Filling the chair that for 34 seasons was occupied by Glenn Dicterow, its longest-serving concertmaster, the New York Philharmonic on Wednesday announced the appointment of Frank Huang, currently concertmaster of the Houston Symphony.
过去34个演出季里,纽约爱乐乐团首席小提琴手的位置一直属于格兰·迪克特罗(Glenn Dicterow),他也是这个位置上呆得最久的人。周三,乐团宣布,现任休斯顿交响乐团首席小提琴手的黄欣将接任迪克特罗。
Mr. Huang, 36, will take over in September, beginning with the opening gala concert of the Philharmonic’s 2015-16 season. Mr. Dicterow stepped down last June.
现年36岁的黄欣将于九月正式加入纽约爱乐,参加2015-16演出季的开幕音乐会。迪克特罗是去年六月卸任的。
“The concertmaster, more than any other member, really shapes the persona of the orchestra,” Alan Gilbert, the Philharmonic’s music director, said. “I’ve made a lot of appointments, but this is obviously the most crucial.”
“首席小提琴手可以决定乐团的整体风格,在这一点上,比其他成员的影响力更大”,乐团音乐总监兼指挥阿伦·基尔伯特(Alan Gilbert)说道,“我做过许多人事任命,但明显这一次最为关键。”
The appointment comes two months after Mr. Gilbert announced that he would step down in 2017, after eight seasons. The orchestra has started the search for his successor.
两个月前,基尔伯特宣布自己将于八个演出季后,即2017年离开纽约爱乐乐团。乐团已开始物色他的接班人。
In an interview, Mr. Huang said he was not unsettled by coming aboard just as Mr. Gilbert winds down his tenure. “Whoever is the director will make a big impact,” Mr. Huang said. “But a great orchestra will sound great no matter who’s conducting. With such talented musicians, you’re going to get committed and convincing playing regardless of the interpretation.”
在一次采访中,黄欣说,基尔伯特的离职不会让他对加入乐团感到不安。“音乐总监的确会对乐团产生非常重大的影响”,黄欣说,“但一支优秀的管弦乐团不管谁来指挥都会保持演出水准。和这些天才音乐家在一起,不管对音乐如何诠释,我都可以十分投入并且自信地演出。”
Mr. Huang said he had great respect for the orchestra’s musicians, with whom he played this season as guest concertmaster in three programs conducted by Mr. Gilbert, including works by Bartok, Bruckner and Mozart in October and the Verdi Requiem in January.
黄欣还表示,他非常尊敬乐团的音乐家们。在纽约爱乐乐团本季的演出中,黄欣以首席小提琴家身份试参加了基尔伯特指挥的三次音乐会,包括去年十月演奏巴托克(Bartok)、布鲁克纳(Bruckner)和莫扎特的作品,以及今年一月演奏威尔第的《安魂曲》。
He also said he was comfortable with Mr. Gilbert’s emphasis on contemporary programming.
黄欣坦言,他欣赏基尔伯特对音乐的现代诠释。
“It’s only fitting that they’re presenting these challenging works sometimes,” Mr. Huang said. “I’m excited to work with a lot of these contemporary composers and to get to know some of these newer pieces that I haven’t had the chance to play yet.”
“他们很适合不时演出这些富有挑战性的作品,”黄欣说,“我很开心能和这些当代作曲家合作,接触之前自己没有机会演奏的新作品。”
Born in Beijing, Mr. Huang began studying violin with his mother when he was 7, after moving to Houston. But he resisted the instrument when he was young, he said. “I never understood why it was important when I was little — I did not love music the way I do now,” he said in a telephone interview. “There were some years when I was close to giving up on the violin. Even though I was technically good at the instrument, I never felt it was something I could not live without.”
黄欣出生在北京,后搬往休斯敦,七岁时开始跟随其母学习小提琴。不过据黄欣介绍,他在年幼时并没有这么喜欢小提琴。在一次电话采访中,黄欣回忆道,“我小时候不明白小提琴对我来说有什么意义,也没那么喜欢音乐,”他说。“我有几年差点放弃小提琴。那时候我觉得虽然自己擅长演奏这件乐器,但并没有觉得离开它就不能活了。”
He commenced studying with Fredell Lack at the University of Houston and at 16 he enrolled in the precollege program at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with Donald Weilerstein and earned a bachelor’s degree in music in 2002. He also studied with Robert Mann at the Juilliard School in New York.
黄欣在休斯顿大学学习时,师从弗莱德·莱克(Fredell Lack)。16岁时,他被克利夫兰音乐学院的大学预科班录取,后跟随唐纳德·维勒斯汀(Donald Weilerstein)学习。2002年,黄欣获得音乐学士学位。此外,他曾在纽约茱莉亚音乐学院(Juilliard School)跟随罗伯特·马恩 (Robert Mann)学习。
“I’m lucky to have had fantastic teachers who helped me not only improve on the instrument but helped me develop this love of what music can do, how it can change your life,” he said. “Teaching has become a huge part of what I love to do.”
“我非常幸运能遇到这么多优秀的老师,他们不仅帮助我提高演奏水平,还激发了我对音乐本身的兴趣,让我明白音乐可以做什么,能给生活带来什么改变,”他说。“教授音乐也变成了我非常热爱的事”。
Mr. Huang won first prizes in the 2003 Walter W. Naumburg Foundation’s violin competition and the 2000 Hannover International violin competition.
2003年黄欣赢得了沃尔特瑙姆堡(Walter W. Naumburg Foundation)一等奖,2000年,他亦曾赢得汉诺威国际小提琴比赛(Hannover International violin competition)一等奖。
He was first violinist of the Ying Quartet before joining the Houston Symphony, where he became concertmaster in 2010.
在加入休斯敦交响乐团前,黄欣在应氏四重奏(the Ying Quartet)中担任第一小提琴手。而后,2010年成为休斯敦交响乐团首席。
Mr. Huang has also performed as a chamber musician at the Marlboro Music Festival, the Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, the Seattle Chamber Music Society’s festival and at Caramoor. He frequently takes part in Musicians From Marlboro tours and was selected by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center to be a member of its Chamber Music II program.
黄欣也参加一些音乐节,比如万宝路音乐节、拉维尼亚音乐节(Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute)、西雅图室内音乐协会音乐节、卡拉穆尔音乐节(Caramoor)。此外,他还经常参加“来自万宝路的音乐家”巡演,并当选为林肯中心室内乐协会的室内乐II项目(Chamber Music II program)成员。
On Friday, Mr. Huang is to be married in Houston to Sarah Ludwig, a violinist with the Houston Grand Opera. Somehow, he said, they would manage the long-distance relationship.
周五,黄欣将在休斯敦同萨拉·路德维格(Sarah Ludwig)举行婚礼,萨拉也是一名小提琴演奏家,任职于休斯顿歌剧院(Houston Grand Opera)。黄欣说,两人会努力克服他们之间的地理距离。
Mr. Huang said his favorite works tend to be whatever piece he is working on at the moment. “If you really understand it, and really understand the reasons for making it convincing,” he said, “you can’t help but fall in love with it a little bit.”
黄欣说,他最喜欢的作品往往就是当下练习的作品,“如果你真的理解作品,理解它打动人心的原因”,他说,“你便会情不自禁地爱上它。”