Since joining the Schulich School of Music in听2018,听Professor听闯颈苍箩辞辞听颁丑辞听has been听redefining what it means to be a consummate classical artist in the听21st-century. A charismatic female solo artist, vibrant and engaging chamber musician, devoted teacher, innovative artistic director, and published writer,听Prof. Cho听is a driven musician and academic. In 2020听she听was selected as one of听the 18 recipients of听McGill's annual听cohort of听prestigious听William Dawson听Scholars.听Recognized for her work in developing outstanding original research听of world-class听calibre, Prof. Cho鈥檚 latest musical offering,听厂补颈苍迟-厂补毛苍蝉听is a听living document of her explorations听and听accomplishments.听
Among the repertoire are some of 厂补颈苍迟-厂补毛苍蝉鈥� most celebrated works which are also听Prof.听Cho鈥檚 signature pieces. Released on Na茂ve records, this new recording features her performing with the French chamber ensemble Appassionato and conductor Mathieu Herzog.
On the release of the new album, we connected with Prof. Cho over email to learn about the recording,听how she prepares, and what some of her goals are for this year.听听
You received the prestigious William Dawson Scholar award in 2020. How did that contribute to the making of this album?
The William Dawson Scholar Award is directly responsible for this album. The research funding allowed me to produce the album!
How did/does your research contribute to this album?
My research on the relationship between rhythmic patterns and bowing technique is something that affects all performance, but it is most significantly and obviously exhibited in French Romantic repertoire. Focusing on 厂补颈苍迟-厂补毛苍蝉鈥� music and recording it allowed me to deepen the exploration further. So, in a way I would say that the album itself was part of the research.
How did you prepare to record this album?
Oh boy 鈥� it was tough. This album was recorded at the height of the pandemic, so preparing to travel was a huge issue and a daunting task. There were so many people who made special arrangements in order for this album to happen. As for the musical preparation, you know, it's practice, practice, practice!! It was the first time I've ever recorded with an orchestral ensemble, so I wanted to be ready beyond ready.
This album was recorded during the pandemic 鈥� did that shift or shape things for you and/or the recording?
You know at the end, the result did not change. The recording was rescheduled a couple of times, and a lot of other things had to be moved around as a result of that, but the album is exactly the way that I envisioned it to be. The conductor, Mathieu Herzog, and I are very happy with the way it all turned out.
What would you like the listener to walk away with after hearing this album?
Wow, I just hope they fall in love with the pieces we've put out!!! Some of them are rarely played, and I hope that we were able to say something fresh with these pieces.
You are an international artist 鈥� where or what is home for you?
Where my dog is :) Currently that is Montreal! I've actually struggled with this question and have gotten to a conclusion that in the era that we're living in, home is a fluid concept. It moves around, and wherever I am, it has the potential to be my home for the time being.
Is there a song that you could you play on repeat for an entire weekend?
Probably not? A song that repeats for an entire weekend... that would make me crazy. But there are albums that I could have on, like Sigur R贸s or piano works by Debussy or Mozart chamber music. I'm listening to a lot of Bill Evans these days, too, so maybe that could be good.
What is a goal of yours for this academic year?
To keep my sanity!! This academic year somehow feels even more overwhelming than the usual, so I just want to keep helping students, perform the best I can, and reach to the summer vacation in one piece and still with a positive attitude :D One of the new endeavors in my academic life is the String Quartet Seminar at Schulich, and that's been really meaningful work. I would like the class to听finish well in the Winter 2022 semester.
What should every student leave Schulich knowing?
That music is always there for you.
If you had a mantra/philosophy/phrase for where you are right now, what would it be?
Oh boy, "BREATHE" comes to mind.
How do you keep finding something new when you revisit works or composers?
Hmm, I don't know. I just see new things every time I revisit works. The advantage of our discipline is that we only work on pieces that have stood the test of time. So, in that sense they are mostly masterworks and important pieces that say something essential about being human. A lot of the works we dive into, are, in a way, designed for the performers to discover new things each time. A great composer听knows how to create many layers in a single moment, so it's not that hard.
What鈥檚 next? What draws you to a project?
Meaningful collaborations and an interesting, creative outlook are always what guide my work. The next in my agenda is the launch of my Piano Trio. Going back to your previous question, one of the biggest questions we have is 'Where is home?' All three of us are Koreans living in different places around the world, and have kind of a crazy mixed-up backgrounds. We want to explore what it really means to be Korean artists in the field of Western classical art. We are planning a lot of collaborations with great Korean composers and are excited about championing their works, as well as working on interdisciplinary projects with artists in different genres and fields. It would be really awesome to be able to contribute toward breaking the stereotype that Asians are only "good at what they do" and "not soulful or creative." There are a lot of amazing artists out there. We want to explore all means of achieving that goal, from conservative methods of concert programming to more provocative expressions.
Additional links:
Jinjoo听Cho among 18 new William Dawson Scholars听
Critically acclaimed violinist听闯颈苍箩辞辞听颁丑辞 to join the Schulich School of Music string faculty听
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