Two New Zealand artists with flourishing careers overseas are coming home and will perform with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra this weekend. Rebecca Fox talks to violinist Amalia Hall, who will be conducted by Holly Mathieson.
She played her first solo in front of 150,000 people at the age of 9, but Amalia Hall can still remember the excitment of the experience.
Playing the Bach Double Concerto with her sister Lara and the Auckland Philharmonia at the Starlight Symphony was the beginning of a career that has taken Hall to Europe and the United States.
"I still love the feeling of walking on stage to perform with an entire orchestra behind me, creating a lush symphonic sound to support my solo line.''
Considered one of New Zealand's foremost young violinists, Hall will be performing with the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra for the first time and will be conducted by University of Otago-trained Holly Mathieson.
Mathieson was recently named as assistant conductor at the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and is resident conductor of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland Junior Orchestra.
Hall, who trained at Auckland University and the Curtis Institute of Music under renowned violinists Pamela Frank and Joseph Silverstein, grew up listening to classical music.
Her love for the violin grew out of wanting to be just like her older siblings who were learning the instrument because their parents thought it would be a good hobby.
"I desperately wanted to copy my siblings and asked my parents for lessons, so I 'eventually' began lessons at the age of 3.''
By the age of 9 she had her debut solo performance and by 10 she was the youngest member to be accepted into the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra National Youth Orchestra, and continued on to later become its concertmaster.
She has been an associate member of the Auckland Philharmonia since the age of 16 and was contracted as principal first violin in 2012.
While still in her teens she won all of the major awards in New Zealand, including the National Concerto Competition, the National Young Performer of the Year, the Pettman/Royal Over-Seas League Arts Scholarship, the University of Auckland Concerto Competition, and the NZCT Chamber Music Contest on two occasions.
Her dedication to the violin - she practised an hour every day - did not exclude enjoying the usual childhood activities, she said.
She was home schooled until she went to high school at the age of 13, so it allowed plenty of time for many extracurricular activities such as aikido, ballet, pottery, and other musical pursuits such as piano, voice lessons and orchestra.
"I never did excessive hours of practice but consistency was key, I always did practice every day even if it was only a small length of time.
"This meant I also always had plenty of time for reading stacks of books as well as climbing trees and dressing up as cowboys and Indians with my brother.''
She always knew she wanted to be a professional violinist.
"I feel so lucky that I was able to make my dream become reality.
"Each day I have to remind myself that this is 'work', but really it is more of a vocation. I don't take it for granted that I'm able to experience such satisfaction from playing violin and to be able to share that with audiences.''
Her numerous competition successes include laureate prizes at the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition in Hanover, the International Violin Competition "Premio R. Lipizer'', the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians and the Kloster Schontal International Violin Competition, as well as receiving the top prize at the Jeunesses International Music Competition Dinu Lipatti.
For Hall, being a musician is a lifelong journey that is about "discovering new nuances, colours, sounds, characters; pushing ourselves to extremes and developing new ways of thinking and of approaching music''.
"As long as we keep thinking creatively, there will never be a dull day and the possibilities are endless.''
She loved performing and playing a wide range of music from composers across the centuries, and it gave her "true pleasure'' to know that she can share that same experience with the audience.
"No two people will ever have the same experience when listening to music, but it's wonderful to consider how when people listen to music, they can be transported to a different world and have a moment of respite from their busy lives, and experience emotions that both the composers poured into the music, and the performers have to express on the stage.''
But like everyone, sometimes she needed a break. A run cleared her head, kept her fit and helped with her posture and concentration for playing the violin.
While she loved listening to classical music, she sometimes needed a break.
"Especially if I have an earworm from my current repertoire running through my head when I fall asleep at night, which still remains in my head when I wake up in the morning.''
She travelled a lot, an experience she felt very lucky to get to do as she saw some exciting destinations.
"I meet such fascinating people from all around the world and we create friendships that will last for the rest of our lives.''
Europe was a very inspiring place to work because that is where so many cultural traditions began.
"To see where the composers lived, and to experience the components of their culture which have influenced how they expressed their emotions into their music. It's always eye-opening to see historic places. I never want to lose that sense of appreciating places with wide eyes and a fresh perspective.''
Hall plays on a violin made in 2013 by the Padua-based luthier Alberto Cassutti.
To see
Dunedin Symphony Orchestra performs Beethoven's Eroica, Saturday at 5pm, and Sunday at 3pm, King's and Queen's Performing Arts Centre.
