Academy

Message (as an Academy member) to PMF supporters

What are you looking forward to about PMF?

I am very much looking forward to sharing the experience of being able to perform with new colleagues in a country I have never been before. Also, I can’t wait to meet the faculty and discover the culture and cities of Japan.

Please type a short message to music fans and those who support PMF in Sapporo and throughout Japan.

I am very excited to have the opportunity to get to meet new musicians from all over the world. Music connects people on another level and I am very grateful for everyone who made that possible.

【After PMF 2023】What are some impressions of your time in Sapporo?

As soon as I arrived in the evening I immediately got to experience Sapporo in its most exciting state. I remember walking through the city, extremely tired, and being very impressed by the amount of life in the city, the huge billboards, the long lines in front of shops, the language and so much more. In the following days we got to explore the city and we had a great time playing in Kitara, visiting the beautiful parks and experiencing the amazing food culture. We were also lucky enough to experience the city during special events, like when the whole city came together in traditional clothes to view the fireworks in and around Nakajima Park or like the Sapporo Beer Festival where you could get a 10 liter barrel of beer. I am especially very grateful for the people I got to share these moments with. It is thanks to these people that those moments were so special.

【After PMF 2023】What did you take away from your time at PMF?

I have learned so much from the people around me and the environments we were exposed to. The faculty deserves a lot of credit for this; they were heavily involved not only in orchestral rehearsals, masterclasses, and ensemble coaching but also spent a significant amount of time with us outside of the professional setting. In my opinion this was very valuable because you really got an inside view of their professional life through all the stories and experiences they shared in these more personal moments. The amount of dedication they put into this was truly impressive. Apart from the faculty, I also learned a lot from all the other academy members. Given that the overall level was very high, such an unique environment was created where you were learning every day at a very high pace. This translated very well in the ensembles we had to perform in. The academists of the wind quintet I got to play in taught me a lot about what it means to be a musician and pushed me to get the most out of myself.

【After PMF 2023】What advice would you give to people thinking of auditioning for PMF?

I don't have a lot of advice to offer, but I do want to say that it is definitely worth the try. The experiences you gather during your time at PMF will undoubtedly change your life. Even the process of preparing and executing an audition is a great step in developing your professional career. Remember that the journey is always more important than the destination and you'll never be truly disappointed.