The Barbican Artist Spotlight includes a masterclass with students of Guildhall School of Music, a recital with Joonas Ahonen at Milton Court Concert Hall, and a performance with Ensemble Resonanz and Anna Prohaska in the Barbican Hall.

How would you describe the role of nature in your relationship to music?

‍All of our sources are linked to nature. If I don’t breath in life I die, if I don’t breath in musical phasing it becomes artificial. We are a part of nature.

When it comes to a performance, what is the key element to a satisfying outcome for both yourself and the public?

To catch and keep the attention on what is happening on stage is the goal. Musician and audience are joining the same adventure, but everybody will have their own images and stories - this is not under the musicians’ control. But I do think a good concert is a sort of hypnosis.

‍In relation to your Masterclass with students from the Guildhall School of Music, what would you say to encourage a young player?‍

Find your own way and don’t listen to anybody.

Could you please tell us more about the ‘Maria Mater Meretrix’ concert? Could you describe the process behind this programme?

‍It’s a journey through the female identities, character, visions of women - from the holy virginity, muse, motherhood to object of lust and many others. The central piece is Maria Triptychon by Frank Martin that we dearly wished to perform together. The programme travels through many centuries and is based on the duet between the wonderful and unique soprano Anna Prohaska and me as violinist. It’s not easy at all to play without a conductor - but maybe that's why it's so much fun, because every musician bears their own responsibility and can shape and determine their own voice, listen carefully, and know the piece.

My favourite pieces though are the ones from the Kafka-Fragments by Kurtag. They are the shortest ones but the essence would be enough for a whole life.

If I suddenly ended up on a desert island for the rest of my life and only had one piece in my suitcase - Kafka-Fragments would be enough for me.

The process of composing this programme as always was fruitful - but having many desires and ideas one still has to reduce and form it in a suitable dramaturgy. Such programmes are unique and very personal.

To catch and keep the attention on what is happening on stage is the goal. Musician and audience are joining the same adventure, but everybody will have their own images and stories - this is not under the musicians’ control. But I do think a good concert is a sort of hypnosis.