Young talent brilliantly shines with the star of the violin?
StephenMcleod
Young talent brilliantly shines with the star of the violin?
On February 10, two talented violinists, winners of numerous competitions, will perform at the WrocÅaw Philharmonic. The first is the American virtuoso Rachel Barton Pine, making her debut in Poland, and the second is 11-year-old Kaja Szadujko. 'This is a great recognition for her talent and skills' â says the teacher of the young violinist.
'Kaja is very excited about the concert, she is not nervous because this will not be her first performance at the philharmonic. She already has stage experience, but such a concert will help develop her talent. It is a great reward for her hours of practice' â says Ryszarda Knappe, the teacher and musical guardian of the young WrocÅawian. On February 10, she will perform during the concert of the outstanding American violinist of Polish descent, Rachel Barton Pine, which will start at 19:30. The organizer of the virtuoso's concert tour, the Bielecki Art Foundation, besides promoting outstanding artists, is also keen to support young musicians. The WrocÅaw concert will certainly be a great recognition for those playing in the Beethoven Academy Orchestra. The orchestra, composed of the most outstanding students and graduates of European music academies, will perform with Rachel Barton Pine under the baton of MichaÅ Nesterowicz, playing, among others, 'The Four Seasons' by Vivaldi. 'Rachel is an extraordinary artist! Her mastery of the instrument, musical imagination, ability to engage in dialogue, and ultimately her beautiful bright sound are just a few features that distinguish her among other remarkable artists' â says Nesterowicz, the director of the National Symphony Orchestra in Santiago de Chile.
First love at the age of three
For young musicians, the American master can be an example. 'Just because someone loves music and has talent does not guarantee being a good performer. The technical requirements of playing the violin are like Olympic sport' â says the virtuoso. Homeschooling allowed her to dedicate eight hours a day to violin lessons, and the difficult financial situation of her family meant that before she turned 14, she had to become her family's main breadwinner. She played at weddings, as well as with orchestras and during other paid performances. 'I used to wear a lot of makeup and pretended to be older than I was' â she admits.
She fell in love with the violin when she was three years old, and it was love at first sound. 'Initially, I loved the sound of the violin' â she recalls. 'Its voice spoke to me as if it were somehow destined. Before I turned five, I knew that this was what my life would revolve around. Even then, I defined myself by my instrument' â she adds. Born in 1974, Rachel Barton Pine not only fell in love with the violin at the age of three but also began playing it then. She was quickly recognized as a 'wonder child.' At the age of 10, she debuted with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. At 17, she became the youngest and first American to win the J.S. Bach competition in Leipzig. As a teenager, she also won significant awards in Budapest, Montreal, Genoa, and Brussels. She has performed as a soloist with the most important world orchestras and the most distinguished conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Placido Domingo, and Erich Leinsdorf. However, her musical interests extend far beyond classical music; she has played with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin, performed in a heavy metal band, and collaborated with guitar virtuoso Steve Vai.
She ended up in a Polish prison and hospital
She has released 18 albums, including one Grammy-nominated album, one of her favorite rock and metal tracks, and many classical pieces differently â including music from the Romantic era with demonic undertones or variations of the New Zealand anthem. Depending on the style performed, she chooses her violin, but her favorite instrument is a violin considered one of the most important and valuable in the world, made in 1742 by Guarneri â the creator of Paganini's favorite instrument. She has dealt with mastery not only in music. She participated in the Olympic torch relay in 1996 in Atlanta and also performed at the opening of the Paralympics in Atlanta. She performed the national anthem of the USA during Chicago Bulls games, for which she received a hug from Michael Jordan. The uniqueness of her person is complemented by a difficult experience, after which she triumphantly returned to music. In 1995, when her career was gaining significant momentum, she suffered a serious accident. The train doors caught her violin case strap, and she was dragged outside the train, which crushed one of her legs and injured the other. After a two-year break for multiple surgeries and rehabilitation, she returned to the stage.
She created a charitable foundation whose mission is to promote classical music. She herself is one of the most recognized ambassadors of the violin in the USA and often promotes it in places far from concert halls. The first to hear Rachel Barton Pine play in Poland were inmates at a prison in Nowa Huta. On February 8, on the Day of the Prison Service, she received a standing ovation from the inmates in the intimate hall of the Krakow prison. She also delighted the patients and staff of the University Children's Hospital in Krakow, where she performed on February 9, the day of her performance at the Krakow Philharmonic. 'I am happy with every opportunity to share music with people' â says the violinist. 'Touching human hearts and uplifting their spirits is what I strive to achieve every time I perform.'
Polish-American dialogue
Rachel Barton Pine is also strongly engaged in helping young people with musical genes. She inherited them from her Polish ancestors. 'I am half Polish on my father's side. My great-grandparents emigrated to America when they were still teenagers' â she reveals. She adds that her great-grandparents wanted their children to become true Americans, so they did not allow her grandparents to learn Polish. 'That is why my dad did not pass on any family traditions from the Old World that I could inherit' â admits Rachel Barton Pine with a smile. 'When thinking about Poland, I think about my heritage' â she emphasizes. Musical associations with the land of her ancestors are primarily Wieniawski and Szymanowski, but the WrocÅaw audience will also get to know her in the repertoire of Vivaldi and Sibelius. The violinist admits that her imagination works hard while playing 'The Four Seasons.' 'For example, the last part of 'Autumn' is a hunt. My colleagues in the orchestra are hunters with guns and dogs, and I am a fleeing deer who ultimately dies. It is a battle between the orchestra and the soloist, in which the orchestra wins!' â she describes. She adds that although Vivaldi gave a very specific description of what the music might represent, over the years, he filled in several gaps in it.
*** Rachel Barton Pine's concert tour includes the following venues: Krakow Philharmonic â 09.02.2012, 19:30 WrocÅaw Philharmonic â 10.02.2012, 19:30 Warsaw University of Technology â 11.02.2012, 19:30.