Q & A with violinist Maxine Kwok
Maxine Kwok presents the first episode of 'My Life in Live Music'
Ahead of the first episode of Scala Radio's new Sunday night series 'My Life in Live Music' we spoke to its first presenter/curator Maxine Kwok about her love of Star Wars, and what the past year has been like for the London Symphony Orchestra violinist.
Listen to Maxine Kwok present 'My Life in Live Music' from 6pm on Sunday 2 May 2021
What's in the show you can tell us about?
There's my memory of my first concert and me being in the front row. There's me seeing Sarah Chang's European debut with the LSO too - she's actually what I would call my closest friend now. When I was listening to her at that concert, I never thought I'd be in the LSO. So it's quite funny to look back on. And obviously, there are some Star Wars references in the show too because, you know, I'm such a huge fan.
We hadn't realised that. How big a fan, Maxine?
I come from a family of Star Wars nerds. I was just at my parent's for the last 10 days. I have to say it makes me laugh because I feel like I'm at Comic-Con when I'm at home. Everybody knows that basically, the reason I wanted to be in the LSO is that I grew up hearing the Star Wars soundtracks.
Stars Wars was in my mind all the time. We would listen to it - that and the Carpenters - on long car journeys down to Cornwall and Devon. As a kid, you don't really make the connections between things very clearly - I didn't make the connection that this was the LSO. But then when I started to want to be in an orchestra, which was pretty early I remember thinking then that orchestras for me were first experienced by listening to Star Wars. After that, it was just a case of my mum went to the Royal Academy of Music. So for me, that was where I was going to go too, in my head at least. I didn't even think about going somewhere else.
I'm a big movie, big movie buff. Not all film music works on stage, but John Williams music absolutely does. It's just perfect for the stage. I can talk about John Williams till the cows come home. And just, you know, there was also there's a bit of Frankie Valli in there, which is probably a bit unusual for a sort of classical show. A bit of Andrew Lloyd Webber.
You're a Andrew Lloyd Webber fan too? Which is YOUR show?
It's actually Starlight Express. That's my favorite. It was probably the first musical ever in my life so that that for me had a huge impact.
What has the past year been like for you personally? How have you managed yourself?
I've found it difficult. Back in March 2020 remember I went to the Royal Opera House the week before we locked down. I remember that I didn't think then it wasn't something to do. I remember we said to one another beforehand do you think it's safe to go? We were like 'Yeah!' I remember thinking, 'Oh, we could upgrade our tickets because surely people return them.' There weren't any returns. The place was rammed!
Then the LSO had their last concert only we hadn't realized would be our last concert. I took it hard because the LSO is really my life. Suddenly it just felt like everything had stopped. I'm so used to seeing my colleagues arriving at work, hearing students practicing at the Guildhall.
I did watch some of the archived concerts they put out on the internet at first, but there were tears shed when I watched. I just wasn't sure when we were going to get back together again. Every time it gets pushed further and further. In the end, I had to turn it around into a positive because I think, 'if I sort of get into some kind of a slump, it's really not good.'
So I gave myself two weeks off, then I just started to practice every day. I told myself, 'I'm gonna play the violin every day. Because I don't want to come back to work and feel like I kind of gone out of shape.' So it was, ironically an opportunity to get into the best playing shape of my life, since I've been a student. But it was just so not fun playing on my own.
How did you maintain that motivation?
I'm inherently quite a lazy person. So I do everything I can to make sure I've got stuff to do. Because I think you can easily get into a spiral of 'I'll do it tomorrow, I'll do it tomorrow.' And any project that came my way, even if I thought, Oh, my God, that sounds a bit scary. I just thought, right, I'm gonna do it. Because when else am I gonna get this opportunity to just try and branch out?' I don't know whether you know what the LSO touring schedule is like but is punishing at times - you really don't have that much free time. So having endless free time I had to make sure I structured myself to do feel a bit like I was participating in something.
What was the most difficult, do you think?
I'm definitely closest to the people work with. It's a natural thing when you're in an orchestra that works like the LSO does. We must have missed 60 or 70 days abroad last year. That's a hell of a lot of time that you usually spend with people - eating meals with them, you're playing with them, you're socializing with them. So not seeing people was quite hard. I've spent a lot of time on the phone, I spent a lot of time like this, chatting to people on Zoom, but then a lot of them had suddenly, they're having to do their own things like suddenly they're having to homeschool. Trying to keep a very strong connection helped. I'm on the orchestral committee at work. So there were a lot of meetings about how to how to deal with the situation, how to keep people afloat, financially, and how to make plans. When did a one-off concert in July for the first time there were literally tears in my eyes when we started.
Do you anticipate how you'll feel when you play in the Barbican again?
I wonder how I'll feel emotionally about it. I actually went back there in May, because I had to check on some instruments for colleagues in the instrument store. I went out on stage tablet lit with one light. The orchestra was still set but with chairs eskew. I'm used to that area of being a cacophony of sound, whether it's people just chatting, warming up, whatever. That day it was really eerie. So I can't wait because I want to see my friends and colleagues. I bumped into some friends in the BBC Symphony who were at the Barbican a few days ago. It was so good to see them too. These are people who have livelihoods. Getting back to work is our all our common goal. So I think when any of us go back on stage to see an audience, I think it will be very emotional.