BY ROSE DE LA MONTAÑA
Welcome to our new mini interview series, in which we chat with some of the world’s top classical guitarists — each in 5 minutes!
These artists will perform at the inaugural Guitar Perspectives Winter Celebration. First up, meet Meng Su!
Chinese guitarist Meng Su has forged her career as a solo and chamber musician, touring with orchestras as well as the award-winning Beijing Guitar Duo. Meng studied guitar at the Central Conservatory in Beijing, and Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. She has won global performance competitions, and her 2016 debut solo recording Meng was critically acclaimed. She now teaches at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.
Meng, what is it about a piece of music that makes you want to learn that piece and perform it?
Melody, complexity, and the depth of feelings of the piece. I like to also explore different styles of music.
You have studied intensively with living classical guitar legend Manuel Barrueco. Tell us what piece of advice he gave you that you found useful.
I studied with Maestro Barrueco for 12 years. He is definitely an important influence on my playing. One thing I keep reminding myself is how he always asked me to play with my heart: no gimmicks, no mechanism. Be truthful to the music, and sing every note.
You’ve won prestigious guitar competitions, played guitar concerti with top orchestras, and have a lot of success as a touring soloist. How do you deal with nerves before a competition?
To me, the preparation part is the most important and rewarding part of competitions. So in one’s practice, one needs to make sure he or she would perform well under immense pressure.
These are several ways that were helpful to me: visualisation of the hands; run-through the repertoire for friends; and, psychologically, one needs to accept and expect mistakes, and focus on a better musical performance — rather than a no-mistake, boring performance.
Which guitarists are you always inspired listening to, and why?
I grew up listening to Maestro Barrueco’s recordings, as well as David Russell, the Assad Brothers; they are all my musical idols. I also listen to many pianists, violinists, string quartets, and orchestras.
What else do you want to fulfil for yourself creatively at this point?
New music and new programs.
What kind of fruit would you be and why?
I would be a starfruit. I like stars, I used to draw them all over the place when I was a kid. And it’s refreshing, both in color and in flavor.
See Meng Su live at the Guitar Perspectives Winter Celebration, 2 August in the Ian Potter Southbank Centre. The festival runs until 4 August. Stay tuned for more of our 5-minute interviews with featured guitarists!
WATCH: Meng Su plays Sun Wukong’s Toccata by Sergio Assad.
About the writer
Rose de La Montaña is a fingerstyle guitarist with a love for solo Latin American guitar music, where classical and contemporary popular guitar styles meet. Rose would be a guava. Find her at mountainroseguitar.com.
Shout Rose a coffee?
[purchase_link id=”13815″ style=”button” color=”orange” text=”Pay what you like”]
Images supplied.
Pay what you like securely via PayPal, 80 per cent goes to the writer, 20 per cent to our volunteer editor for getting this show on the road.
