Photo by Gabriela Wodiczko-Mosur
Photo by Maria Weronika Turowska
WERONIKA PAINE, harpsichordist and organist
Why did you decide to come to Basel?
It’s actually a very simple story. At 16, I attended my first international harpsichord masterclasses in Montisi, Tuscany – a place I’ve had a soft spot for ever since and am always happy to return to. During the masterclass I met a harpsichordist who had graduated from the class of Andrea Marcon at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. This harpsichordist impressed me so much with their playing that I decided I had to go and do the same. I became convinced that I had to study with Andrea Marcon at the Schola, I was fixated with the dream of it. The rest is history. :)
After these years, do you want to stay living here in Basel or do you see yourself returning to Poland or another country?
Basel is a wonderful place to live as a musician, I will be very happy to stay.
What do you like most about Basel?
I highly appreciate its incredibly rich cultural life, especially (but not only) in the field of classical and early music. I also enjoy the city’s quiet lifestyle and private, respectful atmosphere, it’s great as a base for daily life, recharging from work, resting after travels, enjoying the company of friends.
What do you think is missing in the world of early music and what would you like to change?
Recently, my ensemble Régence sonore produced a video touching upon this subject that was published by the EEEmerging program: facebook
To summarise: what we believe is missing in the world of early (and classical) music is broader communication, reaching out to audiences, and a willingness to genuinely open up and invite them to partake in what we do.
Photo by Karpati & Zarewicz
We would like to know more about Weronika. What was Weronika like as a child?
I have always been an incredibly curious child, and easily committed to things that interested me. I was always drawn to novelty, which made learning anything fascinating for me. For hours on end, I enjoyed learning to read and write, or draw, or play music. As I grew older and the subjects at school were branching out to more specialised areas, I was interested in most of them at the same time. Knowledge has always had an inherent value for me, I thought that knowing things and having ideas were really exciting. This made learning effortless, and my school activity very successful.
That being said, I believed interesting ideas to always be worth expressing. If any student can excel at school whilst simultaneously behaving terribly, I was the embodiment of this paradox. Was it rebellion? Perhaps, in some way, as I believed I was doing the right thing by arguing with teachers. Now these memories make me cringe and I am so sorry for the poor teachers who had to bear with me. I am also eternally grateful for those who saw through the obnoxious facade of the grumpy teenager I was and came to appreciate the honesty and passion behind it, the teachers who recognised that I never actually meant anything bad – to this day, I am regularly in touch with some of my former high school teachers.
Any detail that allows us to get an idea of who Weronika is and was?
Choose your pick:
I moved out of my parents’ house at 15 – I deeply value independence and agency.
I have been working as a dancer, and this experience has shaped my interests in various fields of arts, which in turn influence how I perceive and play music.
I hate cooking, I would rather read books!
I see that with your ensemble Régence Sonore things are going very well, and you have recently been selected for the EEEmerging program. Can you tell us a bit about this? How was the process, and what do you expect from this program?
In the process of shaping our ensemble, we have often discussed subjects of sustainability of a musical career, encompassing work ethics, mental and physical wellbeing, as well as the role of musicians and artists within society nowadays. Our perspective has just been published on my blog: https://www.weronikapaine.com/blog/sustainability-in-early-music
We hope that with the help of the EEEmerging program we will be able to develop our concepts, as well as methods for their effective application to musician’s life. We are thrilled to be a part of the network and very curious about what’s coming our way.
At what moment did you decide to specialize in baroque music and why? What triggered this decision?
My close friends find this fact rather amusing: until the age of around 10, I believed that “music” always meant “classical/early music”. I grew up in a musical family, and always had access to a harpsichord, as well as live performances of baroque repertoire, and this proximity to early music inspired my deep interest in it. As a child, I had always wanted to play the harpsichord, but was required to start with piano at my music school due to a lack of early music curriculum for children at the time. It took me years to realise that pop music is not simply the background noise you hear in the supermarket, and that not everyone listens to Bach cantatas during family dinners. And although achievements at school caused me to consider other possible professions (I seriously considered studying medicine, architecture, or law), the vision of my future as a musician always attracted me most.
Who or what would you say have been your biggest influences?
I think that my early start in music would have been all but impossible without the attitude of my mum. It requires great parental commitment to take the word of a 4 year old seriously and ensure musical education activities for your child, whilst also working and studying two different majors. Her unwavering support for my dream to play music at such an early age has shaped a lot of my current worldview and certitude.
My first harpsichord teacher, Mrs Beata Popis, introduced me to the world of harpsichord music in the most enchanting and encouraging way a student could wish for.
The teacher of history and literature at my high school, Mrs Katarzyna Oziębła, deeply influenced my understanding and interpretation of art, which led me towards my own novel research in music that I explored in my first master’s thesis.
My harpsichord professor at the Schola Cantorum, Prof. Andrea Marcon, led me down the path of musicianship, inspiring me and helping me to mature from a student to an independent artist.
Further, Christophe Rousset has mentored me and helped me achieve my goals, big or small, through excellent advice, inspiring artistry, and insights offered whenever I needed them over the past couple years.
My husband, Alexander Paine, never ceases to astonish me with his musicianship, as well as his proficiency in music theory and in writing – skills that are forever proving helpful and worthwhile for my own artistic and academic development.
Last but not least, I am genuinely inspired by the artistry and cooperation with my colleagues studying and working in the rich musical environment in Basel.
Photo by Gabriela Wodiczko-Mosur
Do you think the training of musicians is complete, or is there something that, in your opinion, should be changed to achieve a greater or better education?
Did you know that after musical talent and proficiency in performing, the second most important skill that is decisive for success in music is effective communication? I wish that I had been taught about these factors that are fundamental for building a music career at some point during my studies, and I know others who feel alike.
Although many music academies have begun to address these issues, the contemporary music curriculum often highlights, let’s say, only the “theory” of music and of performance – students focus on music lessons and practice far more than on any other subject. What I see as being missing, however, is teaching the application of this knowledge to real life conditions. For example, there is currently little attention paid in music academies to those skills that are necessary to connect your activity (playing music) with the outside world and the job market (through tools such as recordings, adequate online presence, professional communication, copywriting, public speaking skills, etc.).
Another area, one that is perhaps even more important for longevity of one’s musical life, is the set of skills that are necessary to connect one’s music playing with the physiological core of this activity. It is surprising to me (given the combination of our ever-greater understanding of psychology and physiology with the challenges of working and living in these times) that subjects such as mental health or physical injuries are still considered taboo. And unless curricula adapt to prevent these problems through the education offered, these problems will continue to make students suffer – and often suffer in loneliness, if they are ashamed to discuss issues that are considered embarrassing with their peers or teachers. I was shocked to discover recently that up to 80% of music students experience music-playing related pain when they start their studies.
Statistics for professional musicians are even more unsettling: “8 in 10 musicians will experience an injury that interrupts their playing at some point in their career. Of those, only 2 will make a full recovery.” If these problems are widespread and systemic, why do we not yet have classes on performance psychology, specialised biology for musicians, physiology and motorics? Why don’t we learn that physiotherapy is most effective before (as prevention), not after an injury, if this knowledge can literally make or break music careers and have a life-lasting influence?
I definitely see place for progress in such regards. At the same time, I understand that it is not at all ill-will, but logistical and financial constraints that often limit the possibilities of making an ideal curriculum come to life. Perhaps a short-term solution can be provided by open and supportive communication among musicians, in a way of “grassroots” work to ensure cooperative awareness of those issues and the need to address them in our industry.
Outside of the musical world, what would surprise our readers to know about you that no one knows?
Well, maybe not “nobody”, but such subjects don’t often come up in conversations:
I love classical ballet (yup, dancing, not only watching).
I am a certified sailor.
I utterly despise zombies and their disturbing prominence in entertainment. (My husband thinks I shouldn’t be sharing this because it’s too embarrassing.)
I play D&D and my character is evil rogue. (As if I haven’t proven enough I’m a nerd yet.)
My secret hobby is repainting harpsichord parts I don’t like the look of – I’ve done five instruments so far!
Photo by Gabriela Wodiczko-Mosur
