by Chris McGovern
Natalie Zhu, the longtime recital partner of Hilary Hahn is coming back to play with her for a few shows in South America in September this season--That unto itself is a blessing, but even better is that I got to do this interview with her!
While she's been away from Hilary, Natalie has keeping busy with her family, continuing to play piano (She has recorded a solo piano CD titled Images which can be purchased online--I highly recommend it!), and becoming involved with
The Kingston Chamber Music Festival, of which she is the Artistic Director.
Chris: I understand that you're going back on the concert circuit with a certain soloist this season!
Natalie: Yes! Hilary asked me to do this South American tour next month, which is very exciting, doing a recital together again!
Chris: You have to understand that I'm a huge fan of Hilary's and have been for many years!
Natalie: Yes, I heard! [laughs]
Chris: You heard?? I'd be interested to know what you heard versus what I'm telling you! [laughs]
When you were playing with her up until 2005 or so, not too long before that was when I started listening to her. That concert at Carnegie Hall (11/17/05) was wonderful! It's great to hear you play Mozart with her, but I also loved hearing the Enescu Sonata #3!
Natalie: Yes, that's right! That was a great program!
Chris: That was exciting, and she just blasts everything out with what she does! If I could define what a violinist does, I feel like I still haven't really nailed it. She has this beautiful instrument, and she knows what to do with it!
Natalie: She's one of the best violinists in the world, and it's really great to work with her! We have been playing for many years, and we've had a great, great time together!
We talk often whenever she's free. We talk about how she was doing on tour, her family and everything.
Chris: So, why did you have to leave her?
Natalie: I think the reason I left her was because, you know, everybody has their changing life--my change was that I was thinking about building a family, and I was ready to have a family.
Chris: I could hear your kids in the background!
Natalie: [laughs] Yeah, she's going to be 3 next month! That was nice to have a very stable kind of life, not so much traveling on the road. Also, I've been doing a lot of festival stuff. I have the Kingston Chamber festival that I've been involved with for the past 5 years, and it's been great! We have a lot of fine musicians coming there, and of course, Hilary would be my biggest star--hopefully, she will come one day!
Chris: So, how did the idea of going back to play come about?
Natalie: About half a year ago, I mentioned to her that my kid is going to pre-school soon, and it would be nice to play together again, and the next thing I heard from her was "Do you want to play again? Do you want to come to South America?", so that's how that happened!
Chris: I have to say that I almost teared-up when I saw your name on her tour page! I was like "Oh, my God, Natalie Zhu is playing with Hilary again!" It was really kind of nice, it was like old times!
Natalie: Yeah, I think some people were a little misunderstanding about us. I actually heard rumors about it, to which I was so shocked and surprised. They thought that we fought and broke-up, but it's really not like that! It's just because I was trying to focus on some things on my own.
Chris: I heard that she butted heads with certain people, but it's hard to really take it for fact when you don't really know the people, or you don't know the accuracy of the sources of that information.
Natalie: I don't know what happened with other people, but we never, never had any unhappy things happen between us.
Chris: Hilary comes off very nice and likeable, and you would never expect to hear that she's ever been bitchy to anybody! [laughs]
Natalie: No! She's super down-to-earth, and she's super professional!
Chris: And great that she's returning to South America--I noticed that when she played with Valentina Lisitsa, they went to South America a few years ago, and now, I see an awful lot of people from South America love Hilary Hahn, they're always tweeting about her! She seems to have left a really big impression over there, and she has a really nice following, so they're probably excited that she's coming back as she doesn't get over there very often.
Natalie: I think that was the plan, in 2005, right before we departed, we were talking about a South America tour, but it didn't happen back then, so it's nice to go back over this year!
Chris: What kind of program are you guys doing?
Natalie: We're going to play Mendelssohn's Violin Sonata in F minor (Op. 4)--It's a lovely piece! We're also doing some of the contemporary pieces she commissioned, and some small pieces like Kreisler's [arrangement of Dvorak's] "Humoresque", which isn't too heavy--something really light and fun!
Chris: Has it been hard learning the new pieces? Because a lot of the contemporary music is a new style to some soloists.
Natalie: Well, yes, in a way, but I think it's much easier than the Bartok Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion I just played this summer! I've been playing quite a lot of contemporary, recently! I'm going to record for Naxos for one of my composer friends in October, so, I'm not so weak on the contemporary pieces! It's nice to play something different.
Chris: Do you have any favorite composers, by the way?
Natalie: They are so different, and each composer has so many different characters. I really can't say who is my favorite, I just want to learn different kinds of styles, and learn different composers' work, so there's not really any specific composers that I love to play. Each time it's different. Sometimes I like to play certain composers. I think last year, I was so much into Russian composers like Stravinsky, Rachmaninov and Prokofiev, but this year, I feel like I want to do more classical repertoire like Mozart sonatas or a little Brahms or Chopin, you know, something a little lighter this year.
Chris: You own first CD "Images" is beautiful! It's very nicely recorded, and I enjoy listening to "Pictures at an Exhibition", it's one of my favorite pieces!
Natalie: Thank you! You know the engineer is the same one that worked on Hilary's Jennifer Higdon Concerto recording?
Chris: Andreas, you're talking about? Yes, his work is great--he engineered "Silfra", too! Speaking of which, have you heard this recording she did with Hauschka?
Natalie: Oh, no, I haven't yet!
Chris: It's a very, very different record for her! If you've heard his music, it's very edgy indie music with a lot of rhythmic prepared piano! The story is they met, they worked together and decided to make a record, and they made it with Valgeir Sigurðsson at Greenhouse Studio in Iceland, and that's the record! Some people just didn't get it, but I was like "Oh yes! This is great! I'm glad she did it!" because sometimes--I don't know how you stretch out, but she stretched out that way. She decided to try something new!
Natalie: Well, she's very adventurous! And she's very creative! I think that's just part of her character is that she wants to try something different each time! And I think it's very helpful for playing classical music, because you can sort of work with more out-of-the-box ideas.
I think it's just that she's trying to understand a different kind of music making. Just musicians learning from each other in general!
Chris: Sounds like they learned quite a bit! She muted the violin on one song, she strums on it and hits really, really high notes that you would never hear her play on anything that you've played with her!
Natalie: Oh! Wow! I definitely going to check it out! Thanks for letting me know!
EDITOR'S NOTE: Hilary and Natalie are going to be playing together on tour in South America on the following scheduled dates
September 11th ~ Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
September 15th ~ Teatro Nacional del Sucre, Quito, Ecuador
September 18th ~ Teatro Municipal, Guayaquil, Ecuador
14 Eylül 2012 Cuma
Natalie Zhu ~ Reuniting With Hilary Hahn in South America
It's the Right Time for TwtrSymphony
Recent breakdowns in negotiations between musicians and management in the orchestral world indicate a sea change: now is the right time for TwtrSymphony to fly
TwtrSymphony is a unique concept in the symphony orchestra -- the musicians come from around the world and don't actually play together in the same physical space. The music is made by each musician recording their own track with the various tracks put together in the studio. So, in many respects, we are a studio orchestra.We also are 100% volunteer right now, but that is soon to change. TwtrSymphony is taking the steps to become a non-profit organization. Once the final paperwork has come through, we will be able to apply for funding. Eventually we will be able to pay the people who put in time and effort to make the music happen.
By the very nature of our music -- 140 seconds at a time -- TwtrSymphony isn't going to be a full time orchestra. There are no plans to pay our musicians enough they can quit their day jobs. However, in a world where musicians need to juggle multi-income streams just to make ends meet, we are a perfect add-on. Because musicians record their parts separately, there is no large impact to their current schedule to participate. TwtrSymphony musicians fit in practice and recording time in their off hours.
More importantly, we aim to be a source of new and interesting compositions. Offering musicians and audience alike a thrilling exposure to new music, and a mutual exploration of a living art form. Our methods of outreach stretch beyond the typical reach of audience development: we are connecting with fans who have never attended a 'new music' concert - fans who look to video games and films as their primary source of new classical music. As we expand our reach, including new composers and musicians, we continue to leverage social media as a method of connection for musicians who otherwise may have never met and as a way to reach a broader audience.
TwtrSymphony is just what the industry needs right now, an organization that not only provides a potentially new source of income for musicians, but reaches out via video and free music download to a whole new audience. We're rapidly gaining fans. The overwhelming response to our videos shows we are connecting with the fans as well.
Check out TwtrSymphony:
on Facebook
our website
and of course, on Twitter
"Genus Cumulonimbus" - 1st Movement of new string quartet Atmospheres
This is the 1st movement of the string quartet Atmospheres. While the cloud forms have a seemingly regular form to them, they are anything but a regular shape. So, using the time signature 19/16, I allow the quartet to move through a variety of different ways of breaking up this irregular time into semi-regular beats creating a sense of movement, while propelling the listener forward.
Taking inspiration from György Ligeti, Atmospheres is a blending of the rhythmic 'clock' music with elements of the sonic-scape of 'cloud' music.
For more about me and my music visit:
http://chipmichael.com
9 September 2012, Juba, South Sudan: PERSONAL STATEMENT FROM EMMANUEL JAL
International hip hop star and renowned peace activist Emmanuel Jal was badly beaten by police in the South Sudanese capital of Juba last night on 8 September 2012.
At approximately 9:30pm, Emmanuel was en route to the Gatwich guesthouse in the outskirts of Juba when he was stopped by police and robbed of his mobile phone. Determined not to use or respond in violence, he was repeatedly beaten by 5 police and national security officers until he eventually lost consciousness.
A group of approximately 15 police and national security officers watched on as Emmanuel was beaten.
It appears that Emmanuel was randomly attacked in an unfortunate and unprovoked example of police brutality. The incident has been reported and an investigation is underway.
Emmanuel is in Juba to highlight International Peace Day with the anticipated "We Want Peace" Business Gala and concert on 20 & 21 September 2012. The scheduled events are due to take place at Juba's Independence hall. His dedication to peace and stability in his home country and across the globe has brought him to Juba to bring together members of the business, humanitarian and public spheres in a bid to responsibly invest toward South Sudan's progressive development.
Despite his injuries, he remains adamant to ensure his message of peace is heard and provides the following statement:
"I am in South Sudan to highlight peace and have come to speak and perform at the "We Want Peace" business gala and concert on International Peace Day. Two days after arriving in my home country I was attacked by members of Juba's police and national security. This is an ironic and sad situation that will not deter my path for freedom, equality and justice. I am swollen, but recovering, and thank all the fans and supporters for their well wishes.
I would like to express that abuse of power should not be tolerated on any level. South Sudan must move forward with positivity and equality. Tribalism, police brutality, corruption and other problems of de-stabilization must be highlighted and stopped in order for the country to progress.
I am releasing this statement because I was raised in an environment where speaking out against injustice is always considered a route for peace. Let us continue to put a spotlight on such dark issues, for it is the best solution in paving a way for our bright future"
Things you don't expect when trying to start an ensemble: TwtrSymphony, behind the scenes.
There is a lot of work that goes on behind the public view trying to get this ensemble off the ground.
Correspondence
Probably the most surprising aspect of working with TwtrSymphony is the amount of time I spend corresponding to people. Beyond just the tweets – which have movements of being fast and furious (and as aspect I've not been nearly active enough on over the last three months) – I get emails from the musicians in the group, musicians wanting to join the group, people interested in knowing more about us and people wanting to sell us some service. There are details that have to be maintained when we get new musicians, like email addresses, instruments they play, biographies. Fortunately, there are a couple people who do most of this administrative work. Still, it is a lot of work keeping it all organized.
Paperwork
Add to this trying to move TwtrSymphony into becoming a non-profit organization (like most other orchestras in the United States), and there is a host of paperwork to be filed, accountants to be talked to about setting up the bank account correctly, lawyers (if you want to make sure the forms are correct) and other non-profit managers to get their advice on what not to do. It is important to get the paperwork right, because small mistakes in the way it is setup can lead to needing to make costly changes in the future.
Money
Then there are the money people. In the US, a non-profit organization needs to have a Board of Directors (who will eventually become my boss). They don't necessarily run the organization, but legally they are the ones responsible to ensure it's doing what it intended to do. Most orchestra board members also help to find funding in one way or another. Either they donate large sums as a philanthropic gesture, or they know people or organizations who do – and it's best if the board can do both. I don't naturally hobnob with people who have assets over a million dollars, so this has been a new experience for me to say the least.
Then then are all the grants and foundations which also give money to organizations. Until our non-profit status is complete, I can't really apply for any grants. Still, it is important to know what's out there to get an idea as to what's possible in terms of funding. You can lump corporations into this category too, as certainly the YouTube Symphony wouldn't have existed without the generous funding by Google. Since Twitter hasn't jumped on board our venture yet, I'm seeking other opportunities.
Marketing
While our musicians are really good at spreading the word about TwtrSymphony, there is still a need to have focused placement of tweets, Facebook posts, Tumblr posts and reaching out to magazines, reviewers and other media outlets. Fortunately, one of our administrators is willing to write the press releases.
budgets - More Paperwork
People and organizations that consider giving money want to see some form of a budget - a plan for the future. This means having to have an idea as to where we are going, what's possible and what's not, taking a look at what we've done, what needs to change to do it better and what other options we could look at doing. Then putting all this into a simple format that's easy to read, understand and get excited about. Our concept is cool, but translating that into something that encourages people to give money to keep it going takes a lot of work.
None of the above issues has anything to do with music. There are numerous tasks I'm involved in with the music beyond just writing pieces for TwtrSymphony to play. Most of the music tasks I was aware of going into the project, or at least had a grasp of what might be involved. It is all the ancillary tasks people don't normally think about. Running an orchestra is a lot of work, and very little of it is music related. My hats off to all the other orchestras out there and their administrative staff. They have a lot of work to do to bring the music to life.
14 Ağustos 2012 Salı
Visiting Olympic Park
BlogHer 2012 is here! The official conference begins in just 1 day, but bloggers have been arriving in New York for several days now, and the parties are already in full swing. It's going to be a hectic three day or four days, filled with people and parties, seminars and swag, friends and fun -- and for the first time since 2008, I won't be there.
I'm sad to be missing it all... but since I'm in London for the 2012 Olympics, I think I'll survive. While bloggers were packing their suitcases and traveling to New York, I was watching Olympic sailing in Weymouth. While they are listening to the closing keynote speeches (or perhaps partying at CheeseburgHer) on August 4th, I'll be watching Team GB compete in the football semi-finals at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff. Yes, we've had the good fortune to get tickets to 2 Olympic events... and we were even able to visit the Olympic Park!
I know, it doesn't sound like much: walk around East London and look at a couple of stadiums. We didn't get to see any events being held at Olympic Park. We didn't even get to see the Olympic flame (which is in Olympic Park, but it's inside Olympic Stadium, and since we don't have tickets to an event in Olympic Stadium, we couldn't go inside). But you can't actually go inside the Olympic Park unless you have tickets to an event being held inside Olympic Park, or have tickets to visit the park. Tickets to visit Olympic Park were in as much demand as tickets to any Olympic event, and perhaps more so. They cost only £15 for adults and £10 for kids, so they are super affordable... if you could get them. They sold out on the first day they were made available on the London 2012 tickets website, so I was really depressed..... until McDonald's came to the rescue! I had expressed interest in seeing the World's Largest McDonald's (located inside Olympic Park), so they sent tickets to the park for all 5 of us, and even treated us to lunch at McDonald's!
It turned out that there is more than enough to see and do at Olympic Park to keep you busy for a whole day, even if you aren't attending any Olympic events. No, that's not true: I think you could fill a good 2 days exploring and enjoying Olympic Park. I've already written a post on BlogHer about our day at the Olympic Park, but it was too exciting a day to limit to a single post, so I'm sharing some more photos and recaps of our day:
3Po and Jammy wore their Olympic mascot (Wenlock) shirts that day, and I'm so glad I bought them before we left for the UK, because they weren't available for sale inside the stores. In fact, they were the only ones wearing those shirts, and we received lots of compliments and questions about where we had bought them.
One of the activities I enjoyed most was sitting on a huge, grassy lawn with hundreds of other park visitors to watch live Olympic action on a giant screen. We arrived just in time to see the first Olympic gold medal of the 2012 games awarded to Chinese shooter Yi Siling.
In between covering Olympic events, the BBC would occasionally switch to live shots of the Olympic Park, including shots of the crowd watching the big tv screens. Jammy took the opportunity to make his debut on live tv by running behind the TV presenters and doing a little dance! Yes, that's Jammy, in between the male presenter and the male butterfly.
While we were wandering around the park, we encountered a big group of volunteers and police officers cordoning off an area for a VIP who was set to arrive in a couple of minutes. When we asked one of the volunteers who the VIP was, he said he wasn't allowed to tell anyone, but that we would definitely recognize him, and he was worth waiting for.
He was right; we definitely did recognize the VIP, and that SHE was definitely worth waiting for!
Some of the things we didn't get to do:
* Take the elevator to the top of The Orbit and enjoy the view.
* See the other arenas up close-- the Velodrome, basketball arena, BMX arena, etc...
* Visit the other sponsor pavilions (top on our list were the Panasonic HD theatre and the Coca-Cola Beatbox).
* Try some of the other foods inside the park (curries, Thai noodles, cornish pasties, hummus and falafel, there was so much to choose from!).
* See Will & Kate or Posh & Becks.
Okay, I was kidding about that last one. I've already seen David Beckham, and I really couldn't care if I never saw his wife in my lifetime. Seeing the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge would have been nice, but getting to see their grandmother, live, was already something that most Brits don't get to do. In fact, getting into Olympic Park is something that post Brits, or people, won't get to do, so I am so happy to have had the chance. The Olympic organizers did a really great job making everything run smoothly, so we had a wonderful experience -- just incredible sights and an incredible atmosphere. We enjoyed every bit of our visit!
Click here to read my Olympic Park post on BlogHer!
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Olympics decorations around Cardiff
It's Day 10 of the Olympics, and we've just arrived from a weekend trip to Cardiff, where we watched Team GB play (and unfortunately, lose to) South Korea in the quarterfinal football match. Because Cardiff is an Olympic venue (Cardiff's Millenium Stadium is one of 6 venues hosting the Olympic football games), the city was also dressed up for the Games. Here's a look at the decorations I saw around Cardiff:
Cardiff Castle, which is just around the corner from the Millenium Stadium, is festooned with Olympic flags!
Unlike most of the UK, football (soccer) is only the second most popular sport; around here, rugby rules the roost. But for this Olympic tournament, a London 2012 goalpost shared top billing with a rugby-playing lion topiary outside the walls of Cardiff Castle. 
All of the Olympic posters and flags and signage we saw around London, we also saw around Cardiff. The only difference was that all the signs in Cardiff have Welsh translations.
One thing I did not see in London were these pretty flowerboxes lining the center of a 2-way street. The color of the flowers matches the color of the London 2012 logo on the floxerbox.
While walking around Cardiff's city centre, we found an official Live Viewing site, with rows of seating arranged in front of a giant tv screen. Even though it was only 10 in the morning, and the shops were just starting to open, the chairs were already half full with fans watching athletics.
This Olympics sports park isn't in Cardiff, it's on Barry Island, a little seaside town about 20 minutes drive from Cardiff. It's called the Adi-Zone (guess who funded it?), and it has a bunch of equipment where aspiring athletes can work out.
The best Olympic signage we discovered in Cardiff was the sale rack at the local Home Bargains. I felt like we had stepped into the Twilight Zone, because we found official Olympic merchandise at 70% off! We found stuffed Wenlock mascots that were selling inside Olympic Park for £7, for just 99p! I think that's definitely an Olympic record for low prices :)
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