Anastasia Strelnikova

Every public performance is a moment of truth in a way. That’s when all the extra gets stripped down and you show your true colors. There’s a reason why they say that “you play how you live”. When on stage, all the performer’s character traits, current emotions and accumulated experience become magnified. All senses grow sharper; the same goes for focus and attention to detail. This all has but one goal: to fully transmit what you’ve found, felt and experienced while working on this particular piece of music.

The workflow is quite universal here. If it’s a completely new piece, I first get acquainted to it by listening to recordings (if there are any). Then I start working my way through the score and try to read the notes in a way that would let me tune my mental and technical potential to the composer’s musical vision. At the same time, I of course figure out the structure of the piece, identify any technical issues that might arise, and realize what kind of an emotional and visual response the piece draws from me. I’m pretty sure that’s more or less the way everyone works.

There’s no single source. Usually, it’s the feeling of living my life to the fullest, which begs to be channelled through playing a musical instrument. However, my ponderings on life and creativity are mostly inspired by various forms of art. I love admiring beautiful architecture, I try to go to the theatre on a regular basis, and I keep an eye on art exhibitions. Visual art has a special place in my heart: sometimes, a couple of previously unseen paintings can evoke a stronger emotional response than a book I’ve read or a movie I’ve watched.

The production of a piece by Grigory Gorin called “Prayer for the Dead” at the “Most” theatre in Moscow. I have to admit I haven’t experienced so much pleasure from a theatre play for a long time. At some scenes you could laugh, at others you could cry — and you’d do that sincerely. I felt like I witnessed the birth of true art, full of meanings and professionally executed. That was a truly groundbreaking cultural experience to me.

There’s much I could still learn in my craft; to accomplish that, I’d like to play more — with a focus on solo and chamber projects. Learning solo repertoire gives a huge boost to your technique, your musical vision, and your understanding of sound. Overall, you become better developed as a personality.