Q&A with Amalia Rinehart, piano
In 2014, in honor of our 50th anniversary, the Bowdoin International Music Festival created the Kaplan Fellowship Program to offer tuition free opportunities for advanced musicians at the beginning of significant careers in music. Now in its third year, the program is a unique offering geared to mature, accomplished players. Kaplan Fellows perform with artist instructors throughout the summer concert series and become familiar faces to concert goers throughout Maine. Kaplan Fellows also receive a full scholarship to cover all participation fees and housing and are sponsored by members of the community.
In advance of their arrival, we sat down with these 17 highly skilled Fellows to better understand where they’re coming from, and where they’re headed in the future. The talks ranged from musical memories to incredible sagas of how Fellows obtained their instruments. What follows is a selection from one of those conversations, with pianist Amalia Rinehart.
BIMF: What are some of your earliest musical memories?
Amalia: My parents are string players, so as a kid, I remember falling asleep at night to the sound of them tuning their instruments.
BIMF: At what age did you start playing your instrument?
Amalia: I was about to turn six.
BIMF: Does your instrument you play on have a story? How did it come to you?
Amalia: My mom and dad let me choose my own instrument as soon as I was old enough to start taking lessons. We already had a piano in our home, and I just remember being concerned about differentiating myself from my parents, so that’s what led me to choose piano (instead of a string instrument).
BIMF: What is the longest you’ve ever spent preparing a piece of music?
Amalia: Probably two years. I find that having more time with a piece allows me to develop a real familiarity with it, and to form my own personal interpretation of it.
BIMF: If you could play with any musician who would it be and why?
Amalia: It’s always humbling to play with my mom or dad. As I became more serious about music, I realized what a privilege it is to play with them, even just for fun at home. I’ve learned so much from them.
BIMF: How do you make a well-known piece of music your own?
Amalia: Spending lots of time with it, and playing it for as many people as possible, teachers and friends alike.
BIMF: How would you explain your passion for chamber music to a non-musician?
Amalia: I think chamber music is the most intimate form of music making, because it requires that a relatively small group of musicians really tune in to each other and be there for one another. There’s so much beautiful chamber music out there, and the process of rehearsing and performing it can be a real bonding experience. There’s just nothing quite like it.
BIMF: What do you look forward to most about your time as a Kaplan Fellow?
Amalia: The opportunity to meet and learn from teachers I’ve never worked with before and to get to know and play with the other fellows.
BIMF: What’s next for you after the Festival? What are your career goals?
Amalia: After Bowdoin, I’ll be finishing my master’s degree at SUNY Stony Brook, where I’ll continue studying with Gilbert Kalish. Then hopefully I’ll start working toward my DMA.
BIMF: What advice would you offer to an aspiring musician?
Amalia: I think you have to feel that you couldn’t live without making music. I also think it’s important to be curious and to explore a variety of subjects within and outside of music. Being well-rounded makes for a more interesting artist.
Check back soon for more interviews…