“I live the privieleged life of the Wanderer”

- You will be playing Mozart's Violin Concerto in A major with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta at the Liszt Academy.  What does Mozart mean for you?

- I think that Mozart wrote opera in all his works. When I play Mozart, I feel more that I am singing than playing the violin. Perhaps his violin concertos are not his most profound works, but they are still masterpieces and remarkably lovable. It is as though he simply put them down on paper with the greatest possible ease. But if I look at these works with the eye of a violinist, they appear extremely hard to play. If you approach Mozart's music vocally, his works transform totally and a diff erent kind of art emerges.
 

Photo: Marco Borggreve
 

- You frequently stress that “the greatest thing that we can do for someone is inspire them.”

- Many people would like to defi ne the true nature of talent. In my understanding, it is a dual ability: to be able to inspire others and yet be able to allow others to inspire us. On the stage, I don't want to prove a point; I want to share something with the audience – to inspire people so they feel “yes, that is what I would like to do and I know that I am capable of it.” The greatest artists are always able to communicate this feeling.

- You have stated several times that other art forms are important to you. The Amsterdam Sinfonietta takes part in numerous exciting projects. Have you played together before?

- This is the fi rst occasion that we will perform on stage together. But I have heard them: they are a fantastic orchestra and I am very much looking forward to working together. Developing relationships with other art forms is something I am very much attracted to. As a soloist, I am in an exceptional situation: I can travel the world. This takes up most of my time, so I live the life of a wanderer. But music is only a small part of the whole and I am very interested in painting, photography, dance, opera. I'd like to cross boundaries and discover concealed territories behind them. There are several great artists who play classical music superbly but who also forge relationships with other art forms. For example Yo-Yo Ma, who makes music with Bobby McFerrin, then travels to Argentina to play tango, then he is off to China… This variety is perhaps sometimes frightening, but I think that it is gratifying to be always confronted with new challenges.

- You were a child prodigy. How did that affect your career?

- You naturally need talent and musical sensitivity for success, but it depends very much on timing: it is important to be in the right place at the right time. It was a huge step in my life when, as a youngster from Norway, I ended up in Germany, where I could develop with the support of Anne-Sophie Mutter. I played for her fi rst when I was eleven, just before her performance as a guest of the Bergen Festival in Norway. We parted with her asking me to write letters to her and send recordings so she could follow my development. I learned a huge amount from her; she encouraged me never to copy her in any way, not to be the product of her school, but to listen to my inner voice and try to be myself. I also owe her for my instrument, a Vuillaume violin which I received on loan from her foundation over ten years ago, but which now I own. I have a unique relationship with my violin. From the beginning we argued a lot, we fought each other, because neither of us are perfect. We developed together, we constantly formed and shaped each other. Despite the struggles I am happier with this instrument than I would be if had to play on a perfect violin.

- In 2012, you won the Credit Suisse Young Artist Award. What do you think of competitions?

- It depends very much on what sort of personality you are. In my case, the Credit Suisse is the only competition that I won. Much earlier, after reaching the fi nal of the Eurovision Competition, I decided that I would never enter competitions again. I sense that competitions were not invented with me in mind; if I can, I will avoid them. There are artists who have a tailor-made talent for the competitive environment, but I am not one of them. At competitions truly musical considerations count for less, generally speaking, and a great deal depends on who is sitting on the jury.
 

- This is not the first time you have come to Hungary. You have played at the Kaposfest on a number of occasions.

- Besides the Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival, the Kaposfest is my favourite festival. The artists and audiences communicate with each other there in a unique manner and create an unbelievably easy mood that cannot be experienced anywhere else: it unleashes exceptional energies. I am a regular guest of the festival and one reason for this is that Hungary has a unique magic for me. It is like an imaginary country where you expect to see witches of some sorts fl ying in the sky. I am always extremely enthusiastic about Budapest; I was recently able to look down from the Citadella and it was a fantastic experience. 

Interview by Anna Belinszky, originally published in the January- June issue of Liszt Academy Concert Magazine.