Q: When did you start playing?
A: I started playing in Grade 4, in the school music program. I was fortunate to be in an elementary school that offered orchestral instruments to students who showed some ability. Those were good times for music in the schools!
Q: What made you choose your instrument?
A: I have no idea, really. I was offered a string instrument and the cello appealed to me. By the time I was in high school and taking private lessons, I was listening to recordings of every cellist I could get my hands on. I had fallen in love with the beauty of the cello.
Q: What is your most memorable HPO experience?
A: I would say any of the Masterworks concerts we have played in the past few seasons. Great music making!
Q: What kind of things do you like to do when you’re not playing?
A: I am a passionate equestrian. My horse is a young Dutch Warmblood and together we train in the discipline of Dressage. It is a fantastic sport; I have been riding since I was a kid. I enjoy cycling and rollerblading with my husband, mucking about in the garden, and I am always trying to find more time to read.
Q: Who is your favourite composer to play or listen to?
A: Playing Bach is perhaps my favourite, though it’s difficult to choose one composer. Playing chamber music (especially piano trios) with friends is very rewarding for me. Recorded music I often chose to listen to is solo piano music and songs for voice. I am also a big fan of jazz, both older and contemporary artists.
Q: Favourite book? Movie?
A: I read just about anything: fiction, biographies, essays and I especially enjoy historical novels and period movies.
Q: Do you have a secret indulgence?
A: Well, I can’t tell secrets.
Q: Who was your hero when you were 10? Who is your hero now?
A: I’m not sure who I idolized when I was 10. I do remember how I admired the girl who sat in front of me in school because she had magnificent black hair that was always done up in braids. I dreamed of having hair like that! The person I most admire now is my mother-in-law. She is a wondrously positive person – a real inspiration.
