She was three years old when she had her first violin lesson. Now, Hester van der Vlugt is concertmaster and leader of the string section at the CineMusic orchestra, and recently became a permanent fixture at The Hague Philharmonic.
Three, isn’t that a bit young for violin lessons?
“My parents played cello for fun. When we were at violin maker Serge Stam’s, I saw a small cello hanging on the wall. I wanted that! It turned out to be a violin. My parents thought I was too young to play the violin, but Mr. Stam told me about a teacher in Utrecht who taught using the Suzuki method. That is a Japanese method based on the idea that you learn music like a language. And that, just as young children imitate their parents’ mouths and learn to talk, you can also learn to play a musical instrument by hearing and imitating.”
Have you always enjoyed it?
“As with everything you have to learn, it was a process of trial and error. I have always had good teachers. After I stopped with the Suzuki method, I continued learning in Utrecht with a retired conservatory teacher, Bouw Lemkes, and his wife, Jeanne. Unfortunately, they are both no longer alive, but they were a fantastic duo. Bouw was really my violin grandpa. At the moment I came to them, I wasn’t so keen anymore. Bouw gave me freedom. Do you want to play this? Fine, let’s play that. Meanwhile, I learned a lot, because that is what he could do. He saw something in everything and everyone, whether you had a lot or little talent, he could help everyone.”
Did you always want to make it your profession?
“I actually wanted to be a veterinarian. I grew up on a hobby farm with animals around me. I have an eye for whether animals feel good or not. But I didn’t seem to be so good at biology and chemistry. In high school, I was faced with the choice: either spend a lot of time on those subjects and perhaps no longer have time to play the violin, or do what I was already pretty good at and also really enjoyed, namely playing the violin. I eventually chose music and went to the conservatory in Amsterdam.”
What makes the violin so special to you?
“I don’t know. It’s just there. Sometimes I think: I asked for a small cello, didn’t I? Why didn’t that become it? Maybe I would have been a very good cellist too… But I am very good friends with this instrument. And it’s in my genes. My grandmother played the violin, but I never knew her.”
Do you also listen to a lot of music in your spare time?
“Oh no, I often choose silence. Your ears can only handle so much sound in a day. So when I’m in the car, I listen to radio 1 or a podcast. Usually not music. And if I do choose music, then something like 100% NL. That kind of music that you don’t have to think about, that you can just sing along to.”
You play the solo from Schindler’s List. Many people are deeply impressed by it. What does this piece do to you?
“I myself have a Jewish background. My grandmother and great-grandmother did not survive the war. That has always played a role in my youth. There were large portraits of those beautiful women with us by the grand piano. And they were talked about, because if you no longer talk about people, they die for the second time. ‘Never again’, Steven Spielberg’s idea with this film, is ingrained in me. And: ‘You must not forget’. War is human work, but peace is also human work. That is why we must continue to bring things like this to the attention. I find it an honor every time to be able to play this piece. I think the melody that Williams wrote is a melody of hope. I also think that the music, the Jewish music, is very much about that. I try not so much to tell the story of the film with my music. The images are intense enough. During the piece, I experience a lot of my past, of my knowledge about it, of the knowledge of friends and family who have also lost people. But also, my feeling of the day, my feeling of what is happening in the world now, that all comes along. It is a whole package that I go through every night.”
That’s quite heavy…
“Yes, I don’t take that lightly either. I know how loaded this subject is in so many ways. When the war broke out in Israel, I doubted whether we should continue to play this piece. Together with René Mioch, I have found a form that fits. He announces the piece and tells that we play it for all people who are currently living in war. Wherever in the world. And just that word ‘all’ made it possible for me to play it without a stone in my stomach. I don’t have to be afraid that I will offend someone with this, because that is the last thing I want.”
Soon the CineMusic orchestra will play in the Philharmonie in Haarlem. Have you played there before?
“Yes, but only with classical performances, never with amplification. I am curious how that will sound there. Haarlem is a home game for me, because I live here. That makes it even more special for me. Moreover, there are acquaintances of mine in the audience and that is always nice to play for.”
This show will be different than usual. Can you tell us something more about that?
“In the Philharmonie we will play The Special for the first time. We are adding a choir to the orchestra that evening. A number of the arrangements that we have been playing all season, such as The Lord of the Rings, we are now playing with singers. That makes it different. In addition, we have added a number of new films to the repertoire, in which singing plays an important role. I like it, such a choir gives even more depth to the music.”
What are you looking forward to yourself?
“There are more moments in the performance that I think are fantastic to do. Schindler’s List of course, but it can also be short moments in a piece. I share my desk with violinist Ana, on which we have the sheet music. We are very much looking forward to The Little Mermaid, which we will be playing for the first time in Haarlem. There is a great climax in the piece. Ana and I are very much looking forward to that. It’s wonderful to play!”