“FOCUS on You” is an inspiring program for young performers and composers working in the classical music world. The Sonus Foundation’s mentoring programs are designed to provide practical and useful knowledge and skills for those who are willing to focus on their career during the intense, 8-week long programs. This season, we launched two programs; one program focuses on career strategy (read the interview with the graduates of the “FOCUS on Your Next Career Move” program here), while the other one on project planning. In this article, you can read about two young musicians who took part in our “FOCUS on Your Dream Project” program. This mentoring program was designed for those who want to focus on a specific project. The individual and group coaching sessions led the participants along the road from the initial idea of a classical music project until the creation via learning and experimenting with planning, fundraising, networking, communication, and audience building. Read and enjoy the thoughts of Eszter Kruchió and Péter Kemény.
– How did your journey with music start? Where have you studied so far? Where are you studying now?
Eszter Kruchió: I am a Hungarian musician who grew up in Vienna. Although I am a violinist, right now I am more focused on the string quartet (as an “instrument”) than the violin itself. I came from a music-loving household and started playing the violin at the age of 5. It was my brother´s teacher who suggested that I start playing after seeing me dancing and singing before and after his lessons. I studied in Vienna, Hannover and Hamburg, and this academic year, I started my doctoral studies in Hamburg. The current focus of my career is our ensemble, the Chaos String Quartet. We are a dedicated group of musicians who now have the privilege of giving concerts worldwide. We are also focusing on creating projects that combine our music with other art forms, and we are actively trying to reach a wider audience. Right now, the concerts and the projects are up all my time, but at a later stage in life, I would love to teach chamber music and/or curate a festival or chamber music series.
Péter Kemény: I am a 22-year-old conductor, currently working, living, and studying in Budapest. I was born in this city in 2001 and have always lived in the 6th district. My father is a pianist, so it was clear that I would also play the piano. I started my lessons when I was 7 years old, but I was told by my parents and teachers that conducting would be a perfect profession for me. Soon it became evident to me that conducting would be my career. I started learning music at the Tóth Aladár Music School, and continued at the Szent István Conservatory. I have great memories of both schools, where I could work with incredibly talented teachers. Since learning conducting on its own is not possible on a secondary level, I enrolled as a pianist, however, my journey as a conductor started here as well.
As every piano student, I was eager to play Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor with orchestra, but in order to do so, I had to have an orchestra that knew the piece. I decided to put together an orchestra myself and started holding rehearsals for them. That is when I decided to start taking conducting lessons – from my first conducting teacher, Gábor Horváth. Although I did not dare to debut as a conductor and a pianist at the concert, I realized that I enjoyed the rehearsals (as a conductor) far more than playing the concerto (as a pianist). At the age of 16, it became completely clear that this was the career I want to pursue. I am currently doing my master’s in choir conducting at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, and the Orchestral Conducting program at the Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien.
– How did you hear about the FOCUS on You mentoring programs? What made you decide to join the program?
EK: As far as I can remember, I found the program on social media. In August, I participated in the Focus on You Challenge (an online program organized in the FOCUS on You Facebook group for musicians to focus more actively on their career), which I found very helpful and enlightening. Finally, here is someone who is talking about the struggles and questions that I am facing as a freelance musician! I immediately decided to join the FOCUS on Your Dream Project mentoring program when it became clear that I could work on a specific project idea. I have been dreaming of organizing a chamber music festival for years, and this opportunity seemed to be the right program to help me with preparing for my dream. Although I have already created smaller projects on a learning-by-doing basis, I felt that organizing a festival is a much bigger task, for which I would need some extra help.
PK: I heard about the program in the Facebook group of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music. I applied because I felt it was essential to realize my career goals.
– What were you working on during the mentoring program? What is your dream project?
EK: During the program, I was working on the first edition of my chamber music festival which I hope to bring to life next autumn in Vienna. My dream is a festival with strongly curated programs, sharing chamber music’s immersive and storytelling power. I believe storytelling can be achieved in many different ways: combining different forms of art, creating multi-sensory experiences, using the space in an unusual way, or just combining pieces in a surprising, meaningful and unorthodox way. I want the concerts to be a genuine and delightful experience that also brings the musicians and the audience together. I wish they had a safe space to share, experiment and exchange. A safe heaven for and through chamber music; that is my dream!
PK: During the program, I focused on my orchestra, the Era Nova Chamber Orchestra. The ensemble started during the Covid pandemic when we decided to start making music together with a group of close friends from the conservatory. The actual first step we took was spending a few days together in Nemeshany and rehearsing, which led to a few concerts in the area and the foundation of our orchestra. Those few days are still a great memory, especially because we all had to sleep and rehearse in a barn. Our main goal is to convey the messages of classical musical pieces, so we are constantly trying to break away in some way from the traditional concert format. For example, we performed Arnold Schönberg’s Kammersymphonie twice in a row during one concert.
We also value the friendship that is among the members of the orchestra, not only because it was the reason our orchestra was created, but because it is something that makes us and our performances unique. I believe, this is every conductor’s dream: having an orchestra that is passionate about music, with members who are close friends with each other and like to spend time together outside of work as well. The FOCUS on You mentoring program was the next natural step in shaping the future of our ensemble: we have a great foundation, now we need to find out how to build on it. During the mentoring program I have been working on finding new possibilities for Era Nova and on increasing our online presence. I have also learned important skills when it comes to time management, networking or storytelling; all that, to help with the future of our dream project.
– What was your experience with the mentoring program?
EK: The mentoring program was a very intense, challenging, and helpful experience or rather a journey that started with a project draft and ended with a set of tools that help me realise my dream. For me, the biggest challenge was to find enough time during my very irregular schedule for all the weekly exercises and tasks that we received from the mentor, Eszter Bodnár. Although it was hard, the work always paid off.
PK: I think that the mentoring program will be an important milestone in my life. Not only because I found answers to all my questions about managing and improving our orchestra or because all that knowledge was shared in an extremely friendly environment, but because I got help to stay on the right track.
– What are your plans for the future?
EK: In December, I am working on recording our debut CD album with my string quartet. This is a very tiring, but exciting time for us. We are also working on projects centered around Alban Berg’s Lyric Suite. If that isn’t enough, I am doing research for my doctoral studies while also working on my chamber festival project.
PK: To infinity and beyond! I am prepared to make Era Nova an even better orchestra, and I want the world to see our amazing group of musicians as well.
– Would you recommend the FOCUS on You programs to other musicians?
EK: Yes, absolutely. In fact, I have already recommended the program, and one of my colleagues was lucky enough to enjoy an individual consultation with Eszter. After the meeting, he started sharing my enthusiasm for the program and its various offers.
PK: Yes, I would wholeheartedly recommend the program to fellow musicians.
The next classes of the FOCUS on Your Dream Project and FOCUS on Your Next Career Move mentoring programs start in February 2024, and the application is already open on our website, along with other programs for the spring semester.
