The December 2005 featured artist of the month is Michael Ludwig. Michael is the associate concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He maintains an active schedule throughout the United States and abroad as a soloist with major orchestras, recitalist, chamber musician, and conductor.

Post a question for Michael.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MyAuditions,

Hello Michael,

I would like to know which violin concerto you most like to perform?

Hi Cheryl,
I honestly don't have any favorite concertos to perform. As cliche as it may sound, I imagine that whatever work I am performing is my favorite at that moment. But to play along, if I had to make one choice, it would be the Beethoven Concerto.
Cheers!
Michael

Being that you are a conductor as well as a violinist, might you offer some insight into the unique styles of the conductor's you played under in Philadelphia; Muti, Sawallisch and Eschenbach?

Mac,
I remember years ago,as a student, attending a concert at the Academy of Music, where Muti accompanied a violinist in the Tchaikovsky Concerto. His gestures, and physical appearance in general, stole the show. By the end of the concerto, I realized that I had hardly paid any attention to the soloist, but had been focused almost entirely on the conductor.
Sawallisch brought a relaxed, refined sound and musical sensibility to the orchestra. His gestures are very economical and efficient. And he has very clear communication with the musicians.
I find Christoph Eschenbach's style to be deeply personal and inspired. He brings dynamic energy and personality to the podium, and easily conveys that to the orchestra. His musical style is full of artistic creativity and imagination.
ML

Hi Michael,

What's it like to play with one of the big 5 orchestra's? And, please describe your audition when you took it initially in Philadelphia, PA.

Hi Helena,
How are things in Norway?
When I first auditioned for The Philadelphia Orchestra, it was for a section position. I really don't remember much from that experience, except that I won a position in the orchestra. The next year I auditioned for my present seat. I played a number of concertmaster solos, as well as a Mozart Concerto (#5). I prepared well for it, playing numerous times for my father, who had recently retired from The Philadelphia Orchestra, and also playing for Joseph Silverstein, the former concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. I was very fortunate to have two great artists like that providing me with guidance and wisdom.
All of the rounds were behind a screen, until the last part of the finals. One thing I remember was clearly trying to communicate musically despite the screen. Screens provide anonymity and a degree of fairness, but they are really antithetical to the whole musical experience. And if I could give one piece of advice to aspiring auditioners who face audition screens, it would be to try not to let that stifle the projection of your musical personality.
The first piece I played as Associate Concertmaster was "Eagles" by Ned Rorem. It was quite exciting and I still remember the experience fondly.
Michael

Hello Michael,

Thank you so much for responding. It is wonderful to be able to hear from a prominent musician of such an outstanding orchestra.

If you would be so kind as to share what advice your father and Mr. Silverstein gave you?

It is cold, -2 celsius here in Oslo.

Helena,
I am happy to write back.
The advice was primarily violinistic. I studied with my dad since I was a wee tot, and played for Mr. Silverstein many times over the years. I think for that particular audition, my work was very detail oriented...you know, nuts and bolts kinds of things. Finding the best suited fingerings and bowings, making sure tempi were secure and appropriate, seeing to it that everything was in order.
It would be very difficult for me to distill all that I learned into a couple of sentences. Two thoughts come to mind though. What I learned perhaps most importantly from my father was a sense of individual sound. When I think of violinists whose sound I can recognize individually, there are only a handful. Heifetz, Stern, and Perlman come to mind...folks that I can recognize instantaneously, true titans of the violin world. My father's sound has always been that way as well. Since I was a child, I could here a unique voice in his vioin playing, and that is incredibly rare. Only the very greatest violinists have that, and I'm proud to say very objectively that my dad is one.
Mr. Silverstein has been a great role model for me. He has such a serious sense of purpose, and a wonderful approach to violin playing and music in general. As I write, I now remember details from times I played for him: advice to lower my shoulder (bow arm), maintain an angle with the bow hair (avoiding the flat hair that leads to loud, pressed one dimensional sound), etc. These pointers worked well for me because they fit right in with the school of violin playing my dad had taught me.
ML

Hi Michael,

Nice to meet you. It's really interesting of your childhood experience. Until now I still cannot lower my bow arm. Hahahaha ....

May I know how do you describe your own style and sound ?

Hello Artemis,
Greetings to you in Hong Kong. What a beautiful city!
I can describe what I strive for regarding style and sound...whether I achieve it or to what degree I cannot say. Colors are paramount. I look to have a palette full of varying shades of as many colors as possible. This is accomplished with vibrato, the bow arm, and one's ear. I look to have full control over my vibrato, so that I may alter the speed and intensity of it as subtly as I may desire. And if I can adjust the speed and weight of my bow strokes at will, that also helps create the colors. Of course, good musical sense and imagination are essential, for one must conceptualize what one wishes to create: the sound must be in one's ear in order to recreate it with the fiddle.
Stylistically, I believe every note should be given its full value. Seems like common sense, but the second note is quite often neglected. This would be a common thread in my approach to all music, whether it be Mozart or Milhaud. Another common thread would be my desire to say something personal musically. While I admire the pursuit of fulfilling composers' wishes, I think there is a balance one may strike where the performer can tastefully put their artistic stamp on an interpretation. The philosopher George Berkeley argued that the taste of an apple does not lie in the fruit itself, but in the contact of the fruit with the palate (interesting...I've used palette and palate in the same post! :-) Anyway, to follow this line of thought, a musical work finds its life in the connection with the performer. What a great joy and responsibility to endeavour to add something significant and personal, your very own, to great works of art which become vital and relevant in the process.
Michael

Hi Michael,

New member here. The Philadelphia Orchestra has a well-documented preference for musicians who graduate from the Curtis Institute. Are you able to comment on this? No doubt, Curtis is a fine school, but some are skeptical as to whether the auditions are "fair." Personally, I would like to give the orchestra the benefit of the doubt and assume that Curtis students are schooled in the traditional Philadelphia sound, or something of that sort. But you would know better than I.

Also, I'm curious to know what your thoughts are regarding the audition process in general, and what one's preparation should be. Would you play any differently while auditioning for a titled chair? Do you focus on your playing standard and apply them to excerpts, or do you slave away at the audition material for months?

Thanks in advance, for your thoughts!

Brahms77,
I think the difference would be less in terms of playing, and more in terms of the material. For a titled position, one is likely to play concertmaster excerpts (if the position is one of the concertmaster chairs). And certainly, these excerpts would be approached with a soloistic flair.
But if one plays orchestral tutti passages, I think the playing concept should be the same, regardless of what position one is auditioning for. That approach would be to play with flawless intonation, steady rhythm, the proper bow strokes in the right part of the bow, and tempi and playing style that indicate one's familiarity and experience playing those works.
Regarding the Philadelphia Orchestra auditions, I have not witnessed any preference for Curtis Institute graduates. Their success speaks very highly of the school, which is certainly one of the most prestigious in the world.
ML

Thanks Michael.

Perhaps you were here in June ?? I did not attend those two concerts because they were quite expensive. And the main reason was, those concerts were almost sold out but just had a few scattered bad seats left only after a few days counter sales.

Palette and palate ! You appreciate colors and taste very much when you play. But whose music is easier or more naturally for you to attain those qualities ? And how do you think whether a violinist's professionalism can help better as a conductor than other instrumentalists, especially with a good ear in string sections ?

Hi Artemis,

I am sorry you missed our concerts this past season. But hopefully the orchestra will be back in Hong Kong again soon.

As to what music comes more naturally, I am reticent to say. To find deep meaning in a musical work is always a challenge, and I suppose the ease with which I come upon an interpretation varies from piece to piece.

Regarding your question about conducting, I don't think being a violinist necessarily helps to be a better conductor. I have seen conductors with no background as string players cultivate a lush, rich string sound. Perhaps there are no rules. An artist possessing an innate sense of sound, musicianship, and great communicative skills will be a wonderful conductor regardless of what instruments he or she plays.

Michael

Michael,

Thanks for being here to answer all our questions. As a member of a good (but not top 10) ICSOM orchestra, I'm interested in what you think is required to take it to the next level.

I was lucky enough to study with an excellent teacher whose other students before me have gone on to win titled chairs in the "big 5." While all were hard workers, some have told me that they barely practiced their excerpts for these major auditions that they won. (In one instance, the limit was ten minutes a day. She believed that practicing excerpts too much would be detrimental to your playing.) So, their philosophy is to bring your playing standard and artistry to the highest level, and the excerpts will take care of themselves.

So, what I'd like to ask is whether or not you agree with this approach. When you prepare for an audition, do you spend 3 to 5 hours a day for a few months, or do you find that amount of time unnecessary or unproductive? Clearly, you're a very accomplished player, so I'm interested to know what your audition preparation is/was like.

-JB

JB,

I would not recommend barely practicing excerpts in training for an audition. Playing an orchestral excerpt by yourself is very difficult and requires serious preparation. As to how much time to practice, I think the issue is more about how the time is spent. The practice should be concentrated and focused, with specific goals tended to and met.

One other suggestion I would have is that one might not want to be too rigid in their thought process regarding auditions, etc. While it is great to work hard and set one's energies to winning an audition, I think it is better and more productive to look at the bigger picture. This is not about preparing for a singular event. It is really about bettering oneself: learning the orchestral repertoire (not just learning the excerpts, but getting to know the entire orchestral literature intimately), learning to play with increased consistency (with regard to intonation, rhythm, technique in general), and striving through every opportunity one can get to build experience as an ensemble player.

Michael

Hallo Michael - from London.
Last time I heard the Philly band live you were all on tour in Vienna in 2004 I think it was, so cool to hear THAT sound in THAT inimitable Musikverein Goldenersaal.

A couple of questions for you to ponder:
Do you think it was an advantage to come from a very musical family, especially to have a father who played in a major orchestra who could pass down a lot of advice and ideas? Or did you find it increased everyone's expectations of you?

We've recently had a thread on the board about the importance of orchestral string players investing in a really top class instrument and that sometimes orchestras will put a bit of pressure on a new player to upgrade the quality of their instrument. Was that something which you encountered when you first got a top orchestra position? What do you play on at the moment? What qualities do you look for when trying out possible new instruments and would you ever consider a modern maker?

Greetings Maestrolover,

The Musikverein is indeed an incredible concert hall. Thank you for coming to hear us!

Coming from a musical family had many advantages for me. I learned a great deal from my dad, and was exposed to the greatest artists from a very young age. I also got an early start playing chamber music with my father and my brother, Mark, who is now a violist in the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Mark is also a Fulbright scholar, directs the Terezin Chamber Music Foundation which he founded, and runs a chamber music series in the Berkshires.

Oh...back to the questions at hand! When I joined the Philadelphia Orchestra, I was playing on a Camilli made in Mantua in 1734. I still own that instrument, but now also own a beautiful Storioni. Having as good an instrument as possible is very important to me. The right instrument opens up new possibilities, more colors to play with. I would consider owning a modern instrument, although I do not own one presently.

The qualities I look for in an instrument: brilliance, carrying power, but not an abrasive shrill quality. Also, an even quality of sound from register to register, good responsiveness and clarity. All of the things anyone would want in an instrument. Of course the condition, pedigree, and authentication of the instrument are very important if one is looking to purchase.

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Ludwig:

One other suggestion I would have is that one might not want to be too rigid in their thought process regarding auditions, etc. While it is great to work hard and set one's energies to winning an audition, I think it is better and more productive to look at the bigger picture. This is not about preparing for a singular event. It is really about bettering oneself: learning the orchestral repertoire (not just learning the excerpts, but getting to know the entire orchestral literature intimately), learning to play with increased consistency (with regard to intonation, rhythm, technique in general), and striving through every opportunity one can get to build experience as an ensemble player.

This is probably the best post I've ever seen on MyAuditions. Thanks very much for the wise words!