Thursday, May 21, 1998
Young violinist set to play role of mature performer
MUSIC: Leila Josefowicz takes fame at early age in stride as she
prepares for concert on campus
By Michelle Zubiate
Daily Bruin Contributor
By the time she was 16, she’d seen both Japan and Johnny Carson,
been introduced on NBC’s "America’s Tribute to Bob Hope" by Lucille
Ball and debuted in London and at the Hollywood Bowl. Out of all
her travels and the many experiences she’s encountered such a short
period of time, some of her favorite things to do include simply
riding her bike on Venice Beach.
At age 20, Leila Josefowicz has graced stages around the world
with her talent, first, as a gifted violinist and, second, as a
young wonder. Although no longer a child, Josefowicz continues to
wow critics everywhere with her graceful skill and musical
capabilities. Tonight she will perform for her local Los Angeles
community at Schoenberg Hall alongside pianist John Novacek.
Josefowicz first picked up the violin at 3 years old at the
request of her parents. Both music lovers, they saw they same
inspiration and passion in their daughter and decided to act upon
it by enrolling her in violin lessons right away.
"I started with the susuki method," Josefowicz says. "It’s a
basically method similar to when a young kid learns a language by
ear without reading it first. It’s the same with the music. There
were a bunch of little kids starting together. Age three is the
normal age to start with this method. I didn’t love it at first,
however, because I think I could tell how bad I sounded. A violin
is a very unforgiving instrument to start out on."
But Josefowicz continued with it and began playing at gala
concerts in the Los Angeles area at 10 years old. After getting a
feel for the business, she received her first taste of real success
when one she appeared on "America’s Tribute to Bob Hope."
"All these presidents and movie stars were there," Josefowicz
says. "Lucille Ball, in fact, introduced me as the little
entertainer of the show. That basically got me management and
skipped me over all those other things that people have to go
through like competitions. It was probably one of the highlights of
my career."
Since then she has graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music
in Philadelphia and now performs full time. In between concerts,
she records albums exclusively for Philips Classics. One album,
titled "Violin for Anne Rice," includes selections that move and
inspire Rice herself.
"We’re fans of each other," Josefowicz reveals. "Although she’s
much more famous than I am. Her latest book is titled ‘Violin,’ and
she wrote it after she heard me play. It’s nice to know that
someone was so moved to hear me play. That’s my goal – to reach
people like that."
On Thursday her selections will include Beethoven’s Sonata No. 6
in A, Op. 30 No. 1; Franck’s Sonata in A; Bartok’s Sonata No. 2;
Kreisler’s "Sicilienne and Rigaudon" and "Caprice Viennois"; and
Sarasate’s Introduction and Tarantella, Op. 43.
"John (Novacek) and I usually sit together and decide what kind
of music we want play this year," Josefowicz says. "We like to make
it as well balanced as possible. We are not going to do all of
Franck’s sonatas because it would only show one side of a player
and how well they play one composer. We also like to play both
well-known and lesser-known pieces such as the Beethoven Sonata No.
6."
Many critics describe Josefowicz using phrases such as "commands
ferocious power" as well as playing "with sincerity and a
sensitivity to the work."
Her talent marks her music career, but her cheery personality,
friendly demeanor and mature outlook on life distinguish her as an
individual.
"Your life changes with the experiences you’ve had, and I think
in the same way it applies to music. The more ideas you get from
other people and the more experiences you have in life –
emotionally, physically – it all adds to the way you play.
"As long as you have the persistence to want to keep playing and
go on with what you are doing, you grow."
MUSIC: Leila Josefowicz will perform at Schoenberg Hall at 7
p.m. on Thursday along with pianist John Novacek. Tickets are $27
and $11 for UCLA students through the CTO and Ticketmaster.
IMG Artists
Violinist Leila Josefowicz will perform tonight at Schoenberg
Hall.