August 2006

a new violin...

August 16, 2006 11:23

It has been a while. Mainly because I have been incredibly busy!
The beginning of May I was in the States to play some concerts, with the high point being the day after the last concert in Texas, where a violinist from the orchestra showed me the incredible nature in Texas, which was a nice break from hotelrooms!

In June I played solo in the Concertgebouw, which I ofcourse enjoyed every minute. It is still the most beautiful hall I know, even Carnegie can't quite compete with it, sorry folks!
I also had to look for a new appartment, and the day I signed my housing contract I also got an amazing violin from the Dutch music foundation; a beautiful Nicolas Lupot, of whom one says he was the Stradivarius of France. He is amazing and I enjoy learning all new aspects of sound. A new violin forces you to relook at your technique and conception of sound and I just love being on this new road. However, I hope to one day buy the violin I have been playing the past 10 years, I really am attached to her!

In July and the first week of August I was rehearsing and playing concerts at the Hortus Festival. On the old violin I put gut strings, which we played on. This is also a complete different experience, also gives you a new concept of sound. And I played some open air recitals. To round it up... I started last week again a project with Amsterdam Sinfonietta, with amazing repertoire: Beethoven Grosse Fuge and opus 135, Shostakovich Quartet and Octet, a piece by a Dutch composer for 4 stringquartets and more. Tomorrow we are off to Germany where we will be playing at the Schleswig Holstein Festival and next week again at the Concertgebouw. I love my life as a musician and the fact that I really get to do everything; solo, chambermusic, orchestra!

Vacation? Well, maybe later. For now I keep on enjoying myself working hard and having loads of fun!

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