In advance of violinist Sarah Chang’s upcoming performance, we asked her a few questions about herself and her music.
Q: You made your New York Philharmonic debut at age 8. What was that experience like?
A: Life changing. I had no idea that one concert would kick start my career. I’m grateful I was so young and just thought of the whole experience as fun and exciting.
Q: Did you always envision becoming a professional violinist?
A: Not until I was in my mid teens. I never thought of the violin as a ‘job’, it’s a way of life for me.
Q: What is it about musical performance and the violin that first drew you in and inspired you to make a career out of this passion?
A: I love how lyrical and voice-like the violin can be. It’s literally my voice whenever I’m onstage.
Q: What do you hope audiences leave with after your show?
A: I hope they leave with an appreciation for the composer. We are, at the end of the day, simply messengers onstage of the composer, and the whole art that is classical music.
Q: How do you think classical music retains relevance in our modern world? How has classical performance changed?
A: Classical music is by far the most honest form of music making. We don’t lip sync, we don’t perform to playback tracks, we don’t have lasers or lights to distract, and we don’t even use microphones. Everything we do is live, and that’s part of the genuine, emotional, straight from the heart journey we share with our audience every night.
Sarah Chang brings Viva Piazzolla, a program that includes some of signature pieces, to The PAC Saturday, March 10, at 8pm.
Tickets are still available! Call 914-251-6200 or visit http://www.artscenter.org/events/sarah-chang/
