Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in music and who or what have been the most important influences on your musical life and career?
We’ve been inspired by so many influences throughout the years. We often work with other artists and collaborators who bring new ideas to us. These collaborations always keep us fresh and remind us how important it is to keep an open and curious mind in the world of music-making. For instance, we’ve worked with many composers over time, and each composer has been so distinct and memorable – they always leave a part of their musical DNA which we absorb into our collective memory.
What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?
One of our greatest challenges came during Covid. When everything went into lockdown, and we didn’t know the outcome, we were worried like everyone else about the future of our profession. The thing that kept us going was figuring out how to stay creative and connected with each other. From that period, we came up with inventive ways to still work together remotely. Our online VQ Discovery Course, where we studied string quartets online, became a great process for us and it is an online course we still run today.
Which performances/recordings are you most proud of?
There are so many projects we are proud of, several come to mind! At heart of all our projects is our desire to bring musical scores to life as a string quartet. In 2020 we worked closely with Prof. Daniel Grimley to record the complete version of Delius’s early 1888 Quartet. We really enjoyed working on the scholarship with Prof. Grimley to bring these scores to life.
In that same fashion, we have been proud to work on the scores to the chamber music of Ailsa Dixon for our upcoming recording on Resonus Classics – it has been an adventure to piece together the music with her daughter Josie Dixon.
We have also enjoyed our Late Beethoven survey which we curatedwith Prof. Martyn Harry at the JdP [Jacquiline du Pre] Music Building at St Hilda’s College in Oxford. The JdP has been so supportive to let us explore these great works, and we’re continuing this season with a survey into Schubert’s quartets.
How do you make your repertoire choices from season to season?
Our musical choices are dependent upon many factors. We like to start with what inspires us musically and we ask ourselves a few questions such as: Do we want to explore particular themes or composers in a season? Is there a particular work that we have been wanting to play?We do a lot of research and listening before choosing repertoire, andtry to come away with a collection of programmes where everything is connected. We also enjoy collaborations with other artists, performers and composers who approach us with a particular project.
What do you do off stage that provides inspiration on stage?
As a quartet, we enjoy talking about music together away from our instruments. This process is important to us as a group, and it always gives us extra inspiration for us when on stage. It’s one thing to rehearse together, where we make sure we are connected through our playing; however, we also enjoy discussing the music together. We try to figure out the structure of a work, what it means to us, and how our overall concepts and musical intentions make sense.
As a musician, what is your definition of success?
As long as you keep enjoying what you are doing, and are able to do the things you enjoy as a musician, that is a definition of success. We know that string quartet life can be a difficult one logistically, with four different individual lives tied together. However, we all love the art form so deeply, and we know it is a privilege to play in a string quartet with such dedicated and amazing musicians sharing the stage with you!
What do you feel needs to be done to grow classical music’s audiences?
Musicians really have the power to be catalysts for opening doors to new audiences, and we can play a vital role in this. Whether it’s by broadening our repertoire choices, playing in unexpected and non-traditional venues, or meeting audiences where they are – every effort to get people excited about classical music is a part of our musical mission. The more creatively we can approach this, the more doors we can open for our listeners.
What’s the one thing in the music industry we’re not talking about which you think we should be?
No one in the music industry talks about how much admin work a musician has to really deal with. In addition to all the practising and performing, there are a lot of other tasks to do, and you have to be organised and on top of things like communication, meetings, taxes, finances, travel arrangements, and scheduling, among other things!
What advice would you give to young or aspiring musicians?
Stay open to new ideas, different processes of music-making, and unexpected collaborations. Try out as many musical experiences as you can, and work with a wide range of people. It’s a great way to discover how you thrive in this profession and meet others who you enjoy working with. Above all, show up. We often hold ourselves back from pursuing projects we truly care about. Simply being present – and taking that first step – is what can get you started. Half the battle is often won by just showing up.
The Villiers Quartet perform music by Ailsa Dixon with soprano Lucy Cox and ondes Martenot player Charlie Draper on a landmark new recording of Dixon’s work, released on the Resonus Classics label on 22 August. Find out more
Carmen Flores, violist with the Villiers Quartet, responded on behalf of members of the quartet
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