Player Spotlight - Judith Evans

When did your musical journey begin?

I started the violin when I was 8 and the bass when I was 12 - all string players in my school were asked if they'd like to try the double bass as they were missing one in the orchestra.

When did you fall in love with this music - do you remember the moment?

I feel that is a question only a non-musician would ask! I have been playing the bass for 52 years and over 40 of those in what is a very tough profession. A lot of my life concerns logistics. There are pieces I love and I get a huge thrill from playing the bass and knowing I can do it well but I don't remember falling in love. I do remember going into the concert hall at the Royal College of Music aged 13 and knowing I wanted to be part of it though.

What does a day with La Nuova Musica feel like - what's the energy like when you are all together?

A day with LNM is exhausting - far more so than with other groups and it's often loud. Of course playing the double bass is a very physical activity but David has an incredibly concentrated energy when he rehearses and demands 100% of everyone in the room. He is exceptionally imaginative in his approach to the music so we're always trying new things to achieve the sound in his head and in the collective excitement the volume gets turned up. Occasionally we have to stop and dial it back down!

What keeps you coming back to perform with La Nuova Musica?

Without a doubt, it is David. He is such a force. He takes the music seriously, but not himself. He is really funny and witty, I love his constant word-games, his is a truly lively mind. I am also lucky enough to have like-minded colleagues on the bassline. It is an absolute joy playing with people who feel the music as you do.

Is there a piece you've performed with La Nuova Musica that meant something to you personally?

Il trionfo that we played at the Wigmore Hall is the piece that gave its name to the orchestra I co-founded over 10 years ago in Oxford - Instruments of Time and Truth. I remember playing that piece with Edward Higginbottom and IT&T and coming back to it involves layers of memories as well as simply enjoying the music. It gives me a huge sense of satisfaction to have established an orchestra that endures.

How do you feel in the moments before you walk on stage?

Before I go onstage I feel very secure. I have over 4 decades of experience and I enjoy knowing that that benefits me in ways I am probably not even aware of compared to musicians still in their twenties. Often I will have played whatever we are performing several times before and I think knowing all the tricky corners can help stabilise the group. English groups rehearse a lot less than their European counterparts and it is not unusual for a musician to turn a page and think 'I can't remember how this one goes'!

What do you hope the person sitting in the audience takes home with them after a concert?

I hope the person in the audience takes home with them whatever they came for - be it calm enjoyment of beautiful music or the stimulation of hearing something new. But I know that everyone will have been affected by the creative energy that is the hallmark of any LNM performance.

What is your music guilty pleasure?

My musical guilty pleasure is Daniel Martinez flamenco - the passion, the ensemble! In my next life I want to be a flamenco dancer.