InTune

We recently caught up with Leonardo Vásquez Chacón and Andres Vela, the two BSO Resident Fellows for the 2022-23 season, for a quick question-and-answer to get to know our newest orchestra members.

Please note: responses have been edited for clarity and length.

Age:
LVC: 30
AV: 25

Hometown:
LVC: Lima, Peru
AV: Edinburg, TX

Instrument:
LVC: Viola
AV: Double Bass

Who is your favorite composer to play, and what genres of music do you like to listen to when not playing?
LVC: I think picking one specific composer would be impossible for me. However, I can say that these days I’m listening to a lot of uncommon music by Haydn and I don’t think I’ll stop any time soon! I also really enjoy different subgenres of electronic music, salsa, and '80s rock.

AV: I have so many! But one that stands out on that list is Brahms. His second piano concerto is one of my favorites.

What got you interested in music?
LVC: My parents bringing home those CDs from the '90s that said something like “Classical Music’s Greatest Hits” is probably where it all started. Also, one time as a kid I sent a request to the one classical music radio station we had so that they would play some of Debussy’s “La Mer.” When I finally heard my name and the title of the piece announced by the radio host I jumped around out of excitement!

AV: I was on a school field trip in the 5th grade and was taken to go see a concert that was being performed by all our high schools in collaboration with each other to showcase the arts (orchestra, band, choir, etc.). I think I was most drawn by the sound of string instruments and therefore decided that it was what I wanted to do come my first year in middle school.

When did you know that you wanted to pursue music as a career?
LVC: I think I knew since I was around 15, when I switched to viola from violin. This doesn’t mean that this is when I actually accepted the idea, though. There are no other musicians in all of my extended family, so I think in an effort to stick to more conventional career paths, I enrolled in my first and only year of medical school in Peru. My mornings were spent in classrooms, while my afternoons were either with the National Youth Symphony of Peru, or with my university’s “Tuna,” a traditional Spanish music band that is associated with its college or university in many Spanish-speaking countries. By my second year, I accepted what I actually wanted to do, and that is when music became my one and only focus!

AV: It wasn’t until after I graduated high school that pursuing music became clear to me. I was invited to be a member of the National Youth Orchestra (NYO-USA) in 2015 and went on a tour to China. The endless beautiful moments and friendships that I made during that summer were so special and I wanted to relive those kinds of experiences for the rest of my life.

Did you have an existing connection to the BSO?
LVC: I had always known about it from audio recordings and videos online, but it wasn’t until I was a Fellow at Tanglewood in the summers of 2016 and 2017 that I got to really experience what it’s all about. Even though I would have loved to hear them in Symphony Hall as well, seeing how the orchestra and its organization were able to turn classical music played at such high artistic standards into something you can enjoy for an entire day while in the beauty of the Berkshires was simply jaw-dropping. I had never seen something like that, and I still haven't seen anything similar. I also spent many years studying under former BSO violist Ed Gazouleas at Indiana University. His vast knowledge of music, instrumental playing, and overall mentorship really shaped me into the musician I am today.

AV: I was familiar with the organization because of Tanglewood Music Center. I participated in the 2020 virtual festival and was able to attend the festival in person this past summer.

So far, what are your impressions of playing with the BSO in rehearsal and in performance?
LVC: Learning multiple pieces I have never played for each new week is a big challenge on its own. Even when it is a piece I have played before, sometimes it feels like a completely different one because I can hear so many new and different things coming across because of how the orchestra plays. And even though they are so good at what they do, they all welcomed me so nicely, sometimes going completely out of their way just to introduce themselves to me.

AV: Beautiful sound, amazing colleagues, and stunning hall.

Where do you hope your music journey will take you in the future?
LVC: I really am my happiest when I am playing in an orchestra, it's what managed to pull me out of other career paths and what drove me to be here. I also enjoy chamber music and teaching quite a lot, but in 10 years I do want to be part of a great orchestra, no question about it.

AV: Hopefully playing with a professional orchestra and perhaps having my own studio to pass down all the knowledge that I gained from playing to the next generation of bass players.