BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Young artists of the Australian National Academy of Music will soon have the privilege of working with highly experienced, world-renowned conductor Eduardo Strausser.
But the thing is, Eduardo still considers himself to be a young artist, too.
Despite his youth, this Brazilian maestro has led musicians the world over, from the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra to the Queensland Symphony Orchestra; the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg to the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin.
It’s an inspiring story for emerging artists, and one that’ll come to life when Eduardo joins ANAM for a performance of Petrushka this September.
In this interview, we chat with Eduardo about conducting (for which his “charisma, stage presence, and good chemistry with the orchestra” have been praised); and his unpredictable ability to speak eight languages (Portuguese, Romanian, English, Hebrew, Spanish, French, German, and Italian — just in case you were curious).
Eduardo, before we get stuck into this interview, I’m going to stop you right here: word has it you can speak eight languages? Fluently?!
I grew up in an environment where many languages were spoken, and that was something that I found quite normal when I was a child. During the period at school, it was curiosity and my love for literature that led me to learn new languages. Of course, I had to work hard and study a lot!
How has your experience in so many languages helped your musical career, from verbal communication with artists to an understanding of musical cultures?
Speaking a foreign language broadens the mind and makes one understand better a different culture, a different mentality.
I believe music-making is based in social interactions, and being able to navigate between different cultures is a great advantage.
You’ve also been heavily praised for your “charisma, stage presence, and good chemistry” with musicians. Tell us a bit about your conducting style, and how much you value and balance body language with the spoken word.
Although body language is an essential part of the job of a conductor, there are moments when just the spoken word can communicate a very specific message. Through words, we can create metaphors and bring some fantasy to the players. What I try to do is to create a link between these metaphors and the gestures that I use to send non-verbal messages to the musicians. Chemistry is not something easily explained with words!
You’ll be conducting ANAM Musicians through Petrushka. How do you like to connect with young musicians in particular, and what methods of communication do you find to be most effective?
I really enjoy working with young musicians! Because I also feel like a young musician myself, when I work with the young talent I don’t really change or adapt anything. Although the challenges might be different from a professional orchestra, the approach to the music, and the music-making, is the same.
From my experience, the more responsibility you give them, the more they commit themselves to the music.
ANAM describes Petrushka as exuding “energy, lyricism, playfulness”; do you see yourself in the spirit of this work?
Petrushka is a story within a story, and there are very few things that I enjoy more than a good story! Filled with adventure, evocative colours, smells, and very complex characters, these scènes burlesques have a universal appeal. I just can’t wait to bring the puppets to life with the collaboration of the ANAM Orchestra.
Emerging musicians of ANAM will be very lucky to work with you — you bring an enormous range of experiences with you! What do you find are some of the most common questions young musicians ask you when it comes to giving them advice about their future careers?
Young musicians are generally worried about the future. And they are right about that. My only advice is to always be yourself, and study hard. And don’t forget to have a social life — offline, of course.
Are there any questions you’d like to hear more of? How can young musicians prepare to meet someone of your experience, and get the most out of working with you?
I believe the most important thing is to be curious. Curiosity brings questions. And there are no wrong or stupid questions. As long as there is curiosity, there will be intellectual and social development. And that is essential in music making.
What do you most enjoy about working with emerging artists?
I enjoy getting to know them and their perspectives and opinions about the music we are making together. I am very open and have a keen interest in how colleagues approach the works we do together. And, of course, I love to hear their stories — everybody has a good story to tell.
What do you hope to achieve for the audience when leading this upcoming program?
I hope the audience embarks on our journey and feels the same enthusiasm that, for sure, we will have on stage. I hope they create their own story of Petrushka, laughing and crying with the puppets’ loves and jealousies.
See Eduardo conduct the ANAM Orchestra through Petrushka, 7.30pm September 7 at Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre.
We’re teaming up with ANAM throughout 2019 to bring you interviews about music education and industry. Stay tuned for our next story!
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Images supplied. ANAM Musicians captured by Pia Johnson.
