Fiori Musicali work very hard to give you a great repertoire of beautiful baroque and classical music near you. I wanted to learn more about the players who regularly make up Fiori Musicali and what makes them tick.

Therefore I take great pleasure in introducing you to my new feature ‘Meet the player’, a short Q & A  to give us an insight into the talent found amongst the Fiori Musicali.

First up is violinist extraordinaire Kerstin Linder-Dewan – leader of Fiori for many years and soloist with them in her acclaimed landmark recording of Bach’s D minor Violin Concerto.

Why did you decide to make music your career?

Music makes me profoundly happy. It’s a tool to express my emotions, to communicate with fellow musicians and to touch the hearts of strangers. A very fulfilling way to spend your life!

Do you play other kinds of music besides baroque/classical?

I don’t really play, but I thoroughly like ALL kinds of music, especially Indian classical music, Jazz, Hip-Hop. Through my daughter’s nearly professional dancing I learned to appreciate a different side of Rap and Soul music.

Who’s inspired you?

My idol, who got me into playing the violin, is Yehudi Menuhin. His recording of Bach’s Ciaccona (which for my “baroque-trained ears” now sounds curious) made me learn the violin as a 9-year-old. I also got the chance to know him personally!

Is musicality an inborn ability or hard graft practice?

The ability to love music is inborn – the rest is practice.

What do you still aim to achieve?

On a grander scale: to sharpen my alertness to live in the present. Music is a good way to do that: you plan and prepare to play a piece in a certain way but what actually happens on stage is unpredictable. You accept each moment and react.

What do you do when not playing music?  Unusual hobbies/ something we might not expect?

….

(I’d better not blurt out that I am a chocoholic – so I’ll leave this line blank.)

What the scariest moment you’ve ever had whilst performing on stage?

A concert in New York,  when halfway through a duo with violinist Kati Debrezeni my violin seemed to explode – literally! The tailgut had snapped!

What performance sticks in your memory?

A concert with James Bowman and the King’s Consort in Santiago de Compostella when, after the last chord, my then 3 year old daughter came running on stage to hug me – in full view of the audience!

Now wouldn’t that just melt your heart? Thank you Kerstin!

FF