A Conversation with Susie Yang, Cellist

This Saturday, February 21, 2015, KC area residents will have an opportunity to see and hear a very gifted cellist, Susie Yang, perform with the Heritage Philharmonic. Ms. Yang has been the Associate Principal Cellist of the Kansas City Symphony since 2010. She will be performing the Variations on a Rococo Theme by Tchaikovsky. Here is the complete program for the concert:

Music of Russia

Saturday, February 21, 2015 at 7:30 PM

Blue Springs High School 

2000 NW Ashton Drive

Blue Springs, MO 64015

Borodin     Symphony No. 2

Liadov     Eight Russian Folk Songs

Tchaikovsky     Variations on a Rococo Theme 

Susie Yang, cello soloist

I recently had a conversation with Ms.Yang to learn more about her and and talk about classical music.

TH: What is your first memory of hearing a cello?

SY: I was 2 or 3…my mom played the cello and my older sister played the violin. I started playing cello when I was 5.

TH: So hearing both cello and violin, how did you choose between the two?

SY: It’s not any kind of inspiring story (laughing)…it was chosen for me. My sister really wanted to play the violin…she was very passionate about it at a young age. I was shyer and quieter and my parents thought playing might open me up, and since my mom is a cellist, they gave me a cello.

TH: Where did you grow up?

SY: The Northwest suburbs of Chicago, where my parents still live…in Schaumburg.

TH: My dad was passionate his entire life about classical music, and I read that your father has the same passion?

SY: Yes. Since we were little, we heard classical music at home…especially his favorites like the Schubert Trout Quintet. He has a collection of so many amazing classical records with soloists such as Jascha Heifetz and Pierre Fournier and also recordings of great orchestral music with Leonard Bernstein and George Szell conducting. 

TH: How did you end up here in Kansas City?

SY: After college, I auditioned for the New World Symphony in Miami and I ended up there. Alex East (Assistant Principal Cello with the KC Symphony) came to teach some lessons and I played for him. That led to a short term, 6-month opening with the KC Symphony in 2009. I auditioned for the permanent position and I didn't get the job, so I moved away to San Diego where my sister lives (she is Associate Concertmaster of the San Diego Symphony). 6-months later I came back to audition in KC again and I won the Associate Principal Cello job. So I came back!

TH: Tell us about the cello you play.

SY: I play an instrument from Chicago. It’s from the William Harris Lee & Company shop. It’s a Peter Staszel cello made in 1994. It’s very modern.

TH: How many hours a day do you practice?

SY: It varies. Anywhere from 2-4 hours in general…or more…..

TH: Do you play every day? 

SY: Yes, pretty much every day. I do try to take some time off during the summer.

TH: Do you play any instruments other than the cello?

SY: No, just the cello…it’s hard enough (laughing).

TH: Tell me a little about the Tchaikovsky Variations on a Rococo Theme that you will be performing with the Heritage Philharmonic this Saturday night.

SY: It is one of Tchaikovsky’s more elegant and lighter pieces. If you know his symphonies, they are very romantic and very stormy…quite emotional. With this piece, he was trying to write in the style of one of his greatest inspirations…Mozart. So you can hear some of Mozart’s style. It’s lighter. It’s very well orchestrated for the cello. There aren’t many balance issues because it is pretty sparse and he uses great interactions with other instruments in the orchestral accompaniment.

TH: Tell me some of the differences between performing as a soloist and playing in an ensemble.

SY: As a soloist you have more liberty to do what you want in some ways. You are listening to the ensemble and working with the conductor, but you are still the soloist. You also have the freedom to play your own fingerings, bowings, and phrases. You can be free to express your own personality! In an ensemble, such as an orchestra, you have to blend your sound with your stand partner and your section. It is really important to listen to each other, while playing with the conductor and creating a good ensemble sound. There are perks to both. Some people don’t enjoy playing as a soloist. It’s definitely scary…you are OUT there on your own. But I enjoy it. I started doing it at a young age too which makes me more comfortable with it.

TH: You mentioned on your KC Symphony website profile that Jacqueline Du Pre was a big influence on you. Are there other cellists you also admire or enjoy listening to?

SY: For me it is Rostropovich and Yo-Yo Ma. Rostropovich is a master of the cello, in my opinion. The different colors he is able to bring out and the amazing bow control he has are just a few of his traits I admire as a cellist. I love Yo-Yo not only for his great cello playing, but for his interactions with the audience and the different audiences he is able to attract. He is experimental and adventurous. He opens up the classical musician to many other aspects of playing. But with Du Pre, I won a competition when I was 11 and I was playing Elgar (Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor) which was “her piece”. So my parents bought me a VHS of her very famous Elgar Concerto. I watched it all the time. She was the one who led me to start loving the cello.

TH: What are the physical challenges of playing the cello professionally? Any health issues?

SY: I have not had many physical problems so far in my career. There was a time last year when I had to take a couple of weeks off from work because I had a lot of muscle tension in my neck and in between my shoulder blades, which can be quite common. So, I get massage therapy every once in a while. Several of my colleagues in the orchestra get acupuncture, which is also supposed to be very helpful. I definitely notice a difference in my physical capabilities from my younger years. I was able to practice for 4 hours without a break. If I do that now, I would injure myself! I have to take breaks and warm up properly to avoid the risk of causing tension or injuries. I also love doing yoga to maintain flexibility, good posture and good breathing skills.

TH: We both know that most people in our culture don’t listen to classical music.

SY: I think that many people have not been exposed to a great live concert experience. Also, I think that people who think classical music is stuffy, also assume that the musicians are unapproachable. They might think that we are snobby and spend all of our time in a practice room. I believe in making classical music accessible to all kinds of people and I know that the Kansas City Symphony really believes in that too. We have created great concerts like the free Happy Hour chamber music concerts, where musicians create the programs and talk to the audiences about the pieces before playing them. We also have the new series called Classics Uncorked, where the concert is much shorter, the tickets cheaper, and you get a free drink and an opportunity to talk to the musicians out in the lobby. I have made great connections with audience members and I love to talk to them about music, but also let them know that I am more than just a cellist. I do "normal" things, like cooking or discovering good eats around KC.

TH: I also see a lot of young people in the audience these days.

SY: I think that the symphony is definitely getting more popular with younger crowds. The free and cheaper concerts are getting them exposed to the symphony and then they HAVE to come to a classics after that--I hope so, anyway. I noticed that there were a lot of young people in the audiences in Miami with the New World Symphony as well.

TH: I think the KC Symphony is doing a great job with community outreach. Seeing you play the National Anthem at the World Series was awesome!

SY: I agree! We are doing really exciting things and we are getting noticed. (That Royals game was one of the best days of my life!) Our administration is so great too. They really respect and admire the musicians and what we do, which creates a great atmosphere to work together.

TH: What composers (other than Bach) do you enjoy listening to?

SY: Beethoven is one of my other favorite composers. Of course, I love all of his music! But, for me, his quartets are my absolute favorite. That music has touched my emotions in ways I could never imagine! Brahms also has great chamber pieces. As you can tell, I love chamber music--listening to it and playing it. Two other composers worth mentioning for me personally, are Prokofiev and Stravinsky.

TH: I know I speak for all of the musicians in the Heritage Philharmonic when I say that we are so excited that you are joining us for this concert on Saturday night.

SY: Thank you! I am very excited to perform with the Heritage Philharmonic and I hope the audience enjoys the performance of this great piece.