Meet our Artist of the Week – The wonderful Violist Colin Brookes!
We sat down with Colin to get to know him a little bit better and this is what we learned:
MT: What inspired you to choose the Viola?
Colin: My big brother started on Violin, so I wanted to do something similar. Luckily, my parents didn’t want me to play same instrument as him, so I went with the Viola.
MT: Was it always your dream as a musician to play in a steady quartet?
Colin: I have always loved playing chamber music and in chamber orchestras. Playing in the quartet is a dream job that is totally different from the regimen some of my close friends experience in symphony orchestras. It is without a doubt the most difficult project I have ever undertaken, but I relish the challenge and I know my colleagues do as well.
MT: What is one of the more memorable musical experiences you remember?
Colin: One particularly memorable experience which was emotional and fulfilling at the same time was with my friends in the Boston-based chamber orchestra A Far Cry. We performed Golijov’s 3 Songs for Soprano and Chamber Orchestra (arr.)
I remember how the intense connection between the orchestra, the singer Margot Rood, and the resonance of Jordan Hall affected the performance.
MT: Who inspires you? Musician or otherwise
Colin: From a musical standpoint, I would say my first teacher in my undergrad, Misha Amory inspires me as a quartet Violist. Maintaining a quartet life is extremely challenging, and I respect how he and his colleagues in the Brentano Quartet serve as a great example.
MT: Any fun anecdotes from quartet practice/concert?
Colin: As we work through pieces, we are constantly reassessing stylistic and musical decisions. It can be fun to see how opinions naturally change over time.
