How long were you in the San Diego Symphony?
5 years. I joined the Orchestra in August 2012.
Where are you now? How long have you been there?
I have been a member of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Australia since August 2017.
What do you enjoy about being in Australia?
Sometimes I still can’t believe that I live in a country that always seemed to be so exotic and too far to even consider visiting. I love to travel and living in Sydney gives me the opportunity to travel around Australia and visit countries or islands that otherwise would be much further away.
What do you miss about San Diego?
Besides really missing my good friends, I also miss the accessibility that SD offers. Whether it was going to see friends, shopping, walking by the ocean or hiking, it was all within a 15min drive from my place. That’s a very unique advantage of San Diego that I probably won’t get to experience anywhere else.
If you had a long weekend in SD what would you do?
I would go to a farmers’ market to get some seasonal fruit. I’d do some hiking on Cowles Mountain and Torrey Pines. I’d get a carnitas burrito from El Zarape. And finally, obviously I wouldn’t miss going to Nordstrom Rack, Marshall’s and other outlet stores.
How have you changed as a violinist and artist since college?
I often think that I sound a certain way and after recording myself, I find out I sound quite differently. Without having weekly lessons and getting feedback from a teacher, I have had to learn (and I’m still working on it) to prevent some bad habits and have a more coherent sound.
We often have only one performance of our chamber music concerts. In preparation for such a concert, I try to push myself musically as much as possible so by the time the performance comes and I’m cooperating with my mad nerves (yes, I still do), I am still able to deliver the musical message. Since I left college, I no longer have to perform as many super technically challenging pieces and now, as I get older, I work and focus on creating more of a musical and emotional impression while playing a piece. I want to engage with the audience through my playing and move them emotionally, because, after all, that’s what the audience will remember after a concert. Perhaps that wasn’t on my radar so much during my violin studies.
Lastly, in order to not be bored as a musician, I am always trying to expand my creativity in areas such as phrasing, vibrato and bow strokes. Baroque music provides the best materials for these explorations.
What would be your first restaurant/food joint if you came to visit?
GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen or a sushi restaurant, maybe Sushi Tadokoro.
