This month, the Quad City Cultural Trust (QCCT) featured QCSO Concertmaster Naha Greenholtz in the Local ARtist Highlight section of their monthly e-newsletter. Read the full Q&A Below
Naha is a virtuoso violinist celebrated for her passionate performances and dedication to the arts. As the Concertmaster of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, Naha’s influence resonates deeply within our community, inspiring both seasoned musicians and aspiring talent alike.
QCCT: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself (where you grew up and your education background)?
Naha: I was born in Japan and started studying violin with the Suzuki method there when I was very young. After moving to Vancouver, Canada in middle school, I started coming to the states to study at festivals and music camps during school breaks. The connections I made with teachers during my high school years led me to choose Julliard for college.
QCCT: What initially drew you to the violin?
Naha: I followed my older sister to lessons when I was three years old and never stopped so I have no memory of a time where it wasn’t a part of my identity. As I got older, I learned to enjoy practicing more and more and it brought me great creative satisfaction to find inspiration in practice.
QCCT: Can you share a bit about your journey to becoming a concertmaster? What inspired you to pursue this role?
Naha: My first experience as a kid in youth orchestra and my first exposure to ensemble playing, I was thrown into the hot seat as concertmaster. I fumbled my way through and learned to love the collaborative leadership role. In my first job in New Orleans, I played a lot of concertmasters and after one season I decided I would move to Cleveland to study with Bill Preucil, who was then concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra. He was a musical hero of mine and subbing in the back of that orchestra was an incredible education.
QCCT: What does your preparation process look like for a major performance?
Naha: One of my major responsibilities as concertmaster is preparing the bowing for the first violins which serves as a guide for the other string principals and their sections. If I haven’t played a piece before I will listen to some recordings. Some of the considerations for bowing include phrasing, sound color, ease of ensemble, and time period of the composer. I spend time with the music understanding how my part fits with the orchestra. Now that I’ve played here over 10 seasons, many pieces are coming back around and it’s gratifying to be able to listen even deeper within the orchestra during the rehearsal process in these familiar masterworks.
QCCT: Can you briefly describe a memorable or challenging performance you’ve had?
Naha: One memorable experience was playing in the pit with the National Ballet in Toronto and performing Beethoven Violin Concerto. There were a couple sets of lead dancers with different timing and tempo needs. The difficulty with ballet is that you don’t get sound feedback from the stage as you would with a soloist or if you were playing an opera so you have to completely trust the conductor to be together with the artists on stage. It was challenging and rewarding for sure!
QCCT: Do you have any pre-concert rituals or practices that help you get into the right mindset before a performance?
Naha: I enjoy the tradition and ritual of walking out on stage and leading the tuning of the orchestra. The buzz and anticipation in the hall as the audience quiets for the performance never gets old.
QCCT: What pieces or composers do you particularly enjoy performing as a concertmaster, and why?
Naha: The sensation of leading a section in a fugue (where a phrase is repeated in different instruments and builds on itself) is unmatched. I think it’s the closest physical experience of genius most of us will have. You can feel like you are in the composer’s mind as they are building these themes and melodies in a swirling musical peak. A couple of my favorites are Mozart’s “Jupiter” Symphony and the end of Britten’s “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”
QCCT: What advice would you give to young musicians aspiring to become concertmasters?
Naha: My advice would be to focus on developing both your individual playing and your communication skills in chamber music. As a concertmaster, you need to be a strong soloist but also understand how to support and lead an ensemble. Take every opportunity to play in orchestras, chamber groups, and solo settings.
QCCT: Why do you feel supporting art and culture is important to a community?
Naha: Art has this incredible ability to inspire deep connection. When we share in the music of Beethoven or Prokofiev, we can feel the same emotions that the audiences at the first performance felt. I feel a bond to our audience and members of the community through the transportive qualities of great masterworks and live concert experiences.
QCCT: Anything else you would like to share with our readers about you or the Quad City Symphony Orchestra?
Naha: I’m excited about all the incredible performances we have in store this season. I hope to see many of you at our concerts—it’s going to be a fantastic year!