The only concert of the famous chamber orchestra of Vladimir Spivakov «Moscow Virtuosi» will take place in London on March 8. Pulse UK talked to the maestro about how to instil in children a love of music, self-criticism, and universal recipes for life.

The name of Vladimir Spivakov is known far beyond Ufa, where the musician was born, St. Petersburg and Moscow, where he continued his musical education and where the Moscow Virtuosi Orchestra was created in 1979.
Vladimir Theodorovich has managed to become a legend in the world of classical music. A talented violinist, conductor, teacher, winner of numerous awards of the USSR and the Russian Federation, president of the Moscow International Music House.

– Vladimir Teodorovich, I was surprised by the fact of your biography: as a child you were engaged in boxing. After all, it is a traumatic sport, and the exact opposite of music. How did sport affect you?

– I have been boxing for several years. As a child, I was a weak child, so I chose boxing. It strengthened my character well, added self-confidence. Sport is always good – it organises, makes me work in the sweat of my face.

– In one of your interviews you said that all children are born with talent. The main thing is to notice this talent in time. And how do you develop your taste for music?

– Firstly, parents have to show this by example. Children should be taken to music concerts, children’s performances, ballet and opera. Secondly, we need to find a teacher who loves children and motivates them. After all, it is possible to develop a child’s interest in music (especially in a young child) through games and fairy tales. But first of all, you need to interest and love him or her, and then you need to teach him or her.

– Do I have to force children to play music?

– At first, yes, so that they can develop a habit. But it’s not a stick that you have to force, it’s an interest. You need the child to be involved in what they do, so that there is motivation.

– Music is a universal language that will be better understood than any other. It tells the story of humanity. But it is not always a «beautiful» story – there are many examples where the power went against musicians. In your opinion, is it possible for music and power to interact harmoniously?

– This question has a long history. Diogenes gave a universal recipe: Power must be treated like fire: don’t get too close to it so you don’t get burned and don’t go too far to freeze.
Everything depends on the degree of internal culture of power. As a rule, people who do something essential – researchers, scientists – do not go there. For example, Steve Jobs. He didn’t go into politics, although he could have made a great US president.

– The history of music encompasses a huge number of areas: baroque, romanticism and classical music. How does an ordinary listener not get lost in this, given that the mass listener chooses what is advertised?

– A lot of money is invested in popular culture, but almost none in classical culture. But this does not mean that young people are not interested in classics. On the contrary, for example, we are the first to sell tickets for students. You just have to cultivate a love of classics from an early age.
And to understand classical music, you need to find your guide – a person who is trustworthy. Of course, reading books, listening to music, going to concerts – and gradually understanding will come.

– Given your vast experience and knowledge of concert activity, you still continue to improve, if not learn. Does it happen that you disagree with yourself about something?

– Of course. This search continues all the time. Marina Tsvetaeva once wrote that «you have to spend your whole life wearing a student’s cape». In my opinion, this is the only way to move forward when you are always looking, thinking about how to do better. Because the search reveals different facets to you. It’s like a horizon line. Bernard Shaw said: «When you are on top, you have to remember that this is the last step before you go down.»

– Who is your best critic?

– Of course, I listen to my wife and children. But as Pushkin wrote: «You are your own supreme court». Now I can say that I am, too. I hear and understand myself, I assess myself soberly.

Olga Kenton