维也纳交响乐团首次亮相中国

The Vienna Symphony Orchestra has come to China for the first time, performing at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. And they have played some of the most beloved pieces from classical music. CCTV-News reporter Fei Ye sat down with renowned conductor Simone Young, and talked about her collaboration with Chinese violinist Huang Mengla, the challenges of being a female conductor in a male dominated field, and her love for classical music.

In its 114 years of history, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra has never set foot on China's concert hall stage, until now. Saturday marked a milestone in the orchestra's history, when they made their debut in Beijing, guided by one of the most famous female conductors of her era, Simone Young. It's also the first time for Chinese violinist Huang Mengla to collaborate with Young, who has worked with many artists before, yet Huang's playing has surprised her.

"All great violinists have a very individual personality his impression in rehearsal of being content yet when he performs he communicates all the time. He has a very fine sound very elegant and quite an emotional way of playing particularly in the andante so it was a very great pleasure to work with him," conductor Simone Young said.

Fei Ye: "I know you studied piano and composition before becoming a conductor. Is there a right instrument for a conductor to study that would provide a smoother transition to that role in the future?"

Simone Young: "Pianos are great for anyone wanting to become a conductor because more than anything else, it trains you to read vertical columns of music. Only on keyboard instruments, like piano, harpsichord, organ, these instruments where you have a vertical complex structure of sound that you read this way and then you read that way. On any other insturment you just read a single line."

Fei Ye: "And why did you decide to become a conductor?"

Simone Young: "You know they talk about a child trying this instrument that instrument finding the instrument they feel at home. I love the piano and I still play a lot but the instrument I feel the most comfortable with is the orchestra. This is the instrument that gives me the biggest possiblities in terms of color and articulation, shape, structure. This is the biggest toy to play with. Piano is too small."

Australian born Young is internationally recognized as one of the leading conductors of her generation. She studied piano and composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and now is the music director of the Hamburg State Opera. Some audience members came just to see her.

"I'm very curious about Simone Young. I think a female conductor has more charisma guiding a dominantly male orchestra than a male conductor," Wang Zhaoxing said.

"If it wasn't for her I wouldn't have come. I'm really happy to see a strong female presence in classical music," Li Geng said.

Fei Ye: "You are the first woman to ever conduct at the Berlin Philharmonic and many top orchestras around the world. How is it for a woman in a very male dominated field to succeed?"

Simone Young: "You are aware that the spotlight is on you in a certain way and that if you fail, you will make it more difficult for the next one to try. My belief and experience is that if a musician is honest and direct and convincing then it doesn't matter if they are young or old or tall or short or fat or thin or male or female this place no role what so ever. It's about the music and it's about being an artist. I give young female conductors the same advice I give young male conductors, be very prepared to work very hard and then you'll make it."

Fei Ye: "How do you keep yourself creative when conducting work that has been played so many times by so many composers?"

Simone Young: "I'm constantly reading, studying, developing my mind learning languages listening to historical interpretations. Art is about experience and every individual has their own sets or experiences that are unique to them. And if you are honest about your emotions and your response to the music and communicate this, then that would be a unique reading of the work."