Inspiration for the next generation - musician spotlight with Rose Light

At 17 years old, Rose Light has always dreamed of becoming a professional musician. Awarded her Licentiate in Music Diploma (LMusA) with distinction in 2020, Rose organises and plays in concerts as well as offering violin lessons in her native New Zealand – all while finishing high school. She tells us about her treasured Bergonzi violin and her hopes for the future.

Do you come from a musical family?

I am blessed to have been brought up by my wonderful mother, who has always been incredibly supportive of my dream to become a professional violinist. Our family is not a musical one, although my grandmother did tell a great story about an uncle who played trumpet very badly – so any talent for classical music I might have does not appear to run in the family!

Is there a story about how you acquired your violin?

The violin I currently perform on was made by Riccardo Bergonzi in 2005 in Cremona, Italy, and I am incredibly grateful to the Hill Family Foundation for Art and Music for their generous loan of this beautiful instrument.

Riccardo Bergonzi comes from a long line of family luthiers and began his work as a violin maker aged 12. Since receiving the violin, I’ve made contact with him through the wonderful world of Facebook and I look forward to seeing him and playing violin for him when I travel to Italy!

Do you play professionally?

I am 17 years old and in my final year of high school through Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu, an online correspondence school in New Zealand. I look forward to studying towards a Bachelor in Music majoring in Classical Performance at university in 2023.

I aspire to be a violinist. I would like to perform as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player throughout my career. I also enjoy teaching violin and this has recently sparked my interest in further study on pedagogy and music therapy while I am at university.

“I was spellbound from the moment the orchestra walked onstage”

Do you have a best gig/performance story?

Every year since 2018 I have organised a concert – either solo, with a pianist or quartet. I began these concerts in the town I grew up in, Coffs Harbour, and have continued them in Brisbane and Christchurch New Zealand. The first concert had an audience of over 250 people and most of the concerts I have organised since then have been sold out. The most recent was a Candlelight Christmas Concert with a quartet and pianist in Christchurch. I am currently planning a concert for this year with a classical guitarist.

Has anyone made a noise complaint about your playing?

Despite travelling with my violin regularly and even practicing daily for 14 days of hotel-managed isolation when my mother and I moved back to New Zealand, I have never had a noise complaint!

What is the first music concert you went to and do you have a memory that stands out?

In 2018, the Regional Youth Orchestra NSW was invited to attend two stellar performances of Brahms’ symphonies by Staatskapelle Berlin under conductor Daniel Barenboim, and to receive coaching from members of the orchestra for a week.

The first night we saw the orchestra perform, I was 14 years old, sitting in the gallery of the Sydney Opera House with youth orchestra friends on either side of me. I was spellbound from the moment the orchestra walked onstage. In the final glittering notes of the violin solo in Brahms Symphony 1, I thought to myself “that’s what I want to do”. I’d already decided to pursue music as a career years before then, but watching those exceptional musicians performing music to such an incredibly fine degree inspired me and gave me an insight into where I could aim for the future.

Want to find out more about Rose or connect?

Facebook – @roselightviolin
Instagram – @roselightviolinist
Twiter – @roselightviolin
Youtube – Rose Light Violin