As Dunedin's only classical string ensemble performs its first concert in the city this year, Rebecca Fox talks to one of the recipients of Cellists of Otago's largess.
When Adeline Chai is not studying to improve dental health she picks up the cello.
A doctoral student at the University of Otago's dental school, she is the recipient of Cellists of Otago's first grant to study cello performance.
Cellists of Otago's Heleen du Plessis said the ensemble aimed to bring institutions and community together and to raise funds towards supporting the growing need and interest in the development of cello education at all levels in Dunedin.
"Interesting enough, most of these multitalented students in the ensemble are doing double degrees or taking cello as part of their degrees in, for example, health science, law and business.''
Chai (28) came to cello late, although music had always been part of her life growing up in Malaysia.
"I love music. If I was not doing dentistry, I'd do music.''
Originally planning to study medicine, she took her brother's advice and did dentistry instead, something she was grateful for.
"There's no night or weekend work.''
She played the piano and violin which she did not like much but she persevered.
When she finished her dental degree in Melbourne and moved to Singapore to practise dentistry she bought herself a cello.
"I got myself a teacher and started to learn.''
The cello's attractions were its sound, being able to play it with others and that it enabled her to sit down to play.
"The music is great.''
Having played other instruments was helpful but the technique needed to play the cello was very different.
"I'm learning all over again.''
When she decided to follow her family to Dunedin she was glad to find a passionate and enthusiastic teacher in Heleen du Plessis.
"To work with Heleen is a golden opportunity. To find a teacher that passionate is rare.''
When she took up her dental studies, she wondered how she would find the time or funds to continue her cello study but the grant from Cellists of Otago fixed that problem.
"There is never enough time; every day is a learning process.''
She squeezes in lessons and rehearsals around her dentistry study, often spending a full day studying then heading to Marama Hall to practise for half-an-hour before returning to study.
"I wish there was more time to practise.''
To continue to support young musicians such as Chai, Cellists of Otago are performing a concert this weekend directed by du Plessis.
Cellists of Otago consists of staff and students from the University of Otago, members of the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra and visiting cellist Maggie Ma from Burnside High School in Christchurch.
The ensemble in combinations of two to 12 cellists will play Victorian Classics, Bach's Birthday Bash, Music from the Movies, Dancing with Twelve Cellos and Voices of Peace.
They will be joined by soloists Music and Theatre Studies Assoc Prof Peter Adams (clarinet) and Singaporean pianist Jieying Liew, who has graduated recently from the University of Otago with a master's of music with distinction under Prof Terence Dennis.
Adams will perform the famous slow movement from Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, also the theme music from Out of Africa while Liew will perform a movement from the Mozart Piano Concerto K488 as well as an etude by Chopin.
Du Plessis will perform a duo with clarinet and a trio with piano, clarinet and cello of famous Irish and Jewish songs.
New on the cellists programme is a quartet by New Zealand composer Gareth Farr Ascent featuring solos by two cello students Peter Lee and Sean Stenhouse in a Sonata for 2 cellos and piano and a cello quartet arrangement of a work by Ravel.
Cellists of Otago performed in Wanaka earlier this year as part of the Wanaka Concert Society's concert series.
To see
Cello Favourites, July 24, Marama Hall at 3pm
