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MainlyMozartSD OP t1_iqwfrh9 wrote

Reply to comment by thebace in I'm concertmaster (principal violin) of New York's Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and a professor at Juilliard. Next week, I'll be performing with the Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra in San Diego - the largest annual gathering of concertmasters and principal players in North America. AMA! by MainlyMozartSD

One does indeed have to take care of the basics, to which I would add tone as well as pitch and rhythm. But the basics aren't enough; at the top professional level one takes those qualities for granted. The winner usually sounds like a winner, i.e. they're playing music (with brilliance, expression, emotion, etc.) and not just notes.

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thebace t1_iqwg1v1 wrote

Thanks for the response.

How can one develop that winning sound as opposed to someone continually advancing to semis or finals without winning?

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MainlyMozartSD OP t1_iqwh2ju wrote

The playing has to cohere as a performance and not sound like one is just taking a test.

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BestCatEva t1_iqxm5i1 wrote

Remember, music happens between the notes. My mentor (who also taught at Jilliard) would take a lot of time communicating the ‘how’ of musicianship.

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