ARTIST INTERVIEW - Colin Brookes
Our Institute Artists are amazing musicians and we want to share their personal stories, musical insights, and passion for performance with you, so we asked each artist to answer some questions about what it is like to be a performing musician. We hope you enjoy getting to know the violist from the Ulysses Quartet, Colin Brookes.
Why or when did you start learning music?
I began studying viola at age 6. My older brother began studying violin at the same time, so naturally I wanted to play something different. My mom had played violin in high school, and this prior knowledge really helped me at the beginning of my studies.
Of the pieces that you are performing here in New Orleans, which is your favorite? Why?
Of the pieces we are performing, Bartok’s 4th String Quartet is my favorite. Bartok’s language and compositional style really shows through in this quartet. One of my favorite things about playing in a string quartet is how even the roles are in each instrument. This is particularly true in Bartok’s quartets. The four voices rhythmically and melodically fit together in a mesmerizing way. Also, each of the five movements is so shockingly different. This really allows us as performers to explore the extremes of our emotional and physical capacities. Specifically, the 5th movement is so wild and exciting, I’ve found it very hard to play anything else after finishing the piece!
Is your family musical?
My mom played violin in high school, but went on to study biology and eventually physical therapy. My dad is a mathematician who researches the semantics of computer programming languages. He is a diehard fan of music, though, and is always pushing me to learn unusual and lesser-known pieces. My big brother still plays electric violin down in Florida with DJs.
I began studying viola at age 6. My older brother began studying violin at the same time, so naturally I wanted to play something different. My mom had played violin in high school, and this prior knowledge really helped me at the beginning of my studies.
Of the pieces that you are performing here in New Orleans, which is your favorite? Why?
Of the pieces we are performing, Bartok’s 4th String Quartet is my favorite. Bartok’s language and compositional style really shows through in this quartet. One of my favorite things about playing in a string quartet is how even the roles are in each instrument. This is particularly true in Bartok’s quartets. The four voices rhythmically and melodically fit together in a mesmerizing way. Also, each of the five movements is so shockingly different. This really allows us as performers to explore the extremes of our emotional and physical capacities. Specifically, the 5th movement is so wild and exciting, I’ve found it very hard to play anything else after finishing the piece!
Is your family musical?
My mom played violin in high school, but went on to study biology and eventually physical therapy. My dad is a mathematician who researches the semantics of computer programming languages. He is a diehard fan of music, though, and is always pushing me to learn unusual and lesser-known pieces. My big brother still plays electric violin down in Florida with DJs.
