This September, the KSO will welcome new Concertmaster William Shaub, who accepted the position in May after an audition and two guest appearances on the March and May Masterworks stage. You COULD read his bio here, but it would be more fun to read the Q&A below and hear directly from our newest addition to the KSO family. Enjoy!
Q&A with the new Concertmaster, William Shaub
1. What is the main role of a concertmaster? What does being a concertmaster mean to you?
The role of concertmaster is to serve as a musical representative to the community, on behalf of the orchestra. When the concertmaster first enters the stage to tune, we walk out to greet the audience on behalf of all the musicians; a wonderful tradition! The concertmaster also prepares bowings (making sure all the bows go in the same direction), helps to focus attention on different musical styles, and serves to communicate the artistic ideas of the conductor to the string section. Every once in a while, the concertmaster has a violin solo in a piece, but most of the time, I’m a member of the violin section. To me, serving as concertmaster means overseeing the overall orchestral sound with the intentions of the conductor in mind, and that means attentively listening to everybody’s part and not just my own.
2. What do you wish people knew about playing in an orchestra or being a full-time classical musician?
I think that most people approach music like a hobby, a pastime, or an interest--and that is wonderful. In fact, it’s why we do what we do! But to be a classical musician and performer, we are as precise and serious as a brain surgeon. We take brightening someone’s day with music very seriously. This is somewhat because that service in itself is enormously helpful in society: If you’ve had a hard day, we are here to soothe those stresses with our music. It is also because we are handling some of the greatest works of art ever made, and they deserve the formalities of our professional approach.
3. How often, on average, do you practice? When you’re tired or don’t LOVE a piece of music, what motivates you to keep going?
On average, I practice 4 hours a day and I take a day off about once per month. When I’m not in love with a piece of music, I try to fall in love with a little something about it. Maybe it’s a phrase or two in the piece, or perhaps it’s the end result of playing the work. Some pieces are designed specifically to make you better at your instrument. When I work with students, I often share the importance of starting the practice day (especially a day when you’re not up for practicing!) with a piece that you absolutely love--it could be anything from Star Wars to Schumann’s Piano Quintet. I believe that enthusiasm is a lifelong joy, it’s infectious and completely necessary towards developing an expressive technique.
4. Why Knoxville?
I first learned about Knoxville and the orchestra here when I met Gabriel Lefkowitz at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston (at the beach!) I would later find that this orchestra and this city is growing rapidly, with an energy that is really special. I discovered that the quality and professionalism of our orchestra in both the concert hall and the greater Knoxville region is second to none, and our nationally-renowned commitments to community engagement, education, and innovative programming fit with my vision as an artist. I was excited about the opportunity to be here!
5. Name something you enjoy about each of the following: playing in a small ensemble, playing a solo, playing in full orchestra/leading it as the concertmaster.
In a small ensemble, I enjoy the intimacy and directness of communicating with other players. Playing a solo is wonderful because of the opportunity to fill a hall with my sound--it is an exhilarating mode of expression. When playing in a full orchestra, I get to hear the sounds of other instrument families and really listen to what they have to say. There is nothing like a brass chorale in the middle of a Mendelssohn symphony: you cannot reproduce that kind of magisterial moment with strings!
6. What experiences, in school or otherwise, have prepared you for the position of KSO Concertmaster?
After attending Juilliard in NYC, I was based in Houston for one year prior to coming to Knoxville and I auditioned for a spot on the artist roster of Da Camera Chamber Music and Jazz. With Da Camera, I performed in alternative venues throughout Houston, from hospitals and classrooms to new music and jazz hubs. Outreach became an every-week experience, and reaching new audiences was now a very real part of my life instead of just “a good idea.” I also made numerous recordings of great violin music for Da Camera’s Houston Methodist Hospital Video Series, which will be broadcast to patients on demand--a very heartwarming project. Reaching broad audiences is something I hope to do as a member of our orchestra, and my experience on this artist roster was good preparation.
7. What is something you’d like your fellow Knoxvillians to know about you?
I would like them to know that I am always happy to chat about sports. I am a big Cleveland Browns fan (I am originally from Canton, Ohio), so I am also an expert on the NFL Draft. I have also enjoyed playing tennis from a very young age. I can replicate Andy Roddick’s unique serve but at one-third of the speed! I enjoy watches and watchmaking, and I’m not the only musician to be fascinated by them--singer/songwriter John Mayer has an
unbelievable watch collection!
8. A large (and attractive) part of this job will be to program, perform in, and headline the Merchant & Gould Concertmaster Series; three pairs of concerts held at the Knoxville Museum of Art. Can you tell us a little bit about what to expect from that series in 2017-18?
In programming the exciting
2017-2018 Merchant and Gould Concertmaster Series, I chose pieces out of a passion to tell the wonderful stories behind the music. Since many of them are pieces from the chamber music repertoire, I get to do it with my new KSO colleagues. The opportunity to perform with them outside of the orchestra is a great way for me to get to know them intimately as musicians. I get to hear their sounds and their musical voices up close for the first time and establish a chemistry. It’s exciting and many of our collaborations coming up are must-see events for this reason!
(From a gondola in the beautiful mountains at the Breckenridge Music Festival)
This post authored by the KSO Communications Dept. and Concertmaster William Shaub.
