Minnesota Varsity: John-Paul Shoemaker

Instrument: Viola

Hometown: Minneapolis

Piece: Béla Bartók — Viola Concerto III. Allegro vivace

Why do you love to perform?

As a violist I only have limited choices, but I am sure I would choose Bartók's concerto even if there were many other choices. When I first started studying this concerto, I immediately fell in love with it. This is truly remarkable because it combines Bartók's famous Magyar folk tunes with powerful modernism. With enough pungent, discordant harmonies, this is certainly not crowd-pleasing. It first makes the listeners a bit uncomfortable, but next it teases them with playful, singing-like melodies that follow. In short, Bartók keeps the listeners challenged.

I read Bartók had finished only the viola part when he died in 1945, and many revisions were made by other people since. As a violist, part of my job is to figure out what Bartók really would have meant in this concerto. A composer's last piece is usually a culmination of his or her life work. Bartók was not happy when he had to leave Hungary because of the war and communism. Perhaps his underlying disillusion and frustration are reflected in this uneasy but dynamic concerto. As a musician, I like challenges. I had the opportunity to study viola at the Conservatoire de Lyon in France for a year when I was fourteen years old. At first it was a struggle, but it eventually helped elevate my musical world to a different horizon. Music makes me try to be my best. I feel lucky to play Bartók, which suits my aspiration, energy, and global spirit.

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