What/who inspired you to pursue music professionally?
I would say that my early experiences playing great symphonic repertoire like the Firebird Suite, Pines of Rome, and Tchaikovsky Symphonies in youth orchestra solidified my conviction to pursue music professionally.
What’s the best piece of musical advice you’ve ever received?
To avoid feeling the emotion of a piece of music for yourself, and instead focus on creating that emotion for the audience with the sound of your instrument. Playing the violin demands so much control, and the more poised you are as a player, the more beautiful of an emotional range you can produce. However, I later learned that there is an amazing feedback loop where if you are successful in creating that beautiful sound, you are able to listen to it while performing and enjoy the experience more than ever!
What do you love about the violin in general and your instrument in particular?
The violin can play an extraordinary variety of different roles – few other instruments allow such a range of expression when playing unaccompanied, as a concerto soloist, in a large section or a small ensemble. Personally, I love making multitrack recordings where I play 10+ different parts and am able to recreate almost any piece of music (although once in a while I have to consult my viola for some help)!
Which concert have you enjoyed the most this season?
While my classical-loving side hates me for this, I couldn’t help but enjoy our collaboration with Capathia Jenkins in “She’s Got Soul” more than any other concert this season. It reminded me how important the orchestra is to many different genres, and I really hope we do more concerts like that one!
What is your favorite thing about Tucson?
Growing up in Tucson, a lot of my childhood memories were made during the summer. You’d think the summer heat would be most people’s least favorite thing about Tucson, but I will never lose my love for playing sports in 115 degrees (bring a lot of water) and the unique feeling in the air after a monsoon storm.
With your University of Arizona graduation fast approaching, what’s next for you?
Next year, I will be studying with our concertmaster Lauren Roth and taking auditions for music conservatories around the country, in the hope of pursuing a higher level of mastery over my instrument. Ultimately though, my heart will always remain in Tucson, and I plan to return eventually and hopefully earn a leadership position to contribute to the TSO as much as I can.
