BY LAURA BIEMMI, TRENDS EDITOR
Have you ever watched an orchestral performance and wondered how it all comes together so well? How the performers bring the music to life in such a tangible way, and how the score itself animates the musicians onstage and fills the hall with sound?
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra wants to show the audience just how to achieve this magic.
With its Cybec assistant conductor (and assistant principal cello!) Nicholas Bochner, the MSO’s educational Ears Wide Open series guides listeners through a deconstruction of some of the best-known orchestral repertoire to date.
In our first interview with Nicholas, we get to know the person on the podium — and how he arrived at occupying not just one, but two highly prestigious positions within the MSO.
Hi Nicholas, thank you so much for chatting to us here at CutCommon! How are you feeling in the lead-up to MSO’s Ears Wide Open series?
I’m quite excited about it, actually. It’s a great series, and it’s a wonderful opportunity for me to able to present all three events.
Let’s go right back to the very beginning. How did you get into music?
As a kid, I had piano and cello lessons — my parents are very interested in music — and I very quickly got hooked.
What brought you to the MSO?
As a young graduate, I had a varied career as a freelancer. As I looked for something more permanent and stable, I was very fortunate that the position of assistant principal cello in the MSO came up, and I was incredibly fortunate to be the successful candidate for the job.
So what’s a typical week like for you, as a member of the MSO?
The thing that all weeks have in common is that there will be some rehearsals and some performances. But the great thing is that there is not really a ‘typical’ week. The work is quite varied, depending on whether we are doing a main series concert, a movie, regional touring, or education projects.
It’s fascinating that you’re involved with the MSO in both a performance and conducting capacity. Were you after a career that combined multiple modes of expression from the outset, or was this a desire that developed over time?
My interests in music have always been broad. As a school kid, I played piano in the jazz band, sang in choirs, played in a couple of orchestras, and messed around with electric guitars too. It’s not at all unusual; in the MSO, many of the musicians have multiple modes of expression.
How would you compare the training required for each of your two professions with the orchestra?
In some ways, they are fundamentally similar in that it is important to establish a technical basis, and work out how to use that to express the music.
Pathways into conducting, though, are a little more varied and flexible than instrumental music: to achieve a professional level on an instrument, it is generally necessary to have started as a child. With conducting, because it’s necessary to have some sort of musical background before you start with it, people generally take it up later — sometimes after a substantial career in another part of music.
What’s the dynamic like between you and the orchestra as you switch between these two roles?
My colleagues are an enormously supportive and professional group of people, and I’ve found that the willingness to make great music together is what always prevails, regardless of what role I’m in.
Are there any differences between how you approach orchestral music in the cello section and when you’re on the podium as a conductor?
Preparing to conduct a work is quite different from playing in a work.
The conductor needs to have a very clear understanding of the overview of what everyone is doing, as well as be in a position to solve any problems that might come up. For preparing a cello part, it primarily involves practising to ensure you can play everything accurately and in tune.
Conducting is still relatively new to me so, for me at least, preparing to conduct is quite a lot more work.
You have a strong background and interest in music education and community outreach, which we reckon is utterly fantastic! Where does this passion stem from?
Music has been so incredibly important in my life, and I love to take any opportunity I get to share it with other people.
I sincerely believe that the arts have the capacity to make the world a better place, and it’s important for all of us to advocate for them.
The MSO’s educational Ears Wide Open series kicks off with Schumann in the Melbourne Recital Centre this 2 March. Visit the MSO website for more.
We’ve teamed up with the MSO to take you backstage with the Ears Wide Open series! Stay tuned for our second interview between Laura Biemmi and Nicholas Bochner, where we’ll shed more light on this educational initiative!
Image supplied.
