YST STORIES
Catching Up with Verona Quartet's Jonathan Ong
7 September 2022
Tomorrow, the Verona Quartet performs at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Concert Hall as part of the Shaw Foundation Ones To Watch series. This recital is particularly meaningful, for it is the quartet’s debut in Singapore as well as at YST, and has been two years in the making.
Verona violinist Jonathan Ong concurs: “I have been looking forward to our Singapore debut at YST. Originally planned to happen in 2020, it was the first of our many concerts to get cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. It feels apt to now conclude our first full post-pandemic summer tour with this residency at YST. This trip also bears a lot of personal significance for me because Singapore is where my love for music was born and nurtured. I feel blessed to have been surrounded by musician friends and mentors who guided and inspired me in the important early years.”
Indeed, with the quartet’s illustrious achievements and vibrant activities, it is hard to imagine anything less than a global pandemic coming in their way. Mentored by the Cleveland, Juilliard and Pacifica Quartets, Verona wields top prize wins at the Wigmore Hall, Melbourne, M-Prize and Osaka international Chamber Music Competitions. Recipient of Chamber Music America’s 2020 Cleveland Quartet Award, Verona currently serves as Quartet-in-Residence at the Oberlin College and Conservatory. The group also holds residencies at Nova Scotia’s Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance and North Carolina’s Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle. Adept across the time-honoured canon, contemporary works and cross-disciplinary projects alike, Verona has appeared across four continents in world-leading venues.
Having been on the road over these years, a Singapore homecoming has been on Jonathan’s mind. He shares, “Fast forward many years, the quartet has now performed in each of my colleagues’ home countries (USA, Canada, UK). This trip marks our first time teaching and performing in Singapore, and it has always been a goal of mine to come back and offer what I have learned over the years. Hopefully, we can inspire and support the next generation of Singapore musicians as others did for me.”
One wonders: in growing from a student quartet to a fast-rising professional quartet, what was the transition like?
Jonathan opens up on the working realities. “In the beginning, although we were successful at competitions and auditions, we found that it was all too easy for tension to build in rehearsals and for disagreements to get swept under the rug. It quickly became clear that we needed to communicate effectively as a team if we wanted to stay together as a quartet. The moment we started learning how to properly relate to each other was when our career really started to mature.”
On a more pertinent note for students, he adds, “When we were a student quartet, we had the time to rehearse for full days and weeks, focusing on only five or six pieces a year. Now with a full touring schedule, we learn and perform between 30-40 full works every year, with much less rehearsal time. We have to be extremely efficient in using our time!”
Clearly, the quartet’s spirit holds strong from their younger days. He continues, “Despite our intense schedule, we still find time for the occasional movie night… and we always find ourselves eating meals together even after long work days. The quartet that eats together, stays together!”
The quartet’s brisk journey continues on after this stint at YST. Verona leaves on Saturday for New York, where they will dive straight into a concert with the Howland Chamber Music Circle, performing with multi-faceted guitarist JIJI.
Asked if he has any parting advice for young musicians, Jonathan reflects, “One of the most important lessons I have learned is to always be gracious to others. When we dedicate so much of our lives to pursue our dreams, there is a temptation to be insecure and therefore selfish or overly competitive, especially with the people closest to you. Support your colleagues’ careers and treat each other with generosity of spirit, and you will build personal and professional relationships that last. And above all, remember that we are all human and make mistakes, so a little mutual understanding and grace goes a long way.”
Learn more:
Ones to Watch: Verona Quartet Recital (Thurs 8 Sep, 7.30pm)
Shaw Foundation Ones to Watch Series
View Stories by Themes
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National University of Singapore
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