ARTIST INTERVIEW - Grace HO
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 cellist from the Ulysses Quartet, Grace Ho.
Have you had a music teacher that inspired you to continue on?
Yes, I'm very lucky that pretty much all of my cello teachers have inspired me in different ways to continue on. Some of them inspired me in their methods and passion of teaching, and some in their performances.
What instrument do you play and why do you continue to play it?
I play the cello. I continue to play it because of how much I love the timbre and sound quality from the instrument. The range on a cello can go from extremely high-pitched to a calming deep tone. The cello sound is both very soothing and comfortable.
Is your family musical?
Yes, my mom is a musician. She went to school as a piano major and is now an orchestral and choral conductor.
Do you get nervous when you perform?
If so, how do you deal with it?
I don't normally get nervous when I perform, but occasionally I do. I find myself getting nervous on stage when I look into the audience and when I find myself getting tense in my hands. When that happens, I try to close my eyes and focus my thoughts on my music (in a solo setting), and take deep breaths and take a moment to calm down both mentally and physically in between movements.
What advice would you give to younger performers?
I would say to not be discouraged easily and continue working hard. When you don't advance or win something doesn't mean you are not good enough.
Yes, I'm very lucky that pretty much all of my cello teachers have inspired me in different ways to continue on. Some of them inspired me in their methods and passion of teaching, and some in their performances.
What instrument do you play and why do you continue to play it?
I play the cello. I continue to play it because of how much I love the timbre and sound quality from the instrument. The range on a cello can go from extremely high-pitched to a calming deep tone. The cello sound is both very soothing and comfortable.
Is your family musical?
Yes, my mom is a musician. She went to school as a piano major and is now an orchestral and choral conductor.
Do you get nervous when you perform?
If so, how do you deal with it?
I don't normally get nervous when I perform, but occasionally I do. I find myself getting nervous on stage when I look into the audience and when I find myself getting tense in my hands. When that happens, I try to close my eyes and focus my thoughts on my music (in a solo setting), and take deep breaths and take a moment to calm down both mentally and physically in between movements.
What advice would you give to younger performers?
I would say to not be discouraged easily and continue working hard. When you don't advance or win something doesn't mean you are not good enough.
