Catherine Kwak has no regrets. It’s a big call for someone who from age 12 combined school and university studies, then at 15 left school and moved across country to study the cello.
The big decisions did not stop there. At just 18 years old, having finished her bachelor of arts in music, she headed straight to medical school.
‘‘I’d make the same decisions again.’’
There was just one piece of unfinished business, though - the New Zealand National Concerto Competition.
Korean-born and New Zealand-raised, Kwak was in her last year of medical school when she decided to give the competition one final go. She had competed before many years previously without success and knew this was her last opportunity before her medical career kicked into gear.
‘‘I thought why not give it one last big shot?’’
She knuckled down, practising as much as she could alongside her studies, and last year achieved her goal, emerging as the winner after performing Cello Concerto in B minor by Antonin Dvorak.
‘‘It was really special for me. There was definitely a part of me who wanted to do it for myself.’’
While fully comfortable with her decision to follow a medical career, she did think it would end her musical career.
‘‘I never thought I’d perform solo again, but I’ve been lucky to have opportunities to keep it up. It’s not what I expected when I made the decision.’’
She has played with the Auckland Philharmonia and tomorrow will perform with Corpus Medicorum, the Australian Medical Orchestra, in Dunedin.
Kwak, who grew up in Christchurch but studied music at Waikato University, has also discovered many of her colleagues enjoy music, like those medical professionals in the Melbourne-based orchestra, who play everything from violin to bassoon to percussion.
‘‘I decided I definitely have to try and make time for it.’’
The decision to follow a medical career came as she got to the point of realising that while she really enjoyed music, she was ‘‘intrigued’’ with the rest of the world.
‘‘I was looking for a different way to connect and help others. I thought music might not be the best way and that there might be more [to] life than music.’’
She looked at what else she was interested in that provided a similar connection to people, and medicine seemed a good match.
Entering medical school, Kwak was the same age as her fellow students for the first time. ‘‘It was a bit of a shock to the system.’’
Being the youngest in class by some years had not really been too much of a problem for Kwak.
‘‘I got along really well. I was so into that career and passionate about it I did not mind missing out on a ‘normal’ school life. But I didn’t miss out on a social life. Musicians are all so friendly as we are all going through the same things.’’
Now a first-year house officer, Kwak describes her cello playing as her main hobby. She is careful to balance the musical opportunities she has by giving herself regular down time so she is not overwhelmed.
‘‘I find routine and balance works for me. Getting fresh air, going for walks, exercising. I still do lot of pilates, bake, see friends.’’
Kwak also realised she now has a different relationship with the cello, which she started playing when she was 7 after her older brother took up the violin.
‘‘If it was my main job I’d have to do it 24-7 regardless of if I wanted to do it or not. You love it but it’s a job. Now the lucky thing for me is I get to do it as much as I want and not to earn money.
‘‘It makes it more stress-free and [I] do it for the love of it, rather than anything else. It was definitely a factor in my decision-making.’’
Kwak is coming to Dunedin to perform with Corpus Medicorum. She will play the Elgar concerto, the first ‘‘big concerto’’ she learnt more than 10 years ago.
‘‘It’s really special to me. It’s one I’ve performed most and the more times you do something you discover something new. I’m looking forward to playing this again.’’
Corpus Medicorum director Phillip Antippa says Kwak’s experience is not too unusual, as there are many talented musicians in the orchestra who have wide-ranging careers in all sorts of medical fields, from dentistry, nursing and medical science to medical law and psychiatry.
‘‘Many could well have made a professional career in music but chose their own path in the health sciences.’’
Some are former professional musicians who have retrained in the medical field like Kwak.
‘‘She’s a superstar. We’re really looking forward to playing with her.’’
Antippa himself is a violist and a Royal Melbourne Hospital cardiothoracic surgeon. He set the orchestra up in 2002 to give medical professionals an outlet for their musical talents.
‘‘We started out small but now most of our repertoire is large orchestral repertoire - the big symphonic stuff - and we give four concerts each year. We’re pretty good; we’re probably considered the best amateur orchestra in the country. We play some fairly challenging works to critical acclaim.’’
The orchestra, conducted by Keith Crellin, raises funds for the The Royal Melbourne Hospital to fund lung cancer research. Antippa works mostly in the lung cancer field.
‘‘We’ve raised well over $1 million for lung cancer research.’’
It also likes to encourage young, up-and-coming musicians by inviting them to perform alongside the orchestra.
‘‘We also try and support local musicians in Melbourne.’’
Before the pandemic, the orchestra, on behalf of the City of Melbourne, also toured overseas to sister cities St Petersburg in Russia, Osaka Japan, Milan Italy and Greece, and was about to travel to China when Covid-19 put a stop to it.
The tour to New Zealand is its first since Covid reduced its grip and the orchestra is looking forward to it, he says.
It will be raising funds for Canterbury Charity Hospital Trust in Christchurch and the Otago Medical Research Foundation in Dunedin.
As well as Kwak’s Elgar concerto, they will be playing Weber’s Der Freischutz Overture and Brahms’ Symphony No 2.
‘‘It’s a hero programme of classic repertoire. Very populist, and we’re very excited to be playing in your great halls which are renowned for their acoustic excellence.’’
Members of the orchestra had become not just friends but family over the years.
‘‘We get to play amazing music with our best mates. It’s a highly rewarding opportunity to play and perform to together.’’
While many people might rightly assume medical professionals are extremely busy, Antippa says there is always time for the things people love.
‘‘You need to be organised. You get immense satisfaction that is achieved from playing orchestral music, like any team activity or anything you’ve spent thousands of hours practising... this is what it’s for, you get the opportunity to participate in the greatest art form.
‘‘You’re there for the moment. It is a thrill to play. There is nothing like it, for us at least.’’
Antippa is also proud of the orchestra giving people a vehicle to continue playing, rather than putting the instrument away when they begin their medical careers.
‘‘That’s been incredibly satisfying.’’
To see
Rebirth, South Island New Zealand Concert Tour,
Corpus Medicorum,
Dunedin Town Hall, Friday at 7pm
