{"id":64391,"date":"2019-11-04T11:16:07","date_gmt":"2019-11-04T16:16:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=64391"},"modified":"2019-11-04T11:23:25","modified_gmt":"2019-11-04T16:23:25","slug":"interview-violinist-ray-chen-talks-repertoire-violins-rock-star-reputation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2019\/11\/04\/interview-violinist-ray-chen-talks-repertoire-violins-rock-star-reputation\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Violinist Ray Chen Talks About Repertoire, Violins, And His Rock Star Reputation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australian violinist Ray Chen talks about his approach to classical music, his favourite instruments, and repertoire in advance of his Toronto concert with pianist Julio Elizalde.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Violinist
Violinist Ray Chen (Photo courtesy of raychenviolin.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

R<\/span>ay Chen says he has to carve his own path as a soloist in today\u2019s classical music arena despite its history and legacy, and his bright presence has created a rock star following across the globe. \u201cYou know, I\u2019m just being myself, to be honest,\u201d says the violinist\/social media expert, who has 191k followers on Instagram at\u00a0raychenviolin<\/a><\/span>, 89.4K subscribers on Youtube at Ray Chen<\/a><\/span>, and 20k followers on Twitter at\u00a0@raychenviolin<\/a><\/span>. Whenever Ray\u2019s name comes up, his young fans can almost instantaneously recall a few memorable posts \u2014 whether it’s about direct interaction, like Play with Ray<\/a><\/span> at the Hollywood Bowl, or a shared post with the (in)famous Two Set Violins<\/a><\/span>. \u201cI feel that classical music as an industry, for so long, had a certain set of expectations, which has led the industry to have certain stereotypes,\u201d says Ray<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Since winning the Yehudi Menuhin (2008) and Queen Elizabeth (2009) competitions, Ray has sought out ways to connect directly and deeply with the audience, trying to reach beyond the classical aficionados, and his robust social media following reflects the great appeal he has created as ambassador of classical music. \u201cPeople who had careers before, say 2008<\/a>,<\/span> (though it\u2019s relatively close, just about ten years ago) \u2014 it was a different approach. But after the financial crash and everything, it shook things up, and people felt that they needed the change. That made a real impact to the industry, and for myself and for others who started their careers after that, we had to invent a new way to present ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feeling that he can no longer simply walk on to stage, take a bow, play and leave, Ray decided that there has to be something more, and the most important objective he chose was to connect with people. So Ray focused on delivering on all these questions \u2014 how does he practice?<\/a><\/span> Can he play concertos? What about chamber music? \u201cPeople want to know more and consume more. Soon as you bring someone who is young, fresh and does things in a slightly different way \u2014 even just having an online presence, on top of being young, I think that\u2019s enough for people to say \u2018oh yeah, he\u2019s a rock star!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Being an Asian \u2014 that was another variable Ray had to look at: \u201cThere are many Asians in the industry, but there aren\u2019t that many Asian soloists, so that one path to make it, you have to carve your own path \u2014 I had to be creative, I had to be unique.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crossing the world regularly with a varying repertoire of concertos, chamber music and occasional visits back home to Australia, Ray wants to share the great gift of classical music, as he sees its value beyond the niche audience. \u201cClassical music was created and composed with something much bigger than any of us, and there\u2019s something worthy of exploring in what we do,\u201d Ray says. \u201cWe play old music, but it is very real, with almost a religious sense \u2014 I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s the right term, but there is depth, and that\u2019s what attracts people. When people start to experience depth, not something superficial, which is less and less available in society, that\u2019s what creates a current resurgence in classical music \u2014 there\u2019s very few mediums that have it.\u201d<\/p>\n

On this North American tour, Ray and pianist Julio Elizalde<\/a><\/span>, are playing in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto (November 8, 2019, Koerner Hall) and Houston, with a mixed repertoire of Grieg and Saint-Sa\u00ebns Sonatas, a solo Bach selection, Debussy (arr. Roelens) and Ravel\u2019s Tzigane<\/em>. LvT<\/strong> caught up with Ray for a quick chat in between the moves, in South Korea.<\/p>\n

\"Violinist
Violinist Ray Chen (Photo : John Mac)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You\u2019ve chosen the less-familiar repertoire of Grieg and Saint-Sa\u00ebns for the tour. What compelled you to choose these sonatas?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You are right, they don\u2019t get played often, but the Grieg is such a wonderful piece and I always choose pieces that I really like, and that\u2019s the beauty of choosing repertoire for a recital, and even for concertos \u2014 when I play with orchestra \u2014 they will sometimes suggest something that I don\u2019t like or don\u2019t play, then I\u2019m like: no thanks\u2026 find another person, not because I don\u2019t want to learn something new: often times, I will learn something new for particular occasions, but I feel like in classical music, there\u2019s some weird stuff \u2014 just like every genre, and I think myself as, I\u2019m the guy \u2014 if you don\u2019t go to classical concerts usually, I want to be your first positive experience\u2026 I don\u2019t have to be like, I\u2019m here to play Beethoven and Mozart. People may not have heard of Grieg or Saint-Saens, but hopefully after this, it will pique their curiosity \u2014 I haven\u2019t heard that before, maybe I will give it a go! Even if they don\u2019t like that, it\u2019s like oh, maybe I will try again, because there was that one time \u2014 a bit like one positive experience over two negatives.<\/p>\n

Seems that reaching out and broadening the perspective of your audience, and the future potential audience interests you greatly.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I want people to come to the concert hall and think, wow, that was actually really cool, it was really exciting, maybe I will go again! I want to be that kind of ambassador for classical music. If you come and \u2014 like if you never had Japanese food, and never had raw-anything, and you are suddenly given raw slimy things, then you think whoa, maybe not! That person may be turned off, even if it was incredibly fresh and high quality. They aren\u2019t ready for that. People have to go on their own pace and I feel like there is still a way \u2014 I mean, I don\u2019t want to be like McDonald’s of classical music, but there\u2019s a way to strike a balance to provide people with pieces they haven\u2019t heard of.<\/p>\n

So there is a greater process in playing and listening to this old, surviving classical music repertoire?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Everyone who is playing the violin starts with classical. It\u2019s just how it is, like piano, for example, and then you develop your technique then you decide whether you want to be a classical musician, or a music producer, or whatever you want to be \u2014 It is really interesting because we all come from the same source, and I feel that in classical music, we stay true to the composers: Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, these names, and we continue play these pieces. We develop this obsession \u2014 a continual search for the truth, in a sense, to get closer to that truth, from these composers and what it means.<\/p>\n

Many violinists are happy to talk about their instruments, and there\u2019s a certain prestige given to older, say, Italian instruments. Can you tell a bit about your current instrument? Do you nerd-out on gear?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I know most violinists \u2014 especially soloists \u2014 talk about their instruments and that\u2019s very cool and everything: I play on a 1715 Joachim Stradivarius, but I also like my other instruments as well. I like switching things around. From the perspective of the average person who is studying and playing the violin, like \u2018Oh, so-and-so playing on a Strad,\u2019 that\u2019s good for him or her, but I feel like that while it does teach you a lot about sound, I think these older instruments, in a sound production-sense, it\u2019s bit like an EQ box that already has a certain set of EQ set in.<\/p>\n

Do you find modern instruments particularly interesting?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When you have a modern violin \u2014 a modern box \u2014 it\u2019s open, and it hasn\u2019t been set yet, so you get to go in and you have to set it yourself \u2014 every note. Over the course of decades and decades, like Strad \u2014 that\u2019s over 300 years old, until EQ is literally carved into the wood. And then that\u2019s when it becomes set. It\u2019s a bit like \u2018wind carving the stone.\u2019 Like wind can carve stone, the vibration can carve wood over a few hundred years. That\u2019s why I think certain instruments sounds the way they do. That\u2019s the way I look at it.<\/p>\n

You started playing the violin at age 4. Do you remember much of life before violin?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I can\u2019t remember as it\u2019s all quite blurred, but I do remember things like playing on a toy drum, and talking to my dad, as he was always travelling for business, and waiting for him at the airport. My mom was with me in Australia. I remember dad coming back, and talking to people on the phone. And for some reason, I had this weird thing, where I was deathly afraid of\u2026 there\u2019s this word \u8001\u677f,Laoban, the \u2018boss,\u2019 and I don\u2019t know why, but I was super scared of this imaginary figure. I think it was because I was so mischievous as a kid, so I would be playing and messing around in the restaurant, and my mom would be like \u2018if you keep doing that, the manager\u2019s going to come!\u2019 and I would be like \u2018Arrrgh!\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Violinist
Violinist Ray Chen (Photo : John Mac)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Perhaps a bit like Santa who watches all the time?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Kind of, but Santa\u2019s just watching, and you think oh I was not good today, but I could be good tomorrow, you know, but this was like \u2018oh no, the manager\u2019s coming NOW.\u2019 I still don\u2019t know why.<\/p>\n

Often children have the wildest dreams. When you were young, what other dreams did you have, or did you know that you wanted to be a violinist?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Yeah, I couldn\u2019t pursue my other dreams though, because one was to become Batman, and the other one was to become a pirate. So, I had to\u2026 becoming a violin soloist was the third option.<\/p>\n

You remember waiting for your dad. I suppose now they wait for you at the airport?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Actually, yeah. I was recently in Brisbane, Australia, for a concert, and I\u2019m sometimes \u2014 you know, all my friends seem to think that I\u2019m someone who is on top of everything, and usually I am, but this particular time, I messed up and I forgot to check my schedule, so two weeks ago, he was on his way to the airport, and I thought, oh, great, it\u2019s my dad picking me up, and the reality hasn\u2019t caught up with me yet, and this suited chauffeur with a sign with my name on it comes up to me and asked \u2018Are you Ray Chen? I am your driver,\u2019 and I am like \u2018Oooh\u2026. Oooh no! Dad, don\u2019t come to the airport!\u2019<\/p>\n

That is quite funny. A bit of Ray in real life.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I really feel that this is very much me, that there are two versions of me. There\u2019s that Ray Chen, that people say as \u2018rock star,\u2019 that soloist, that someone who\u2019s up there, then there\u2019s me, the actual me, including that young me, scared of this imaginary thing, and I feel like everyone\u2019s on the other side: oh my god, he knows everything, everything that he says is so awesome, then in reality, there\u2019s that other side, oh my gosh, what am I doing, but somehow, these two sides are really \u2014 this is why people are complex beings, you get this \u2014 somehow it\u2019s worked out, as if it\u2019s only that other side, I would become unrelatable. Sometimes everyone feels like they don\u2019t know what they are doing sometimes, right?<\/p>\n

What are some things that you enjoy, especially when you are on the road?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I love video games. That\u2019s my ultimate go-to. I always carry my Nintendo Switch with me everywhere, and I\u2019m really into this game which is a little competitive, Super Smash Bros, and I watch Netflix. There have been some really good ones \u2014 like Peaky Blinders<\/em>, and Black Mirror<\/em>\u2019s really huge, and I read a bit \u2014 though everything\u2019s on iBook, as I don\u2019t really have space for actual books when I\u2019m travelling. And all that social media \u2014 and managing my career, it\u2019s quite full.<\/p>\n

Any particular music you like listening to?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In my spare time, I don\u2019t really listen to classical, I need a break even from the things that I love \u2014 I listen to a variety of things, literally anything, from Queen to Radiohead to\u2026 to anything like Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande, literally everything. It depends on the mood that you are in. You want some hype music? Then you go to the party playlist. Sometimes I will just \u2014 everything\u2019s on Spotify and Apple music, so when I’m running, I want to listen to running music, which is set at my pace, so I have this running playlist that I set, like at 95-110 BPM, at my running pace \u2014 warm up and running fast, so I constructed that. And if I\u2019m on holiday, I might listen to some Hawaiian music.<\/p>\n

Have you been to Toronto? What was it like?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve been to Toronto a couple of times: my last time would\u2019ve been with TSO 17\/18, and I think that was my second time. I personally love the city. It reminds me of Australia: I think Toronto and Melbourne are quite similar, so I enjoy that \u2014 and there are certain Canadian cities that remind me of Australia, like Vancouver reminds me of Brisbane, strange, but that\u2019s the way I feel and I really enjoy that. I feel that Australians and Canadians are quite similar, and I enjoy the people. I went to the aquarium the last time, and it was really cool, and went to Tim Horton\u2019s for breakfast \u2014 things to do in Toronto! I went to the markets too. But this time, I feel a bit rushed, because we are on larger recital tours.<\/p>\n

Ray Chen with Julio Elizalde, 08 November 2019, 8pm at Koerner Hall. Details here<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

#LUDWIGVAN<\/em><\/h3>\n

Want more updates on classical music and opera news and reviews? Follow us\u00a0on <\/em>Facebook<\/b><\/a><\/em><\/span>, <\/em>Instagram<\/b><\/a><\/em><\/span> <\/b>or <\/em>Twitter<\/b><\/a><\/em><\/span> for all the latest.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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