Helena Smart (interview)
Helena Smart
Position: 2nd Violin
What year did you join the LMP?
2007
At what age did you start playing?
8
Apart from the London Mozart Players, what other musical activities are you involved in?
With the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and London Symphony Orchestra, plus I teach in between.
What do you love about your instrument and why?
I love the sound that it makes and that the instruments often have an interesting history. It’s also a very sociable instrument, with lots of colleagues to share the music with.
Which player of your instrument do you most admire and why?
I think Janine Jansen has the most incredible sound, has an extremely musical instinct, and seems to be a very grounded and humble person.
What is your favourite piece of music and why?
There are too many, but in the top 3 would be Schubert’s 9th Symphony, Four Last Songs by Richard Strauss and, of course, a London Mozart Player must have a piece of Mozart in there: his 40th Symphony.
What other types of music do you listen to?
Michael Jackson is always on in my house, as is Stevie Wonder and I listen to a lot of Samba music, especially Beth Cavahlo, and other Latin singers like Mercedes Sosa.
How do you spend your spare time, if you have any?
Don’t seem to have much! But my fantasy Saturday afternoon involves a Hitchcock film on the sofa, and spending hours cooking a fabulous dinner.
