meet your
Musicians
But performing so young is not without its
perils. While playing with an orchestra
in Spain that was to conclude after a few
months’ time with an audition, Hernandez
enjoyed Spain’s laidback lifestyle a little
too much and practiced too little.
“I learned the hard way that I must
always work hard before I can play hard,”
he says now.
Hernandez, a father of two who joined
the BSO in 2002, still loves to perform.
He particularly enjoys the annual BSO
Academy that concludes each season.
“The rejuvenation and energy I feel working with the participants is remarkable.
When they come to us, they are so excited
and hungry to learn about what we do
every day.” The experience of playing with
avid amateurs has positively impacted how
he teaches his own university students and
deepened his passion for sharing music.
Rene
Wonju Kim
First Violin
Until recently, Wonju Kim’s life has
looked more like an episode of the Brady
Bunch than the serene setting one might
imagine for a concert violinist. With two
children of her own and three more added
to the family after her second marriage,
Kim says chasing five children and cramming in practices while they were in school
left little time for anything else. Perhaps
that’s fitting for a woman for whom music
and family have always been central.
As a child in Korea, Kim’s mother
gave her two options: Go to kindergarten
or play the violin. “I immediately said
violin,” she states. “That’s how this
started, and I’ve never imagined doing
anything else.”
One of eight children, Kim spent her
youth touring the world as part of a trio
with two of her sisters. She was a perfectionist then and remains one to this day,
confessing that she’s still nervous about
making mistakes during performance.
“I need to teach myself to enjoy playing,”
she laughs. “That’s my lifetime goal.”
Wonju
Rene
Wonju
Q
Q
What do you like most about
being a part of the BSO?
What do you like most about
being a part of the BSO?
I love the feeling of elation I
get a few times a season. It is
unpredictable and always
different in live music.
My colleagues are not only
good musicians, but also warm
and kind people. I also love
the audience. I meet them on
the street going to the garage
and they thank me so sincerely
when I should thank them!
September– October 2014 |
O v ertur e
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