violist in the head.
