by Austris Apenis
Congratulations on your new post at the LPO! Has your life changed since the big announcement?
Thank you! Yes, definitely. I have a full-time job now, so obviously my day-to-day life has automatically changed. Having done a bit of orchestral freelancing in the UK, it’s very nice to now go somewhere regularly.
Fantastic! Let’s go back to the beginning. When did you start playing the horn, and why did you choose this instrument?
I started the horn when I was seven, about half a year after starting the piano. Apparently, I was a very loud baby, so I was told my strong lungs would lend themselves well to a wind instrument. There was a brass dectet in Cambridge, where I grew up, who often did family concerts that we would attend, and I think I just liked the look of the horn!
Do you come from a musical family?
Yes, my dad actually studied the violin. He became a biologist instead, but he still plays the violin as a hobby, and so does my mum. Because of this, I always had music around me when I was growing up, so it felt very natural for me to start learning an instrument.
Do you often play together?
We do, at least in the little horn-and-strings repertoire there is. I remember reading through the Mozart horn quintet with them at a very young age, so it was a good way to get to know the repertoire.
Which are your favorite horn pieces?
Orchestrally, it would have to be either Strauss’s Rosenkavalier Suite or Mahler’s Symphony No. 9. These probably seem like very stereotypical choices of composer for a horn player, but they’re both pieces that I don’t think I could ever get bored of playing or listening to. In terms of solo repertoire, at the moment I would probably choose Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings.
I see that you have played a lot in youth orchestras. What was your experience there, and what did you learn from it?
I joined local youth orchestras and ensembles from a young age. One of my first memories of playing in an orchestra is having to play the third horn part in Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, having never done any transposition before. There were a few situations like this where I was really thrown in at the deep end, but I think this was definitely the best way to learn. I then played in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain for three years, where being around similar-aged musicians who were much better than I was really helped me progress as a player.
What made you choose music as a profession?
Playing in the National Youth Orchestra was the thing that made me realize I wanted to play the horn professionally. I learned a lot about the possible career paths, and mainly also just had such a good time playing in an orchestra with friends who were equally passionate about music. This is why my main goal has always been to play in a professional orchestra since that’s what I enjoy the most.
You study at the Royal Academy of Music. How are your studies going?
I’m in my third year at the Royal Academy of Music now, and I have really enjoyed my time there so far. I started studying during Covid, so it was slightly strange, but we still had lots of in-person teaching and playing, which was quite lucky. I won’t be going there much now, with my new job, but all my teachers and everyone at the Academy have been so supportive, and I am very lucky to be able to stay there to finish my degree.
Since you mentioned Covid, I’ll say that in the Netherlands practicing at home is quite a challenge. I could imagine that in an overpopulated city like London, it is also difficult to practice a brass instrument. How did you experience the lockdowns? Were there any peculiarities?
In the first lockdown, I was at home with my parents in Cambridge. Our neighbors were generally very accommodating towards my practice, although they had just had a baby, so I needed to be respectful with the times that I would play. In one of the later lockdowns, I was in university halls in London, where there were music rooms that you could reserve. This was very useful, although there was one student whose bedroom was directly above the room I used. She came to interrupt my practice quite regularly, complaining that she couldn’t sleep…at 1:00 p.m. on a weekday.
What do you like to do apart from playing the horn?
When I have time, I enjoy cooking and baking; and living in London has really made me appreciate going to the countryside and going for walks in nature. If I’m at home and bored, I also like doing 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles (a hobby I discovered in lockdown) to pass the time.
Are you working on any other projects at the moment?
I have a few solo concerts coming up which I am really looking forward to, the main one being a recital at the Kultur und Kongresszentrum Luzern, so I am preparing for this at the moment.
Awesome! Which pieces are you going to play?
I will be playing the Beethoven Sonata, Franz Strauss’ Nocturno, Schumann’s Adagio and Allegro, Glazunov’s Rêverie, and the York Bowen Sonata.
What are your tips for future horn players?
Always look for new opportunities to further your playing, whether that is a competition, audition, orchestra, award, etc. Put yourself in situations that are out of your comfort zone, as this is the only way you will learn.
Thank you for the interview! We are all looking forward to seeing how your career will develop!
