15 Questions to Goran Krivokapic
TobiasHi! How are you? Where are you?
Hi, I am very well, thank you. I am in Cologne, Germany.
What’s on your schedule right now?
I just gave a concert in Iserlohn, and in a few days I will teach a masterclass there as well.
Can you still remember the first time you heard a piece of classical music?
It was when I was very young, but I can`t remember how old I was. It was on a children`s programme on TV, a famous violinist from Serbia was the guest performer.
What was the deciding moment, which made you want to become an artist?
I don`t think it was just one moment, it all happend smoothly. I started with guitar and it went well. Through the years I realized that is what I should be doing and that I should continue with it.
What’s the hardest part about being a musician and what’s the best?
For me personally the hardest part is everything around music, the "business" part. That includes papers, visas, mailings... The best part is just being a musician, being able to enjoy what you are doing and enjoy what your colleagues are doing (listening to the music), travelling (although this has negative aspects too, if you have a very tight schedule), meeting different people, cities and cultures...
Do you consider it important that more young people care for classical music? If so, how, do you think, could this be achieved?
By force! Just joking... To answer your question, I must tell you that people quite often ask me how is it possible that so many (proportionally) good guitarists or musicians come from former Yugoslavia countries. There could be different reasons, but a major one is for sure the system of musical education. Classical music and musical instruments are introduced through elementary/primary school to children very early. By the rule you start learning solfegio for a year before you can start with an instrument. I find it extremely important. Than after that year you start with the instrument you choose, but you still must attend solfegio lessons and then comes also theory of music and choir. From the first year, you must perform in public and you have an obligatory program to learn. This goes on until you are 13-14 years old or so. Than you enter a music school of another level (if you pass the entrance exam). You learn for another 4 years, together with your instrument, second instrument, solfegio, harmony, form, instruments, history of music, choir or orchestra, prima vista, chamber music, counterpoint, along with other non-musical subjects. And if you finish this school, you can go to music academy or Musikhochschule.
Of course, not everyone continues with music after first 6 years; most of people don’t, but in my experience, all of those people that learned music even if for just 2-3 years, will care about classical music.
How would you rate the importance of the internet and new media for classical music?
As for everything else, it became very important part of classical music too.
With so many different recordings of a particular piece available – how do you keep yours fresh and different?
I always try not to think of other recordings, but just to look at the piece as if I never heard it before. It`s not that hard, if you just look exactly what is in the score and make yourself familiar with the facts about the piece and the composer.
What constitutes a good live performance in your opinion? What’s your approach to performing on stage?
Good live performance is puting into action everything you wanted from a certain piece, but performing on the stage, one must never forget always to listen to the audience too. Like the level of silence and the how it changes, then you can listen to yourself through the audience as well.
What does the word “interpretation” mean to you?
Interpreting a piece of music in a way you think is right or the way you think it was ment to be, or the way you like it, depending on the piece...
How do you balance the need to to put your personal emotions into the music you play and the intentions of the composer?
Well, obviously, if you play for example “Scherzo” melanconico, cantabile con delicatezza" (3rd movement of the 2nd Sonata by Bogdanovic), you can`t play it Prestissimo and FFF, no matter how angry you might be in that moment. But in that case, you try to get yourself in that mood, remembering situations when you might have felt like that, or if you haven`t, trying to picture yourself in those situations.
What’s your view on the relationship between musical education and classical music?
It`s crucial. I think I answered this already in one previous answers. Of course, there are always exceptions like for example a genious that never has to study certain things, because he or she knows it already, but even they need to collect information.
You are given the position of artistic director of a concert hall. What would be on your program for this season?
Ok, lets see... First concert: Goran Krivokapic Second concert: Goran Krivokapic
Joking... It`s really hard, there are so many great musicians. Of course I would always try to put guitar in as well. Although I would probably quit that job immediatelly...
How would you describe the relationship with your instrument?
It`s what I love, it`s part of my life... And my job of course.
Have you ever tried playing a different instrument? If yes, how good were you at it?
Yes, I took piano as my second instrument in a secondary music school. Well... if you take into account the amount of time spent practicing it, you could probably say I was quite good.
Goran Krivokapic is currently managed by: Luba Management Inc.
Discography:
Guitar Recital (Naxos) 2005
Homepage:
Goran Krivokapic
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