The “Duke Symphony Orchestra: Centennial Celebrations” performance will be held Mar. 6 in Page Auditorium. Along with works by Britten and Wagner, the orchestra will perform the Sibelius Violin Concerto, featuring soloist Jingwei (Jenny) Li, the winner of this year’s DSO Concerto Competition. Recess writer Kathy Zhou spoke with the freshman about a student musician’s perspective on the upcoming performance and Duke’s music department.
Recess: Let’s start with your musical background and your involvement with DSO.
Jenny Li: I actually started with flute and piccolo and then picked up violin when I was eight. I didn’t like violin when I first started, but I grew into it. I taught myself piano, and I like to make compositions, too. When I came to Duke, I auditioned right away for lessons and for orchestra. I take private lessons with [Eric] Pritchard [Professor of the Practice of Music (Violin) and Member of Ciompi Quartet], and I’m thinking about starting a quartet with my friends. DSO has been a really good experience.
R: Why have you enjoyed DSO? What makes it different?
JL: In DSO, everyone is really encouraging. Everyone’s good, too, but it never feels like a competition. I am really thankful for Professor [Harry] Davidson [Professor of the Practice of Music and Director of Duke Symphony Orchestra]. He’s really passionate about the music, and he focuses on the orchestra as a whole, to make the orchestra the best it can be. The level of the orchestra really motivated me to practice more. We definitely enjoy music together as one. It’s more organic, and not just an organization. Everyone’s function in the orchestra is important.
R: What has preparation with DSO been like for the performance?
JL: We started rehearsing all the pieces after winter break. We rehearse Mondays and Wednesdays for two hours. I play with [the whole orchestra] for the other pieces. I think the Sibelius sounds really good, and I’m really happy with how it sounds—I’m really grateful. All the pieces are great, and I don’t think I can choose one as a highlight.
R: Yes, it’s a great line-up. I’m personally looking forward most to the Sibelius Violin Concerto. How do you feel about the piece?
JL: It’s just so rich. A part of it is about suffering, and that’s something everyone goes through. There’s some agitation. But interspersed, there’s still the beauty in life, and I really want to touch the audience in some way, because we have these shared experiences. I hope I will be able to tell the story by playing the piece. I’ve been practicing a lot, because I have a different motivation. This time I want to consider the audience more. I just want to encourage something—everyone might have some different interpretation. It’s definitely a piece you can always be in the mood for.
R: That’s so important, to have a personal connection to the piece and to try to convey that to the audience. Moving to a broader view, what’s your opinion on the music scene at Duke?
JL: It’s definitely a good program with a strong network. I think that in college, if you decide to continue with music, it means you’re really passionate about it. I can tell a lot of people truly love music and enjoy playing. Sometimes I’ll practice late at night and there are always a lot of others practicing as well. That commitment to music is really encouraging. The faculty is great, too. I feel like I can connect with anyone, even if it’s not a violinist or a string professor…I do think music could be more prominent here. I don’t think the orchestra gets as much attention as other music groups and ensembles, and there are so many of them. I think maybe classical music in general is something people don’t have as much taste for, but I hope we can somehow make it more appealing to students at Duke.
R: I would agree. Speaking personally, what is the appeal of classical music for you?
JL: I’ve always really liked classical music. I don’t really know why. There’s just something pure in it. It’s something I can really connect emotionally to. Every piece is a composer telling some kind of story, or some experience they had. For motivation or for any kind of encouragement I always listen to music and I play music. It has a purpose. Sometimes words and language are pretty limited, and you just can’t express through words. I think music is really powerful. Classical music is more related to the spirit, to the soul.
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