In chapter "Viol-in-Love", I tell you that Sonny, another suitor of Nana, i.e. her lifelong friend (since kindergarten) actually plays violin. He and Nana went to the same music course together. When they were small, Nana fared better in her piano. However, when they grew up, Sonny was proven a prodigy - a talent late in blooming.
I compare Sonny with Sarah Chang, the famous child violin prodigy from Korea. Here is one interview article with her from Kozine Magazine, January 2009 (by Lydia Soh)
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Born to a violinist father and composer mother, it is no surprise that Sarah Chang is remarkably musically – inclined. Such a whiz is the young Korean – American lady with the violin that she auditioned for the prestigious Julliard School at the tender age of six. And the extraordinarily gifted classical musician has since collaborated with famed orchestras and conductors worldwide, wielding her bow at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C… just to name a few. But there is more to Sarah Chang than just rare, incredible talent, as KOZINE discovers.What would you be if you were not a professional violinist?
I can’t imagine doing anything else, since I’ve devoted so much of my life to the violin. I do love the music industry though, and would have loved to be involved in some aspect of the music business. Be it the recording industry or dealing with concert promotion etc.
Do you have any favourite pieces of music?
I love anything and everything Brahms wrote.Shostakovich and Sibelius are also my favourites.
Any pre-concert rituals?
Not really! I give too many concerts a year to be locked down into any sort of ritual. I do try to get plenty of rest before a concert; I almost always take a nap and have my own personal quiet time before a concert.
Some classical musicians have chosen to go down the commercial or pop route. Would you ever consider doing that?
No. I don’t feel that it is necessary. I have a wonderful, loyal fan base and I love the work that I do and the music that I have devoted myself to. Some people are better suited for the crossover/pop route but I’m not one of them. I like the integrity and the honesty of the classical music world. You can dress things up or fluff it up in other fields. But with classical music, it truly does come down to whether or not you can deliver on-stage and whether you play well every performance.
I realise that I’m young, and I love fashion, clothes and going out with friends. But that’s the personal part of my life. When it comes to being onstage I like to keep things pretty straightforward. I have done commercials and advertisements for Movado watches and jewellery, I’ve also done advertisements for music/string companies. And I recently did a TV commercial for IBK Bank in Korea. I do make sure though that the companies and names I’m associated with are of the highest quality and only select projects that mean something to me.
Did you know?
• She is currently playing a 1717 Guarneri del Gesu violin
• Yale University dedicated a chair at Sprague Hall in her name in 2005
• She speaks three languages - English, Korean and German
알고 있었나요?
• 장영주는 현재 1717년Guarneri del Gesu 바이올린을 켜고있으며
• 예일대학교에서 그녀의 이름으로 Sprague Hall에 의자를 기부했다.
• 장영주는 영어, 한국어, 독일어 3개국어를 구사한다.
Your most memorable or unforgettable performance to date.
Too many to count! All my debuts were pretty special - my Carnegie Hall debut, my Berlin Philharmonic debut, etc. I played in Pyong Yang several years ago, that was an eye-opening experience for me. I have also played at the Olympic Stadium in Korea and also the World Cup Stadium, all those outdoor events were pretty spectacular.
Tell us something about yourself that people would not normally expect of or associate with you.
That I love to have fun, love to dance and can’t drink to save my life. And I’m also hopeless in the kitchen.
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