① 

How did you get started playing music?

② 

What are you looking forward to about PMF?

③ 

What is most important to you when you perform (or practice)?

Ms. Astrid den Daas  

clarinet

Co-principal clarinetist, Philharmonisches Orchester Hagen, Germany

①

As soon as I heard Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf at the age of 9, I somehow fell in love with the characterizing melody of the cunning cat.

②

To feel no limitations or resistance at all between me and my instrument. To be in control and feel free while playing, like my instrument is my own enhanced voice. To succeed in this state of performing, is for me an important goal during practicing and performances.

③

Playing different kinds of large orchestra works, and also being part of smaller chamber music groups. I expect to learn and experience lots of things from colleagues and coaches.

Mr. Jia Shuchen  

violin

Hong Kong Sinfonietta

①

Playing violin with my brother as a hobby.

②

Feeling and enjoying the music on stage, conquering different “obstacles” and becoming a better “version” during practice. Great feeling!

③

Can’t wait to meet new friends and musicians, and conductors who I have only encountered on the computer screen. It will be surreal and exciting.

Ms. Sofia Sakharova  

violin

N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg Conservatory

①

My home was always full of music: my grandmothers are pianists, both parents are violinists. From very early childhood I remember many different sounds, and often was in the Theatre where my parents worked, listening to concerts, performances, even rehearsals. I wanted to be a part of this magic.

②

A symbiosis of attention and freedom.

③

The experience of working with great artists, and meeting other cultures and styles of playing.

Mr. James Vaughen 

trumpet

Curtis Institute of Music (starting this Fall)

①

I fell in love with music when I was very young, but didn’t discover how to express that love until later in my life. My mother is a pianist, and introduced me to singing and piano at an early age. The first time I realized that I wanted to play trumpet was listening to Star Wars CDs and hearing the trumpet sound soar up and over the rest of the orchestra. I gradually began to focus more on trumpet for I felt like I could express myself better through one individual melodic line.

②

The only thing the audience cares about is the exact moment of musical creation. It does not matter how loud, fast, or high I play, but only how beautifully every phrase can convey a story to the audience. Performing in retirement homes has helped me discover the amazing power of music and that, no matter what form music comes in, it is a boundless shared experience between the performer and any audience.

③

What makes me most excited about PMF is the music, people, and place. This year I have been doing non-music related educational work for AmeriCorps (government service program) in a small town in Mississippi, so I am immensely looking forward to getting to make music with new people. I have not gotten to play in an orchestra or have any lessons all year, so I cannot wait to work with the faculty and experience the extremely high quality of orchestral playing.