Although "in the beginning, nothing at all" attracted him to the violin, Roman Simović is today one of the most successful violinists in our area, as well as concertmaster of the London Symphony Orchestra.
"The violin is the most difficult instrument because you don't have a note on the fretboard where to put your fingers. It also takes years and years to build a nice tone on an instrument. Until that happens, a lot of hard work is needed. No normal kid wants to deal with that. A child would rather have a childhood that I didn't have. Later, only when you get the hang of it, you start to love it. At some point, when I started playing a little more seriously and when a couple of successes happened, I realized that I can't live without it", he says in an interview with "Vijesti".
Tonight, together with the Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra, Simović will perform at the 38th Grad Teatar festival, and commenting on this renowned event, he points out that it is a "significant theater and music festival recognizable throughout the former Yugoslavia".
Roman Simović has performed on all major and important stages around the world, such as the Moscow "Tchaikovsky" Conservatory, the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, the Grand Opera in Tel Aviv, the Rudolfinum in Prague and numerous others. He was the leader of the orchestra that performed compositions for the British film "Filomina". He plays the violin Antonia Stradivarius of 1709..
"This year there will be many interesting concerts, my new CD with the London Symphony Orchestra and maestro sir is also coming out Sajmonom Retlom. It will be available on all known platforms", he announced in an interview for "Vijesti"...
You won the "Grad Teatar" award in 2003 for your musical achievement. How do you view this famous festival more than 20 years later?
When you mention the Budva City Theater, you think of a striking theater and music festival very recognizable throughout the former Yugoslavia. I remember listening to some great artists and watching some very serious shows. The very fact that it has survived all these decades and is still going on shows that it is worth it.
How do you rate the festival content in Montenegro?
Festivals are a necessary part of Montenegrin culture as well as culture in the world. People say that there is as much money as there is music, and the programs of a festival are made accordingly. If you have the right conditions and a budget of millions, you can bring leading artists and create an unforgettable event. The question is whether the audience and the people who decide about it need it. Recently, some events took place that cost a lot of money at certain festivals, but had no value for the Montenegrin audience. It is very important who runs the festival, it is a serious organization that lasts throughout the year.
Let's go back to the beginning. What were the most important moments for you during your musical education?
The foundation is the most important part of architecture. It's the same with playing an instrument. My father spent a lot of energy so that I would have the right base, the right foundation, on which I would later build everything I have today. My father instilled in me work habits and love for music. I come from a family of artists. Grandfather was a composer, father a conductor, mother an opera singer. Their wish was for me to become a violinist. They could help me along the way. I think they put a serious profession in my hands.
How did you first meet the violin and what attracted you to this instrument?
In the beginning, nothing at all. The violin is the most difficult instrument because you don't have any notes on the fretboard where to put your fingers. It also takes years and years to build a nice tone on an instrument. Until that happens, it takes years of hard work. No normal kid wants to deal with that. A child would rather have a childhood that I didn't have. Later, only when you get the hang of it, you start to love it. At some point, when I started playing a little more seriously and had a couple of successes, I realized that I couldn't live without it.
How do you maintain your playing technique at the highest level?
When things are set up right from the start, it doesn't take much in later years to get back into shape quickly. If we can compare playing with sports, we see that it takes many hours, days, months to play at the highest level. Daily exercise of muscles that get older, it is more and more difficult to stretch them. Every break from playing costs you later. It takes a long time to come back. There are certain compositions that are practiced to get you back in shape faster. But you can't take top playing form for granted. It's always a big job, especially in the later years.
How did the collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra come about and how do you feel as their concertmaster?
It is a great privilege to lead one of the five best orchestras in the world. Thanks to the recommendation Gordan Nikolić i Leonidasa Kavakosa, I got the chance to share the stage with these phenomenal musicians. I became a much better musician by playing the greatest works of the orchestral repertoire, which is enormous. I also learned a lot from the world's leading conductors, with whom I later played a lot as a soloist. I met Colin Davis, Andre Previn, Bernard Heiting, Valery Gergiev, Simon Rattle, Antonio Papano and many other greats.
What do you consider your greatest professional achievement so far?
I can hardly single out one concert or one CD as my greatest achievement. My career is unique like every artist's career. It is a big struggle to surface, the competition is huge. There are a lot of us and you have to find a story by which people will remember you. It is not an exact science so that you can give an assessment, but everything depends on a subjective feeling. I am happy with every concert I do, every new contact and I am happy whenever I have the opportunity to play. This year there will be many interesting concerts, my new CD with the London Symphony Orchestra and maestro sir is also coming out Sajmonom Retlom. It will be available on all known platforms.
What is your opinion about the role of classical music in contemporary society? Do you and how do you try to bring classical music to a wider audience?
In modern society that lives in the age of social networks, where you have children glued to mobile phones already in strollers, because it's easier for parents, and where you have robots instead of people, I'm talking about artificial intelligence, despite all the lies on Instagram and Facebook that we feed today youth, I think that classical music, a good book, a good theater, going to a concert is the only true soul food that remains for us. Lately, I've been seeing a lot of young people at my concerts, and that makes me particularly happy. I'm not trying to bring something that is very complex to a wider audience. It is up to people to choose whether they want to read Dostoyevsky or yellow press. I think people need eternal classical music. And don't fool yourself that you have to understand something at the concert. It is important to relax and feel the energy at the concert. You will not remain indifferent.
What projects are you currently working on and what can the audience expect from you in the near future?
At the moment, I have a tour in Croatia, Italy, Brazil, Scotland and Germany waiting for me. I'm talking about the next 30 days. Some new demanding works, big orchestras and new stages are waiting for me.
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