LPO interviews Elena as she prepares for debut

Posted by Charlotte Hintzen, Projects & Events Co-ordinator on 1 June 2010 | 0 Comments

Tags: Elena Urioste, LPO, Brightsparks, Sibelius, Sheherazade, Rimsky-Korsakov,

Later this month Elena will be playing with the LPO for one of the orchestra’s Brightsparks  schools concerts.  In anticipation, they sat down for an informal  q & a session to get to know each other a little better:

»Please could you tell us a little about your background?

I am 23 years old, and have been playing the violin since the age of five.

I am an only child, and despite coming from a non-musical family, my parents have been incredibly supportive and encouraging of me over the course of my musical life. I was raised in the Philadelphia area, and moved to downtown Philadelphia to attend the Curtis Institute of Music at the age of 17, where I studied with Joseph Silverstein, Ida Kavafian, and Pamela Frank. I now reside in New York City (I did a year of graduate studies at the Juilliard School with Joel Smirnoff), which is a dream come true. My life consists of a lot of travelling, both within the United States and abroad, and I couldn't be happier with knowing that my childhood dream of becoming a violin soloist is coming true! I adore working with children, so outreach is an extremely important component of my career.

»Why and when did you decide to learn to play the violin?

My love for the violin began at the age of two, when I saw the very famous violinist Itzhak Perlman featured on the children's television show, Sesame Street. Mr. Perlman was talking to Elmo and playing his violin, and I was instantly captivated. I don't come from a musical family, so my parents must have thought my infatuation was somewhat strange! They encouraged me to wait a few years, and so when I was five (after three years of relentless nagging on my part), I began taking violin lessons in my public school.

»How do you feel about playing with a whole orchestra at the concert?

Standing in front of and collaborating with an orchestra is one of the greatest feelings in the world. Having this wave of sound wash over me is a truly indescribable sensation - I distinctly remember that during my first time rehearsing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with an orchestra, I literally burst out grinning at the sound of the heroic trumpet calls in the first orchestral tutti. I'm very comfortable (delighted!) with the notion that, while having the freedom to concentrate deeply on the solo line and make spontaneous musical decisions, I am fully supported by a lush bed of sound. I love the collaborative element of performing with an orchestra - I definitely do not view it as a truly "solo" endeavour, but rather like making chamber music with many musicians at the same time!

»Please could you tell us about the music you are going to play at the concert and what we should particularly listen out for?

I think that the most important job of a musician is to make the audience feel something vivid, and bring each character within the music to life.
For instance, while Scheherazade (Rimsky-Korsakov) is an extremely colourful work, filled with sweeping oceanic moods and exotic harmonies, the third movement of the Sibelius violin concerto is an almost sinister dance, where the violin charges to the end in a near-frenzy. These different moods and colours can positively transport a listener, and I hope I do my part in helping the audience get lost in each composer's world!

Links:

Although the brightsparks event is not an open event, if you would like to see Elena while she is in London this month come to this! http://bit.ly/ajAZow
Check out Elena's profile on the LMM website or her appearance in the LMM promo video
LPO Website
Brightsparks webpage
SAMNYC