Auditions: what Theresians think of them

By Emilia Campagna - May 21, 2024

A new round of auditions is coming up, and we are seeking musicians who play violin, viola, cello, double bass, oboe, bassoon, and horn. Hear from a couple of our recent Theresians as they share their audition experiences.
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A new round of auditions is coming up: we are looking for musicians who play violin, viola, cello, double bass, oboe, bassoon and horn, and we are offering each of them a grant worth of 3,500 euros, which will cover the activities of our Learning Program and participation in five orchestral residencies between August 2024 and January 2026. The auditions take place in Antwerp on July 8-10 and are organised in collaboration with AMUZ, a major venue for early music in Flanders. The deadline for applications is Monday 3 June and you can submit your application here!

We have often told you about our auditions, detailing their unique features and explaining why we believe they offer an exceptional opportunity for personal growth. Today we want to let those who have experienced our auditions firsthand speak for themselves. We have gathered comments from some of our recent Theresians to give you their perspective.

The importance of being auditioned

Auditions are crucial part of a young musician’s journey toward gaining professional experience. Our violinist Lorenzo Molinetti had already participated in several: “Before I auditioned for Theresia, I had done about five or six auditions. I auditioned mainly for symphony orchestra academies, always made it to the finals, but never got the real job….. Pretty frustrating!” Auditions can be not only frustrating but also impersonal, as was the case for Maddalena Bortot, who before Theresia had only attended auditions that consisted of video presentations.

A welcoming environment

Theresia’s auditions are not designed as individual, high-pressure hearings (like the “do or die” variety), but rather as an extended period during which the board of examiners can get to know the candidates. And because we know that tension can run high in front of a jury, we opted for a format that allows us to observe the musicians truly “at work” rather than just in a solo performance.

But back to our Theresians – let’s hear what they tell us about their experiences:

What were your expectations?

Lorenzo Molinetti: “I am also a EUBO member, so I was expecting that very nice and welcoming environment that I encountered during my previous ICONS audition. I had never played classical repertoire on my baroque instrument before, so I had no idea of how my instrument (and my hands) would have reacted. That was something that was both exciting and frightening, especially because I had to perform very new repertoire in front of such an important panel of musicians and experts.

What are the challenges you had to go through?

Maddalena Bortot: “I first had to learn a Beethoven quartet (plus both violin parts), which was a completely different approach to playing a series of orchestral passages. In addition, the real challenge was to play with complete strangers, musicians from all over the world, communicating in a language that we all use, English, which may not be the first language for everyone: because to put a quartet together you have to talk as well as play! Finally, I also played in different ensembles, one day the first violin part, the next day the second violin part. It was really two days of full immersion!”

What did you like most about auditioning for Theresia?

Lorenzo Molinetti: “I loved the repertoire and the different interactions I managed (and was asked) to create with the other aspiring candidates. To be able to play a lot of music and for a lot of time is really something amazing for an orchestra audition, where usually five minutes of playing (or even less) determine the outcome of the whole process. Auditioning for Theresia felt like giving proper recognition to all the work I put into the preparation of the piece beforehand.”

Maddalena Bortot: “For me, it was particularly inspiring because I am still a newcomer to performing on historical instruments and it is not so common for me to have the opportunity to hear so many other young musicians live, with their different experiences and sensibilities.”

Do you have suggestions for improving the format of our auditions?

Lorenzo Molinetti: “It was very nice to be able to interact and develop a piece with input and ideas from the other candidates, and we were lucky to play in front of such esteemed jurors. We really had the chance to respond to their feedback, observe our responsiveness, and receive some really valuable guidance and suggestions. All this did happen to a some extent, but I would have liked even more of it!”

If you would like to take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity to showcase your musical skills as a performer of classical repertoire on period instruments, Theresia’s auditions are for you! Don’t miss this chance!

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Meet Theresia: Maddalena Bortot

By Emilia Campagna - April 3, 2024

Maddalena Bortot is a young Italian violinist who recently joined Theresia. Let's find out more about her in this interview!
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Maddalena Bortot is a young Italian violinist who recently joined Theresia. Let’s find out more about her in this interview!

Maddalena, tell us how you started to play the violin and how you decided to devote yourself to the period instrument.

I have been playing the violin since I was 10, although my first instrument was the guitar: but we had a violin at home and I always had it in my hand and tried to play it myself. Recognizing my passion, my parents enrolled me in a music school. At the end of secondary school I decided to devote myself entirely to music and moved to Bolzano to study at the Conservatory. I followed the three-year course for the first degree in modern violin with Paolo Zordanazzo. To tell you the truth, I immediately started poking around in everything that was going on in the Early Music department. By taking part in numerous projects, I discovered my deep affinity for the repertoire and the way I had to approach it. So upon completing the three-year course in modern violin, I embarked on another three-year course focused on baroque violin, and I am currently studying in Bolzano under Barbara Altobello.

Last January, you attended our auditions in Paris: how did you decide to take part? And how did you find out about Theresia Orchestra?

I heard about Theresia through a friend, Matylda Adamus, a cellist I met in Bolzano. She was the one who told me about the orchestra. Strangely enough, although I was born and raised in Rovereto, where Theresia has performed several times, I had never heard of it! In any case, having missed the opportunity to attend an audition, I didn’t miss it this year: it was really worth the trip to Paris!

What was it like to take part in the auditions? Apart from being selected, how would you rate the experience?

Everything was very positive. The auditions I had taken part in before just consisted of preparing a video. For Theresia, however, I first had to learn a Beethoven quartet (plus both violin parts), which was a completely different approach to playing a series of orchestral passages. In addition, the real challenge was to play with complete strangers, musicians from all over the world, communicating in a language that we all use, English, which may not be the first language for everyone: because to put a quartet together you have to talk as well as play! Finally, I also played in different ensembles, one day the first violin part, the next day the second violin part. It was really two days of full immersion! For me, it was particularly inspiring because I am still a newcomer to performing on historical instruments and it is not so common for me to have the opportunity to hear so many other young musicians live, with their different experiences and sensibilities.

Awesome. So the auditions went so well that you were selected to take part in the first residency of the year. How did it go and what was it like to work with Alfredo Bernardini?

It was a wonderful experience. I had never played the ‘Last Words of Christ’ by Haydn and I must say it was a challenge to perform. Working with Bernardini was particularly pleasant because he created such a good group atmosphere. To give just one example of his attitude, he called us all by name, which is not something you take for granted from a director. Then he managed to work us through such a demanding piece while keeping the atmosphere positive and relaxed: fatigue was inevitable, but it was accompanied by great satisfaction.

How did the concerts go from your point of view?

It is difficult to compare them because we played in very different places in terms of acoustics. In Lodi we played in a church with very generous acoustics. In Rovereto, we played in a much drier concert hall, but this did not affect the quality. Finally, in Ravenna, again in a church: in this case, the performance was more demanding because the pieces alternated with reflections by the Bishop of Ravenna, which were much longer than the readings in the first two concerts. In this case, maintaining concentration definitely proved to be more challenging.

What are your plans for the next few months?

I will be playing again with Theresia at the concerts in Slovenia in October. I also have many engagements with ensembles within the Conservatoire and with some baroque orchestras I work with such as the Ensemble Cordia and the Ensemble Labirinti Armonici from Trento which is led by Andrea Ferroni, who is my first violin teacher.

Do you have any hobbies or does music fill your days completely?

I have a few hobbies that are very important to me! I read a lot, and then I go swimming, which helps me keep in shape, as well as longboarding, which I do on the cycle paths in Bolzano: movement is essential for me to keep in shape, both physically and mentally.

You live in Bolzano, an Italian city with Austrian and German connections: do you like this dimension?

Bolzano offers a very high quality of life, a lively cultural life and the opportunity to get in touch with nature. However, I will be moving soon. If all goes well, I will be in Barcelona next semester as part of an Erasmus programme: I can’t wait! I always want to get to know new places and people to enrich my experience.

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Welcome, new members!

By Emilia Campagna - July 26, 2023

After the summer auditions held in Salzburg, we are happy to welcome six new members to Theresia Orchestra.
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Summer is a very busy time for us: not only do we have two important residencies coming up in Geneva and Innsbruck. We have also just returned from auditions as usually in Salzburg, and are looking forward to welcoming the new members chosen to join our beloved Theresia Orchestra.

As always, these have been intense days for both the participants and the members of the jury: we try to get to know our candidates in depth, to assess their individual musical abilities, their ability to work in a group and their motivation to pursuing a career path towards becoming independent professional musicians. We strongly believe in the importance of this moment, which cannot be simply assessed by a solo performance of a few minutes: we want to give all candidates a meaningful training opportunity, so that even those who are not selected can go home with a valuable experience. And for this to be a positive experience, the location also matters which is why our auditions are held at the Schloss Frohburg in collaboration with the Mozarteum in Salzburg.

Let’s take a closer look at this year’s figures: there were 52 candidates from 18 different countries. Auditions took place from 13 to 15 July and they were focused on trumpets, timpani, oboes, horns, bassoons, and string instruments. The Examining Committee consisted of Alfredo Bernardini – Principal Conductor, Gemma Longoni – Concertmaster, Mario Martinoli – Artistic Director, and Elena Gaboardi – Trustee of Fondazione ICONS.

We are pleased to announce that the following players will join Theresia for its upcoming orchestral and chamber music projects as new members: Paula Pinn, bassoon (Germany); Marta Jiménez Ramírez, cello (Spain); Helena Reguera Rivero, viola (Spain); Begoña Hernández Gallardo, violin (Spain); Janire de PazRivas, horn (Spain); Maria Plucińska, oboe (Poland).

The auditions also serve to complete the talent pool of musicians on our reserve list, who might be called upon for individual projects and are invited to participate in the EMPOWER capacity building workshops.

A warm welcome to all of you: we look forward to seeing you join the ranks of our orchestra!

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The magic of summer and Theresia’s auditions

By Emilia Campagna - May 18, 2023

The magic of summer? The chance to travel and gain new experiences. How about adding a new orchestral experience to your CV? Theresia invites young musicians to join the orchestra and audition. Find out more about the next auditions taking place this summer!
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The magic of summer? The chance to travel and gain new experiences. How about adding a new orchestral experience to your CV? Theresia invites young musicians to join the orchestra and audition. Find out more about the next auditions taking place this summer!

Summer is a magical time: it is the time of year to travel, to see new places, to gain new experiences. It is also a time to recharge batteries! For us at Theresia, summer also means auditions as we look for new musicians to join the orchestra. For some years now, we have met many fantastic young period instrument players during the summer who all have one thing in common: they want to add value to their CV with a new orchestral experience that crosses borders. Why? Maybe they heard about it from colleagues, teachers or listened to some of our concerts online. Most of all, they realised that at Theresia you can do something that is not so common: play classical repertoire on period instruments.

Theresia’s auditions in Salzburg

Here some more details:

Theresia’s next auditions take place from 13 to 15 July and we’re looking for trumpets, timpani, oboes, horns, bassoons, and string instruments. The application deadline is Thursday 8 June. Just like last year, auditions are organised in partnership with the Mozarteum University and will take place in Salzburg, in Austria at the beautiful Schloss Frohnburg.

Who can audition?

Any emerging period instrumentalist can join Theresia. However, there are some mandatory requirements you should know about. You need to be under 28 – born either on or after 1 January 1995 – and all candidates should be being citizens of the European Union or of the European Economic Area. Non-EU citizens may apply if they hold a residence permit for study in one of the EU countries. Candidates must have in-depth knowledge of performance practice on authentic instruments and must use period instruments or copies of them. During auditions, the use of the classical bow for strings and classical instruments for winds is mandatory.

What’s on offer?

Candidates who will be selected are offered a grant of €3000, allowing them to participate in up to five projects or so called residencies, in the period from August 2023 to November 2024. Musicians are specifically invited to participate in the learning and artistic activities of Theresia Orchestra such as the orchestral residencies, chamber music academies, and specialised workshops to improve skills and gain more experience in the performance of symphonic and chamber music repertoire of the Classical Era on period instruments. This includes the participation in the concerts and recording activities which are scheduled at the end of each orchestral residency or chamber music academy, as well as the active participation in Theresia Academy’s educational activities such as the capacity building sessions, development of soft-skills, co-creation workshops, musicological seminars.

Want to know more? Download the full application form! We can’t wait to hear from you to get involved in Theresia!

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Bonne chance! New auditions in Paris

By Emilia Campagna - December 8, 2022

Theresia has launched a new slot of auditions, to be held in Paris in January. Hurry up, the deadline for applications is on 20th December!
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Theresia has launched new auditions, to be held in Paris in January. Hurry up, the deadline for applications is on 20th December!

Theresia has launched a slot of new auditions, specifically for violin, viola, cello, double bass, oboe, bassoon and horn. For the first time, the audition will be held in Boulogne-Billancourt, near Paris, a great location, thanks to the partnership with the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Boulogne-Billancourt. We are very happy with the widening of our network, and in particular, this new partnership let us set the auditions in a place which is both prestigious and convenient from a logistical point of view. The deadline for the submission of applications is Tuesday 20 December 2022.

Download the full regulation here

We usually schedule the auditions during the Summer (the last ones were in Salzburg’s Mozarteum, last July), and for the first time we are going to have more than one audition per year: that’s because a lot of exciting projects are about to start, and 2023 promise to be a thrilling year! (We are going to tell more in the next posts, so stay tuned!)

Some additional information: the new auditions are scheduled on 13 January 2023 for wind instruments and double basses, and on 14 January 2023 for string instruments. Candidates will play in front of our artistic board, composed of conductor and oboist Alfredo Bernardini, concertmaster Gemma Longoni and Theresia’s artistic director Mario Martinoli. Auditions also include a motivational interview with Elena Gaboardi, founder and co-chair of Icons, the Foundation that supports Theresia Orchestra. Candidates will be asked to perform not only a solistic or orchestral piece: auditions in Theresia are more than that, as candidates are involved in chamber music rehearsals and workshops: this allows the artistic board to better know the individual musical skills and also the ability to work in groups, which is essential to fit in the orchestral environment!

As one of our members, horn player Jonathan van der Beek, pointed out, “normally, an audition is a quite frightening and sometimes disappointing experience. In the case of the Theresia audition, this was exactly the opposite. It is called an audition because they are making a selection in the end, but it felt more like a workshop or even a masterclass in a beautiful environment. We got to prepare certain pieces, and we had to ‘rehearse’ in front of a jury the whole day. This made me very comfortable as I wasn’t judged only on the 5 first minutes of playing. When I went out of the audition, I was just so grateful that I got the opportunity to work with Alfredo Bernardini and all the great musicians that participated. If I were not selected, I would still take this great experience home.”

Selected candidates will be granted a sum of 2,500 and will be involved in the learning and artistic activities of Theresia Orchestra, including orchestra residencies, chamber music academies, specialized workshops and much more, to improve skills and gain experience in the performance of the symphonic and chamber music repertoire of the Classical Era on period instruments.

Don’t miss the chance! Download the full regulation here

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Welcome, Theresians!

By Emilia Campagna - July 25, 2022

Nine new members and seven eligible musicians were selected in Theresia's annual auditions: let's find out something about their motivations and expectations
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Theresia’s annual auditions at a glance

It was in mid-July that we held Theresia’s annual auditions: for the second time they were in Schloss Frohnburg in Salzburg, thanks to a partnership with the Mozarteum. And, as it always is when it comes to Theresia, it was an intense and rich experience.

One day for string players, one for woodwinds: our Concertmaster, violinist Gemma Longoni, and oboist Alfredo Bernardini, one of Theresia’s principal conductors, coordinated the full two days of rehearsals, as Theresia’s auditions are not merely hearings where you play your piece of music in front of a commission, but it goes way beyond that.

Of 28 invited candidates, we chose nine of them: they were awarded the Learning Grants that will let them participate in Theresia’s learning activities for the period August 2022 – November 2023. Plus, we included in a ranking seven eligible musicians who may be called for single projects and can participate in selected capacity building activities as well.

In the ranks of strings, new members are: Violinists Melanie Gruwez (Belgium), Natascha Pichler (Austria) Guillermo Santonja di Fonzo and Julia Hernández Sánchez (both Spanish); violist Hannah Gardner (UK) and German cellist Ena Market. As for woodwinds, we welcome Spanish oboist María Jesús Moreno Ciudad, Dutch horn player Hugo Pieters and Taiwanese flutist Ching-Yao Wang.

Eligible musicians are: Italian clarinetists Elia Bianucci and Carolina Guiducci, flutist Tommaso Simonetta Sandri (also from Italy), bassoonists William Gough (UK) and Francisco Javier Sánchez Castillo (Spain), Costarican hornist Andres Alberto Sanchez Trejos, and Hungarian violinist Zsófia Noémi Bréda.

Getting to know the candidates

We are looking forward to starting working with new members of the orchestra, who will be involved in August projects. Nevertheless, we had the chance to know them, their experiences and their expectations, during a series of interviews conducted by Elena Gaboardi (Board Member at Fondazione ICONS, the organisation supporting the Theresia project) and Charlotte Michi (Director at Fondazione ICONS).

As Charlotte Michi explains to us “our main purpose when interviewing the candidates is to know their motivations, and their attitude to commit to a project like Theresia.” In particular, interviewers asked about candidates’ interest in the HIP (Historically informed performance): “Most answers pointed out that this kind of performance gives you a complete and richer view of the music you are playing; generally speaking, string players tend to go on playing both period and modern instrument, while woodwinds players usually stick to the period one, for technical reasons mostly. Almost everybody has a strong attitude to exploring and deepening the historical and artistic aspects connected with the music they study. In this way, they also become better at communicating to the audience interesting facts related to the repertoire. By the way, improving communication techniques is something many candidates are interested in, and we are happy we will be able to help them effectively with our training modules.”

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Our places: Schloss Frohnburg

By Emilia Campagna - July 11, 2022

Not only “The Sound of Music” was an iconic musical shot in Salzburg, but it also happened to be shot at our auditions’ venue, Schloss Fohnburg – and the rich coincidence can have a meaningful relevance for our candidates.
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Not only “The Sound of Music” was an iconic musical shot in Salzburg, but it also happened to be shot at our auditions’ venue, Schloss Frohnburg – and the rich coincidence can have a meaningful relevance for our candidates.

Have you ever heard of a Schloss Frohnburg? This German name sounds like fairy tale places and old times splendour, and actually, it is a very special place where two very different things somehow meet: the renowned Salzburg’s Mozarteum and the American 1965 musical movie “The Sound of Music”.

What is Schloss Frohnburg’s story?

Originally, Schloss Frohnburg was built between 1660 and 1680 by Prince-Archbishop Max Gandolf as a summer manor and called “Schloss Grafenau”. Through marriage, the castle went to the family of the Counts of Frohnberg who gave the new name to the building. Later it became the property of the Counts of Kuenberg. Schloss Frohnburg went through its prime around 1700, when its extensive parks and gardens were maintained by 13 gardeners! The castle had orangeries and orchards and the site now used as a library was originally a bathhouse, these days only a marble plaque saying “Limpida perluor unda” (bathing in the clear wave) commemorates this fact.

For those familiar with Salzburg’s topography, it is situated along Hellbrunner Allee, which connects the Residenz Palace (probably the most important historic building of Salzburg) and the old town of Salzburg with Hellbrunn Castle in the South over a distance of about 5 kilometres. Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus ordered the construction of the straight alley to get comfortably to the castle and gardens built by Santino Solari in 1613.

How Schloss Frohnburg turned into becoming a house for music

After the Second World War, the American occupiers confiscated the building. In 1960, the Republic of Austria acquired Schloss Frohnburg to allocate it to the Carl Orff Institute as part of the Mozarteum. Nowadays, the historic concert hall and the adjoining rooms are used by the Mozarteum University for performances and can also be rented, making it an ideal location for concerts, seminars and much more, thanks to its concert hall and the adjoining conference hall. And right here are scheduled Theresia’s 2022 auditions, to be held in a few days (on 14th July and 15th July).

A location for “The Sound of Music”

Salzburg is so full of gems, that Schloss Frohnburg is not at the top of the list of the standard tourist. Thousands of people, though, worship it in the movie “The Sound of Music”, in which it was used for the exterior shots of the Trapp villa. Do you remember the story? In 1938 Maria (a charming Julie Andrews), a young nun to be, uncertain whether to take vows or not, is sent to Captain von Trapp’s home to be the governess to his seven children. She falls in love with the children and their widowed father who, ordered to accept a commission in the German navy, opposes the Nazis so that he and Maria decide to flee from Austria with the children. Music is at the very core of the movie, as it is the force that unites the Captain, Maria and the seven children. What people usually do not know is that this is a true story: the Trapp family really flew to the United States before the II World War, making a name for themselves as the Trapp Family Singers.

The first appearance of the castle is particularly evocative for us because it happens to be when Maria leaves the convent to face her new task. She’s afraid and apprehensive: will she be up to the job? Will she make a good impression? That’s exactly what a young musician facing an audition may think. Well, first of all, we can assure you reminding the words of hour horn player Jonathan van der Beek, who joined Theresia after last year’s auditions: “It is called an audition because they are making a selection in the end, but it felt more like a workshop or even a masterclass in a beautiful environment. We got to prepare certain pieces, and we had to ‘rehearse’ in front of a jury the whole day. This made me very comfortable as I wasn’t judged only on the 5 first minutes of playing. When I went out of the audition, I was just so grateful that I got the opportunity to work with Alfredo Bernardini and all the great musicians that participated.”

Then we could all get inspired by Maria, singing “I have confidence” on her way to Trapp Villa – Schloss Frohnburg: “With each step I am more certain / Everything will turn out fine / I have confidence / The world can all be mine!”.

Good luck with your auditions and… have confidence!

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New auditions coming soon!

By Emilia Campagna - May 20, 2022

Theresia is looking for talented musicians: don't miss the chance of the next auditions!
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Good news for young talented musicians: a contest based on merit was launched to award Learning Grants to musicians wishing to enter Theresia Orchestra and participate in its learning activities for the period August 2022 – November 2023! Meaning, auditions are to be held soon.

Instruments involved are violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn. Auditions, during which candidates will be asked not only to play but also to express their motivations to participate in the project, will be held at Schloss Frohnburg in Salzburg (Austria) thanks to the collaboration with Salzburg Mozarteum, on 14 July 2022 for wind instruments and on 15 July 2022 for string instruments, and will be run as chamber music workshops under the supervision of the Board of Examiners. Components of the Board of Examiner will be Alfredo Bernardini, Theresia’s Principal Conductor, violinist Gemma Longoni (Concertmaster), Artistic Director Mario Martinoli, Charlotte Michi (Fondazione ICONS Director), and Elena Gaboardi (Fondazione ICONS Board Member).

Selected musicians will participate in five of the residencies from August 2022 to November 2023: the first two of them, both in August, will be chamber music residencies, for string players in Geneva (Switzerland) and wind instruments in Totana (Spain). An opera production is also scheduled: residency n. 36 is devoted to Cimarosa’s opera “Le astuzie femminili”, with concerts in Rieti and Rome in October. Orchestral residencies will follow, with projects in which Theresia Orchestra will be conducted by Alfredo Bernardini, Alessandro De Marchi and Giovanni Antonini. Check the website for more info and updates!

Joining Theresia is a great opportunity: in addition to being involved in such musical projects, the musicians who will be particularly distinguished by artistic merit at the end of their granting period may have the possibility to extend their grant for one more year and may be invited to join the professional alumni orchestra named Concerto Theresia. Moreover, musicians will be involved in the activities made possible by the European project Empower: some of them will be “ambassadors” at the very centre of a program (Ambassador Program and Audience Development), which aims to engage new audiences in part thanks to some of our musicians acting as testimonials.Still, Empower will affect all musicians involved in Theresia, thanks to its learning program and capacity building modules..

Of course, not everybody can participate, and some requirements are mandatory: applicants must be born after (or on) 1 January 1994 and must be citizens of one of the Countries of the European Union or the European Economic Area. Non-EU citizens may apply if they have a residence permit for study in one of the Countries of the European Union. They must have in-depth knowledge of performance praxis on authentic instruments and of the use of period instruments. Last but not least, the use of the classical bow for strings and classical instruments for winds is mandatory during the Auditions.

Download the full regulation here and don’t forget to spread the news!

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Meet Theresia: Gemma Longoni

By Emilia Campagna - December 13, 2018

"Fare la spalla d Theresia è stata un'esperienza nuova, che mi ha costretta a mettermi in gioco e mi ha fatto diventare più forte. Ora sono spesso chiamata a fare la spalla anche di altri ensemble orchestrali."
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“Fare la spalla di Theresia stata un’esperienza nuova, che mi ha costretta a mettermi in gioco e mi ha fatto diventare più forte. Ora sono spesso chiamata a fare la spalla anche di altri ensemble orchestrali.”

La violinista italiana Gemma Longoni è la spalla di Theresia: 31 anni, in orchestra dal 2015, le abbiamo chiesto di raccontarci la sua esperienza:

“Ho un ricordo molto nitido della mia prima residenza: era una produzione orchestrale a Lodi, sotto la direzione di Claudio Astronio e con un repertorio molto bello, Ouvertures e arie per voce e orchestra di Rameau. Di quella prima esperienza mi è rimasto impresso prima di tutto il contatto umano: a parte una persona, non conoscevo nessuno, e mi sono trovata molto bene con i miei nuovi colleghi di cui soprattutto un paio sono tuttora tra le mie amicizie più intime. A livello invece strumentale, per quanto riguarda la mia crescita come musicista, per me il progetto ha cominciato ad essere molto stimolante quando ho cominciato a fare prima la spalla dei secondi e poi la spalla dell’orchestra.”

Pensi che dandoti questo ruolo Theresia ti abbia fatto crescere come musicista?

“Indubbiamente sì. Quando sono entrata non ero più alle prime armi, e avevo già fatto delle esperienze in diverse orchestre. Non che prima di fare la spalla il lavoro in Theresia non fosse interessante, anzi: avevo ricevuto molti stimoli e approfondito il repertorio, ma il vero “click” è scattato quando mi sono dovuta mettere in gioco in un ruolo di maggiore responsabilità, sia in orchestra che nei progetti cameristici.”

Cosa ha rappresentato per te ricoprire il ruolo di spalla dell’orchestra?

“E’ stata un’esperienza nuova, che mi ha costretta a mettermi in gioco e mi ha fatto diventare più forte. Ora sono spesso chiamata a fare la spalla anche di altri ensemble orchestrali.”

Parliamo degli stage cameristici, una caratteristica del progetto Theresia. Cosa rappresentano per te questi momenti nell’ambito di un percorso di formazione orchestrale?

“Penso che siano un grande regalo: la possibilità di concentrarsi su un repertorio cameristico, senza stress e col tempo necessario è qualcosa che a quanti di noi si dedicano molto all’orchestra non è comunemente dato. Il lavoro in orchestra di solisto è concentrato in pochi giorni in cui si punta molto al risultato. Avere l’agio, la calma e il giusto stato mentale per approfondire il repertorio è un privilegio, un momento di crescita e una bellissima esperienza.”

Pensi che Theresia ti abbia aiutato ad allargare la tua rete di conoscenze e ad aprirti la strada per nuovi progetti professionali?

“Indirettamente sì: lavorare con nuovi direttori, conoscere nuovi colleghi è sempre qualcosa che può portare ad esperienze che non si erano programmate, a nuove occasioni. Con alcuni musicisti di Theresia ad esempio stiamo pensando di fondare un ensemble da camera: è un progetto ancora all’inizio e mi attrae molto.”

Prossimamente si svolgeranno le nuove audizioni per archi: consiglieresti Theresia ai tuoi colleghi e perchè?

“Sicuramente lo consiglierei! Per un musicista giovane entrare in Theresia può essere un ottimo modo per acquisire pratica con l’esecuzione su strumenti originali a contatto con grandi direttori e maestri come quelli che abbiamo avuto in questi anni: Alfredo Bernardini, Chiara Banchini, Claudio Astronio. L’altro aspetto che rende preziosa l’esperienza è la presenza degli stage cameristici, sicuramente un valore aggiunto.”

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Olga Pashchenko: “Theresia is real musical life”

By Emilia Campagna - December 10, 2018

Projects like Theresia give to young musicians the possibility to grow and develop their skills in a very lively environment. It is a great opportunity to get precious experience because this is actually real musical life."
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Olga Paschchenko, harpsichordist and pianist who performed (and will perform) with Theresia Youth Orchestra in more than an occasion, is one of our favourite musicians: she’s a real pro in the musical field, with a huge experience as a concert player, as well as a contestant in international competitions and as a teacher of advanced students.

Olga, we met last in August 2015, when you played as a soloist with Theresia: what has happened during these three years?

“Life has been quite exciting all these years. For example, I started teaching keyboard instruments in the Conservatories of Amsterdam and Ghent and I issued several CDs; I have also played a lot of different programs on organ, harpsichord, fortepiano and modern piano.”

Your first partnership with the orchestra was in 2012, when you won the Premio Ferrari competition playing the fortepiano: what do you recollect of that experience, after six years?

“That was definitely a great experience back then, I have the most beautiful memories. The orchestra was very enthusiastic and played very well under the baton of the wonderful Claudio Astronio.”

In 2020 you will perform again with Theresia, playing Beethoven’s First Concerto under the baton of Alfredo Bernardini, which is one of our principal conductors together with Chiara Banchini and Claudio Astronio. Have you already worked with or met Alfredo Bernardini?

“I totally love Alfredo as a musician and as a person as well: we met at many different occasions and once we did a project with Bach’s Cantatas together.”

You are still playing both fortepiano, harpsichord and modern piano: how can you deal with the technical differences between these instruments? Do you manage to work in contemporary on different projects involving different instruments or do you focus on one at a time?

“My main idea is to play the pieces on the instrument that these pieces were composed for. So I decided to limit myself to keyboard instruments. Accordion is, unfortunately, missing at the moment… However, with all other keyboard instruments I meet on an everyday basis and very often play mixed programs.”

You are now a teacher, as well as a concert player: in your opinion, how much is it important for young musicians to join youth projects like Theresia? Would you recommend to string students to try the upcoming Theresia’s auditions?

“In my opinion, the presence of such projects has a very high significance. The young professionals get a possibility to grow and develop their skills in a very lively environment and to do exactly what they are aiming to do in life. I think it is a great opportunity to get precious experience in such projects because that is actually real musical life.”

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