Meet the soloist: Charlotte Saluste-Bridoux
We discover more about award-winning violinist Charlotte Saluste-Bridoux who takes centre stage at the next Firebird concert…
1. Tell us a little more about your background as a musician…
I grew up with music all around me and quickly asked for my own instrument; I’ve had a violin in my hands ever since. My training was classical for the most part, but my violin playing always included improvising/playing around with folk tunes. Together with my love for gut strings, this has remained at the heart of my identity.
2. Tell us about one of your favourite moments on stage?
When preparing for a Wigmore Hall concert with Joseph Havlat, we played a run of concerts prior to the big day. Jo had arranged Szymanowski songs for violin and piano, and in our very first outing something almost magical happened. Everything felt gracefully understated. I remember feeling quite humbled to have managed to create the colours and atmospheres Jo had envisioned when arranging the songs. Moments like these are the true silver lining to our sometimes obsessive search for the intangible, these are the little things that make it all worthwhile.
3. Are you more at home as a soloist, chamber musician or orchestral musical?
Each of these settings is incredibly valuable to me. When it comes to solo repertoire, I find the solitary work to be quite meditative, which invariably culminates in an exhilarating sense freedom on stage. As for working with orchestras, experiencing the solo playing repertoire is very powerful. However I think what I enjoy most is working in a chamber orchestra setting, which allows for more malleability and a different approach to time.
4. Tell us something about your future musical ambitions…
I’m really looking forward to a very exciting recording project in spring 2025 where I will record all five Mozart concertos as well as the Sinfonia Concertante with Mathieu Herzog and the Appassionato orchestra. The most exciting part of all is that we have commissioned cadenzas from Oliver Leith, Héloïse Werner, Joseph Havlat, Isabella Gellis and William Marsey for each concerto which will be premiered in the live recording!
5. What insight do you plan to bring to your forthcoming performance of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto?
I’ve been practising the Beethoven on both my gut string and modern set up violins, experimenting with tempo, fingerings, articulation – it’s been a lot of fun. I wouldn’t exactly call it insight but let’s see what comes out!
Beethoven with Charlotte Saluste-Bridoux
Tuesday 24 September 2024
St George’s Hanover Square
2A Mill Street, Mayfair, London W1S 1FX
Beethoven Violin Concerto in D, Op. 61
Mozart Symphony No.41, K.551 (Jupiter)
London Firebird Orchestra
Guest Conductor George Jackson
Violin Charlotte Saluste-Bridoux
