News

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This year, for Winter Baroque on December 21 at Immaculate Conception, we have firebrand violinist Amalia Sie joining us from Chicago. Some of you might recognize her from Handel Haydn Society in Boston. She generously took the time to answer some random questions.

But first, a quick update on Alessandra in Geneva. For some reason, they changed the link for Sunday; my apologies to anyone who couldn't catch the second part, which was focused on chamber music. She played beautifully and, while she did not advance, there was some interesting stuff to come out of it. I'll have a full report next week. Thanks to all of you who wrote to wish her well. She knocked it out of the park and we’re all super proud of her.  

And now, introducing Amalia Sie….

‍David Yang, Artistic Director
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DY: Where did you grow up and how did you wind up in Chicago?

AS: I grew up in Bellevue, WA, which is a suburb outside of Seattle. I wound up in Chicago after four years of living in New York. I never imagined myself being in NYC for that long, and when I got a part time job as the Fellowship Manager of Grant Park Music Festival, it seemed like the perfect time to get out of there. Before NYC, I was in Boston for eight years. After over a decade of being an East Coast girl, I’m loving the Midwest life.
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DY: Are there other musicians in your family and how did you wind up playing the violin?

AS: My mother played piano growing up. When I was a kid, she wanted my older sister and I to pick up an extra-curricular, and she didn’t want it to be sports because she didn’t want us to get hurt (classic overprotective mother vibes). One of us had to play piano, and the other violin. My older sister chose piano, which made me sad—I wanted it! So sadly, I had to play violin…except here we are now; I still play violin, and my older sister doesn’t even know how to read music anymore.

‍DY: If not music, what do you think you would do?

AS: This is a great question, which is so hard for me to answer, because I feel like I have a new interest every three months. When I was in high school, I wanted to become a fashion designer (thank goodness that didn’t pan out). Nowadays, I fantasize about going into marine biology, for the sole reason that I want to play with the otters at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Or, I’d be an entomologist, because I think that bugs are beautiful but also scary, and I think going into entomology would help me get over my fear of cockroaches.
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DY: Who were some of your most influential teachers?

AS: Cynthia Roberts! I’m so grateful to her for her guidance when I started my Baroque violin journey. She always expects a high standard from her students, but also emits this unrelenting positive energy, which was exactly what I needed after years of being a small fish in a big pond and convincing myself that I wasn’t good enough to be a professional violinist. She is so good at gassing people up—honestly, I think she could gas up a rock. I love her so much.
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DY: What is your comfort food?

AS: I don't have a specific comfort food, rather I go through periods of being very obsessed with something and then not eating it for a while. Right now I've been really addicted to Fly By Jing chili crisp, which I've been putting on everything I possibly can.

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DY: What do you listen to when you are cooking or bumming around the house or on a train?

‍AS:  I passively watch Simply Nailogical livestreams on YouTube.

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DY: What was the scariest moment in your life?

AS: When I watch the subway close its doors right as I get through the turnstile (a regular occurrence)

‍DY: Do you have a favorite classical recording you would recommend?

AS: This is so mean, how am I supposed to choose? Right now I’m obsessed with Hora din caval, a Romanian folk dance, by Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien.

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DY: What do you do if this were the last day of your life?

AS: Probably cuddle my cats and eat a billion pints of ice cream.

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DY: if you could go back in time, what would you do differently in your life?

AS: I would’ve started playing Baroque violin earlier. And I probably should’ve started doing regular exercise before my back started hurting from sleeping.

‍DY: Do you listen to any non-classical?

AS: My all-time fave songs include I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor, Watermelon Man by Herbie Hancock, and Keep The Customer Satisfied by Simon & Garfunkel.

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