Chee-Yun

Hi! How are you?

Well, you know, actually in the beginning when it all like happened, um, I was like, in a way, I thought, "Oh, well, maybe I will get a little bit of a break. I've I've been wanting to do this. I've been wanting to maybe take my summer off or, you know, maybe like a couple months off or something." I was like, "Wow, now I have to take my time off." So, but I think that only lasted me maybe maybe a month, and then I started to really worry. Worry set in, and I was like, "How long is this going to last? Um, am I going to have any kind of income coming in from my performances? Or are we going to actually go back to normal um, concert hall stages?" And then that sort of frustration lasted a little bit, and then I thought, "You know what? I'm going to use my time to really reflect and maybe review the pieces that I never thought that I had enough time to do so." So then I started just going through some of my repertoire, old repertoire, and some of the new music, and so forth. So, trying to stay productive, and, you know, now with the great news happening around the country with the vaccine coming up and stuff like that, I'm, you know, trying to stay um, optimistic. And but I mean, I got to be honest, it's hard to motivate yourself when you don't have an actual performance coming coming up, you know, in the near future. So, my nearest um, new the next concert I'll be performing will be in February. So, it's mid-Feb or the first week of February. Um, and I was supposed to perform with the Pasadena Symphony, but of course, it's going to be now um, you know, more of a chamber music setting and playing Tchaikovsky with the piano. And instead of two concerts, it's going to be one, and you know, so there are a lot of changes happening. But at the same time, who knows? I mean, things are changing at the last minute rapidly, so—

We don't know.

I mean, it's almost like you don't even think about it. That's your life, you know? And I've been performing since I was, you know, a teenager, and um, it's like I always have something to do. I always have some where to go, like this weekend or like a concert coming up, and I have my suitcases ready, several suitcases for like international travel or like in the States travel, so forth. So, yeah, I mean, it's like it's part of you, and all of a sudden that completely kind of stops, everything just grand pause for a while, so it's really kind of daunting. And I completely understand that feeling. Um, so, you know, like but I try to still try to do the same thing because, you know, if you just kind of like let go of your playing or something—I mean, as a violinist, I think especially for vi— and for me, personally, if I don't play for like a week or, you know, two weeks, and especially at my age now, I go out of shape really quick, quicker. Um, so, and that c— that kind of fear, you know, it's like almost like the like anticipating a concert coming up and you don't want to mess up kind of fear, it's similar. So, I'm feeling like, you know, when the concerts are back, when I have a lot of things to prepare, if I'm I out of shape, I'm not I'm going to be out of time again. And I never want to feel that anxiety. So, I try to keep, you know, positive mind, but at the same time, I need to keep up with this, you know, being in shape with my fingers and my repertoire. Otherwise, you know, you lose it. Once you lose it, it's hard to get it back, I think.

Oh, really? I think all of us us musicians, I'm sure you, you know, you agree. It's just it's a skill, you know, and your agility—

Well, absolutely. Yeah, I mean, like, for example, when I'm learning— I remember this. When I was learning Penderecki's Violin Concerto No. 2 for the first time, and this was like 20 years ago, and it was daunting piece. And then, Mr. Penderecki had, um, asked me to come and open his um, festival. Like, in— but I only had like a month to learn it. And so, it was daunting, and when I first looked at the piece, I mean, first of all, it's a 45-minute concerto, and it's a Number 2 concerto, so um, and barely any break, and there were a lot of technical stuff that I was like, "Wow, it's going to take more than a month to do it." So, I had actually as, you know, like completely just put a pause in my life, in a way, and then I would just get up and then just, you know, start practicing. And if I get tired, I'll take a break and, you know, eat something, and then I'll like almost stayed indoors. At the time, I was living in New York City, so I could like order the food in. I did barely Some days I didn't even go outside. So, you know, it's— That's a life of a musician sometimes.

Now, I remember hearing Isaac Stern play a Penderecki violin concerto, and I'm trying to think if it was One or Two.

Probably Number 1, yeah.

Yeah.

Um, this is the piece that he was commissioned to write for Anne-Sophie Mutter.

And this was probably commissioned in the '90s, mid-'90s, and it was later in the '90s that, you know, once her right to the piece had expired, and then he said, "You know, now everybody could perform." And and when I was in at at Juilliard, and, you know, it was we were required to play in— at the time, it was called Focus Ensemble, and it was all new music, modern music. And I remember learning this one piece called Threnodies. And I know it. Threnodies, and— It was all symbols, and you had to learn your part, and it was like you couldn't really rely on your stand partner and kind of air-bow the passages. You actually had like different part than your stand partner. So we were kind of forced to really practice the part and learn it really well. Well, in the end, I I actually loved the piece so much, and I remember performing it, Otto-Werner Mueller was conducting us at Alice Tully Hall. And then at the last, the chord, like, you know, at the last note of that piece, I just like felt this like shiver going through my body, and I thought, "My God, I need to meet this composer." And then few years passed, and one of my good friends, Allison Eldredge, she was performing his um, Cello Concerto—which she performed on the cello—and she was touring with him, and at the time, he was at Yale, um, School of Music doing a residency for two maybe two weeks to a month or something like that. And then she said, "You know, if you would like to meet him, he's in New Haven. You could take the train." So I packed my violin in a hurry, and I went to, you know, to meet him in New Haven. And I played for him, and at at the time, I had to perform the Lalo Symphonie Espagnole. So I played that concerto for him, and he was staying at a, you know, really nice um, home, which was, I guess, you know, the Yale had um, rented out for him. And his lovely wife, Elżbieta, was there. And after I performed the whole piece, he said, "Mm, that's not one of my favorite pieces, but I like your playing." You know, I mean, you get to know about this about him. He he is so funny, but he has probably very one of the most driest humor—

—I have ever seen. And, but he's— he speaks truth all the time, and whatever on his mind, he will give you his true opinion. And he's the first one to point out if you're playing something wrong in his music. He actually notices it immediately and points it out to you. So, um, I, you know, I just first laughed nervously, and then he said, "But I like how you play the violin, and I would like for you to learn my um, second concerto." And I thought, "Oh, my gosh, this is like the biggest compliment." And so, yeah, that's how it came about that I met him, and then he brought me over to so many different continents and so many different stages and with the orchestras to perform his second violin concerto, and I got to uh, record it, not with him conducting it, but um, yeah, on Naxos label, after Anne-Sophie Mutter had recorded it, of course.

It was the um, Warsaw Philharmonic with Antoni Wit.

Yes.

Yeah, it's a great experience.

Yes.

Sure. Well, I have to say, you know, of course, the communication with a conductor is very important, but a lot of times, I feel like, especially having performed a lot of chamber music, and I love performing chamber music with other musicians, um, I I after that experience, and I start to sort of look at the concerto playing the concerto as a similar experience, instead of playing the, you know, soloist part against the orchestra, but rather with the orchestra musicians. So, and you know, if the conductor is not really communicative with you, it may be his personal style to maybe not look at you. I mean, you know, we all have different style of of communicating, of course. So, you know, once I understood that, I don't take that personally, and then I just rely on musicians. And I find that actually actually to be more gratifying experience because I feel like, oh, I'm having conversation with the musicians. And then, you know, when I know what the orchestra part is, or, you know, if I anticipate it, and I maybe I'm just mistaken, but I feel like a lot of orchestra players also enjoy that communication with a soloist, you know? Because I will turn around and sort of like recognize them, and I'll try to listen to the part that I'm supposed to be playing with, you know, rather than against, you know what I'm saying?

So—

So, yes, I I agree that some some of the conductors are, um, have different style of communicating. You know, there was one conductor, I was playing the Sibelius Violin Concerto, and I had never worked with him before, and um, you know, I I'm so used to sort of eye contact with the with a conductor, you know, because, you know—

Also, I just love to look at the conductor and just make sure that, and I love it when they look at me back, you know? Well, I love doing it. Yeah, so, I would love to work with you. Um, so, and, you know, when we have the music memorized, and, um, I know that there are, of course, you know, performers also have different style when they perform, but I'm usually I like to keep my eyes open for, you know, when I'm having to communicate with a with a conductor. And so he didn't look at me, you know, much at all, uh, during the rehearsal, so I was kind of concerned about that. And then I thought, "You know what? For the concert, I have like ninety—" you know, like ninety-nine musicians on the on stage who are willing to communicate with me. So, when the cellists start playing, I'm going to look at them, and I could feel, you know, the violinists, you know, I could almost see the, um, concertmaster, because when I'm performing, I usually, rather than standing in front of the orchestra, if it works out with the acoustics of the hall, I would like to stand more sort of inside the, um, orchestra, do you know what I mean? So I am not— like if the conductor is here, he's not really parallel, I'm almost diagonally across.

Yeah, and then also first violins like the the concertmaster, I have a direct eye contact.

Yeah. So, and then a lot of times, you know, great concertmasters, they will kind of lead the orchestra as well as the conductor, and it's combined effort, I, you know, I recognize and I often see, and I really like that as well, you know? So, at the concert, it went just fine, you know? He I don't think he looked at me, I just decided not to even look at him because I didn't want to take that personally, you know? If I look at him, I don't want to make him feel uncomfortable, and then make myself look like, "Oh, okay, fine, he's not looking at me back," you know, like whatever.

Maybe that's so I don't feel so bad now, that Leon Fleisher had that experience.

Wow!

Hm.

You know, I really appreciate it when I when I get to repeat the concertos. I don't know if I'm the only one who's— Maybe I haven't repeated enough. But um, you know, people ask me, "Aren't you sick and tired of playing the Mendelssohn?" I'm like, "No, every time I play it, I I just I'm amazed how can a human being write this beautiful melody?"

I totally agree, and it's so nerve-wracking, too, because so many people know it, and that first page, you know, that E minor, very awkward key for the violin—

—to begin.

Of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, you mean the very beginning?

Well, I personally prefer— I've played in, you know, uh, different tempo settings. When I was young, I would probably rely more on, you know, established conductors what their opinion is, and I would try to learn from that. And I'm still young. I feel like I'm still learning. But I—

I personally prefer not— it not to be too slow. Um, so in the beginning, you know, when the orchestras come in, you know, with this sort of this melody, you know, sort of it's very stirring, and it's and I feel like my line is more of a yearning. I want my line to seem like it's not hurried, but I don't want it to be so slow tempo that I sound too sentimental or too sad. It is definitely yearning beautiful melody, but still kind of, you know, allegro molto appassionato.

Yeah, with passion, and for me, passion is a little bit more urgency. And that is definitely in the orchestra part in the eighth note moving eighth notes. Um, and mine should be very, you know, sort of singing linear line above that, but I would I would like it to be not too slow so that I could still yearn and have that feeling of urgency.

Too, um, too frantic, maybe, mm-hmm.

Yes.

Well, you know, it was it's interesting because my, um, my teacher, great, legendary Dorothy DeLay—

—she had told me, you know, when I was learning the Tchaikovsky Concerto, you know, she would say, you know, once we learn the piece pretty well, and she would say, "Why don't you go to the library—" at the time we didn't have YouTube or anything like that—"go to the library, listen to five different recordings. Five different artists you choose, and then compare, and then come back to me with your thoughts on them." So then I will do that, you know, with the first movement, second movement, and then with the third movement, she had said, "You know—" and and then I had mentioned to her at the time, I said, "You know, I thought that I used to think that Mr. Perlman's recording of that concerto was so fast! But actually, it's not metronomically so fast, but it sounds so brilliant." And she goes, "Aha, that's the trick." She said, "You know, when you play things too fast, you actually lose the brilliance and clarity."

So when you bring this uh, the tempo a little bit back, you get to actually hear every note a lot more clearly, you could play them better, too, and you end up sounding more brilliant.

So, and that was like, okay, well, that I got to remember that, because, and also, when we are on stage, you know, with the nerves, like when we get nervous, we get so excited, and our heart is beating faster. You feel like your heart becoming out of your chest. And, you tend to do everything a lot more quicker, because then I hear the recording back, I'm like, "Wow, I didn't mean to play that that fast."

That's right.

That's so different. So using your ears— I mean, it comes with experience, I have to say, and I'm still learning that, too, even till till this day.

Yeah, a little bit heavier, yeah.

Yeah, I got to listen to that recording again, yeah.

Yes.

That's a very good question, because I feel like Mendelssohn, again, I agree with you completely, that it is it should have the feeling of that classical, sort of more lightness and that elegance.

Not so much the juiciness of the Tchaikovsky's Romanticism, or the sort of the big big gestures of the Brahms Violin Concerto. And, yes, I mean, that's why I think sometimes quicker tempo also helps me, and the the strokes, you know, like what you do with a your right hand. Mm-hmm. Even when you're, you know, with the second theme, you know, like how you phrase it, and also how you kind of bow it, you can't be too heavy, and it's in the dynamic is in piano, there is no strings that you're fighting against, really, and so, yeah, I mean, that lighter approach is I say light, I will say more elegant.

As as you said, it's not so much so sentimental, it's not crying.

You kind of really dig into places and then there—

Yes! Yeah, even you're right about that. It it also, his Trio, too, piano trios, which I love, and I love—

And the C minor, too, I mean, it's genius writing. It is. Yeah.

Absolutely. You know, actually, Mr. Penderecki had mentioned that. He said, "You know, chamber music is very, very important." He says, "You get to know about a composer through his chamber music."

Yeah, and so, you know, when I was learning his sextet, for example, he talked about that a lot and how chamber music is— this is what his true love was, chamber music and writing chamber music.

Nice. Well, that used to be sort of the— That's the way it was done. That's the way it was done. So different music, different strokes for different folks, different music for different locations, don't you think?

I know. I know, that's why we never get tired of it. You know, every performance is so different, every occasion is so different, every hall's different, every orchestra is different, conductor, it's like—

Our field, as in like our classical music?

You know, people talk about a lot, you know, like about like how we need to bring in more new people or younger audiences, reaching out to them and so forth. I think great music speaks for itself, and I've introduced classical music to some of my close friends who are not musicians, and you know, when I talk about it like how it makes me feel like how I'm I'm emotionally moved by it, but I also bring out, you know, certain parts of the music why it makes so, and they completely agree. They just need to be— I agree that they need to be exposed to it. Um, but doesn't have to be you don't have to be so young to be exposed to it. I think you appreciate it in your 20s, 30s, and 40s, you know, but how you are exposed to it the first time, I think it is it is important. And, I mean, I try to do my part, and I know that a lot of my friends, my colleagues, you know, classical musicians do the same thing, you know, to introduce it in a way that how we feel about it, because you know, you will always remember the things that you're you have emotional response to.

And that's what we are looking for, emotional response to classical music that we've experienced, and it's incredible. And I know that once, you know, people experience it, they will come back for more. And I know, and you know, talking to a lot of um, like audience members, like, you know, patrons, during the pandemic, they can't wait until like go back to concert hall. I think we're just going to have like flood of all these people. We're going to have even bigger audience than before because now they're going to really appreciate having live musicians playing and and the musicians, too. Like, right now, I can't wait until I go on stage in February, I'm so excited about it. I know I have, you know, time to review really carefully. It was like this time was really nice to have sort of like have a little break and smell the flowers on like right in front of you, and to really get to know it better. So um, you know, I'll probably look back to this period and say, "Wow, that was incredible time in our life," and you know, a lot of unfortunate things have happened, but at the same time, it also made us kind of grow in a positive way. And and I know that I'm not the only one feeling that, so—

Thank you, you too.