FAYETTEVILLE — The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, along with concertpianist Jonathan Biss, will present an all-Mozart performance at 8 p.m. today at the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville.
Artistic director and concertmaster Kenneth Sillito will conduct a portion of the program from his chair in the first violin section.
1. Was there a moment in your childhood when you KNEW you wanted to be a musician?
Sillito - When I started to play string quartets at the age of 10, having been learning the violin for three years, I played with keen adults and thought how amazing the whole experience was.
2. Having been a classical musician all your life, how do you use that great training and knowledge to reach out to people who don’t love classical music?
Sillito - I have always maintained that if people are exposed to music, they respond and should not think that they need specialized knowledge of whatever they are listening to.
3. What’s special about the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields?
Sillito - The ASMF started as an ensemble without conductor and gradually evolved into a Mozart-size chamber orchestra and then later a symphony orchestra. The special quality of the orchestra is that it is made up of players who are very much chamber music musicians and therefore are quite happy to be heard as soloists. They bring an ensemble approach to everything they do without needing a conductor.
Tickets are $39-$55 by calling 443-5600.
Whats Up, Pages 16 on 10/29/2010