- [Announcer] On this episode of "On Stage at Curtis."

- I think I would have the same advice for both my younger and future self.

And it would be to trust my instincts and to be kinder and more forgiving of myself.

And just to embrace the process.

- [Announcer] In partnership with the Curtis Institute of Music, WHYY presents the following program.

(lively orchestral music) - I am Joan Herget, I'm a cellist, and I study at the Curtis Institute of Music.

(lively orchestral music continues) As a child, my mom would always practice with me and we were very consistent.

We would practice usually six days a week, and when I was little, it was about 45 minutes, and we just had a lot of fun together.

It was always just a really nice thing for us to do.

And I remember her singing a lot when I would practice, and I'm really grateful that she did that because in hindsight, she was just showing me how to phrase naturally and beautifully.

And even to this day, I still do a lot of singing in my own practice, and I find that to be really, really helpful.

(lively orchestral music) Playing the cello as a child was always a really happy thing for me.

I had a wonderful and kind teacher, Beth Sandvoss, and my mom is a violinist and so she helped to instill a love of music in me right from the get go.

And as a child, I never, you know, would fight practice.

It was just always something that I did.

And it was fun for me.

And when I was eight, I started at the academy program in Calgary, the city where I grew up in.

And so from that point forward, it was much more intense.

I was in master classes and was in orchestra and played in chamber groups, but it was always a fun thing.

(group vocalizing beat) - Wait, wait!

- Can we clap that down beat?

(group vocalizing beat) (all clapping) - Sorry.

(all laughing) - Literally the easiest part.

- Yeah, okay, okay, okay.

(all laughing) - Well, growing up, I have three younger sisters and growing up we all played string instruments and so there was always someone practicing in my house.

It was very loud all the time.

And so it wasn't that big of a deal that, you know, I was a musician 'cause we all were musicians.

(lively cello music) When I was about three, my parents started getting comments that I seemed like I had an old soul.

And then when I started playing the cello, my parents were just struck with my musicality.

And it seemed like such a natural thing for someone of such a, you know, small little person that can have such emotional maturity.

And I think that stayed with me.

I think that's still my strong suit as a musician is my musicality.

(disjointed orchestral music) I wouldn't say I was ever really inspired to be a classical musician.

I don't think I really could even understand what that meant.

So my mom chose the cello for me, and I think she chose, I think she chose right, because it's really stuck with me.

(soft piano music) I was really lucky actually growing up because most of my really good friends in my childhood were also musicians.

And I met them through the academy program at the Mount Royal University.

(solemn cello music) They were all hardworking musicians.

And so it was so wonderful.

I got to grow up and be constantly inspired by my friends.

(solemn cello music continues) And then my favorite part of being a classical musician for my entire life, it's always been to perform.

I just love to perform.

It's just, you know, I spend a lot of my time, a big portion of my day every day is spent in a practice room and being really nitpicky.

And so I think it's so fun to get on stage and it's so freeing because it's not about you anymore.

It's about the music and it's about sharing and it's about making the audience feel something.

And I get to be a storyteller.

It's just, it's my favorite.

(solemn music continues) In my recital, I will be performing the Beethoven "Cello Sonata Op.5 No.1."

I love this piece.

It's early Beethoven, and so it's just full of life and joy and it's just really fun to play.

(audience applauding) I love to play the cello, but it's the practice room is a place where you have to go and you have to kind of rip your plane apart and so you can build it back up piece by piece, hopefully in an improved way.

(instruments tuning) I know that some degree of perfectionism is required to be great at anything in life, but that doesn't make it any easier.

And even though I can't imagine my life without the cello because it's such a big part of who I am.

It's what I am.

I'm a cellist.

(soft orchestral music) (soft orchestral music continues) (soft orchestral music continues) (moves into lively orchestral music) (lively orchestral music continues) (music softens) (music livens) People are always really intrigued and really interested.

You know, it's not, and especially, I love walking on the street and hearing, especially children talking about what's in my big case.

You know, I think that's really sweet.

I love talking to audience members after performances and they're always so kind and they're always just, just thank me for sharing.

And it really warms my heart to be able to talk to people like that because it's wonderful that they're choosing to come out and support live music, that's like, that allows me to do what I love to do most in the world.

And so I feel really thankful.

Okay, let's tune.

(instruments tuning) I think the qualities that make a great classical musician are a passion and a vigor for music.

But I think equally important are to be genuine and to be humble and sincere.

(group vocalizing) I've known about Curtis for a really long time, for as long as I can remember.

And I really wanted to be a part of the Curtis family because of the really high-level of playing and artistry.

And I really wanted to work with the faculty and to be a part of this legacy.

Even when I was auditioning and I was just walking down the halls, it was just, it was thrilling to be in the same place that this, amazing musicians have studied and come out of.

And I'm so honored that I can now be a part of this history and legacy of players, it just means everything to me.

(people applauding) A day of training at Curtis usually involves a lot of playing.

(soft piano music) A lot of practice.

And because I'm a master's student, I don't have a ton of required courses, which is actually really nice, 'cause then I can just devote even more time to playing.

One of the reasons that I really wanted to come to Curtis was because I can be in as many chamber groups as I want and I love chamber music.

And so I really take advantage of that.

And so I'm in so many groups and I work with so many different faculty members.

And so most of my day is filled with rehearsals, which is exactly what I wanna be doing.

One of my most memorable musical experiences was I was younger and it was one of my first times playing as a soloist with an orchestra, and it was the first rehearsal and the conductor had me sit and face the orchestra, which is a little more uncommon.

And I remember being so embarrassed the entire rehearsal because I couldn't stop smiling.

I was just having so much fun and I was so excited to be there.

And even when I started playing, I just could not wipe the grin from my, I was humiliated, but the sound and the power of the orchestra was just so thrilling.

It was just exhilarating.

(thrilling orchestral music) And then comes the fun part, which is also kind of the hard part, which I have to figure out how exactly to take those feelings and emotions, and translate them through my instrument to the audience.

And so it involves a lot of trial and error, 'cause I don't really know what it is that I'm looking for.

I know what I want it to feel like, but I kind of have to find the sound.

(thrilling orchestral music continues) I experiment a lot with my bow and different articulations and bow usage.

I try different kinds of vibrato and I try and find different color and timbres and nuances within the music until I feel like it feels like me, until I get it to a place where I would be happy to present it, because it feels true to me and it feels authentic.

(poignant cello music) (moves into thrilling orchestral music) (audience applauding) For my third recital, I will be performing Dvorak "String Quartet No.

13 in G Major, Op.

106."

(audience applauding) This is a chamber performance, and this is one of the first chamber experiences I had when I joined Curtis.

And I loved the group and I loved the music.

It was a wonderful experience.

(lively orchestral music) (moves into soft orchestral music) (moves into lively orchestral music) (moves into soft orchestral music) (moves into lively orchestral music) (moves into soft orchestral music) (moves into lively orchestral music) I don't have many concrete plans.

I've said it a lot, but I just, I love to perform.

It's why I am doing this.

And so I hope that whatever career I'm able to forge, I hope it involves a lot of performing and any kind of performing, I love acting as a soloist or, you know, in a duo collaborative position, or even being enveloped by orchestral sounds.

I think it's all so exciting, but my number one right now is chamber music.

And so I hope that I can have a lot more opportunities to do that.

(solemn piano music) I recently spent a summer at the Yellow Barn Festival, which tackles a lot of new music, especially by live composers.

And I thought that was such a fascinating experience and I hadn't had many opportunities to play that kind of music and to explore it.

And, you know, kind of just opened my eyes to the fact that just because a piece of music wasn't written by a composer that I'm familiar with doesn't mean that it's not worthwhile my time to learn and explore and share.

(soft orchestral music) And I think new music is fun and imaginative, and it makes for a raw and really special experience for the audience, but also for me as a performer.

(soft orchestral music continues) What is next in my journey?

I just feel really excited to continue honing my musical voice.

I think it's kind of ironic, but the older I get and the better I get at the cello, I feel like I have more and more to improve on.

And so I just feel excited to keep learning and growing and reaching for new heights.

And I know that I will never reach a plateau in music, which I think is kind of exciting.

And I know I'll never be bored, which I think is, I'm really fortunate to say that.

(lively cello music) I think I would have the same advice for both my younger and future self, and it would be to trust my instincts and to be kinder and more forgiving of myself and just to embrace the process.

I think that being a musician isn't about presenting a perfect performance, but it's about making people feel something.

And I think at its core, it is a privilege that I get to devote my life to music.

And so I should savor it.

(lively orchestral music)