The 2022 AUSTA National Award goes to Stephen Chin!

AUSTA’s National Award is given to an AUSTA member who has contributed extensively to AUSTA and the wider string community in Australia. The National Editor was able to interview AUSTA’s latest recipient during the recent 2022 National Conference in Melbourne.

Susan Pierotti: Congratulations, Stephen, on winning AUSTA’s highest award!

Stephen Chin: Thank you.

SP: How did you feel when you were told?

SC: There were so many incredible nominees so when I found out it was me, I thought, ‘Oh, wow!’ It made me reflect on my whole musical journey, on who has been really important to me.

SP: Tell us a little about your musical journey.

SC: At home, we sang, we played, and I wanted to be a composer even more than a player. In Year 11, I changed schools. Instead of a private school where I didn’t have an easy school life, being half-Chinese, I was now at a school full of surfies. I flourished in Sydney Youth Orchestra and won composition competitions.

SP: Did you want to be a teacher at that point?

SC: Teaching was never a driver, but when I realised that I never was going to be asked to perform the Brahms Violin Concerto with the New York Philharmonic (ha-ha), I accepted that I’d have to teach sometime. After my first teaching position at Blue Mountains Grammar, I wanted to take teaching seriously. Seeing Paul Rolland teach was a great influence.

SP: You were a Sydney boy but now you’re in Queensland. Why did you move?

SC: Our parents were thinking of moving to Queensland to a warmer climate so my wife and I moved up to Brisbane to be near them – but they remained in Sydney!

SP: Do you regret the move?

SC: No! AUSTA Q was so vibrant and its social aspect reminded me of my childhood. My composing was also encouraged. Other composer/ teachers such as Loreta Fin and Keith Sharp (we’re called Fin, Chin and Sharp up here!) were collaborative, and that makes a strong impression on the musical community. I believe that you should always be the best person you can be by building bridges.

SP: You had studied composition with renowned Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe. How did you go from writing for adult performers (and listeners) to writing for children?

SC: I was asked to write a piece for a student class. I thought, ‘How would it be if I were a tenyear-old playing this?’ I remembered the strong emotions ten-year-olds have and wanted to put that into the music. After that piece, people wanted more.

SP: Do you think that competitions are an encouragement for composers?

SC: Actually, composer competitions disturb me. They are incredibly subjective. A composer bares their soul in their composition and to have it rejected is damaging. I would prefer to see something like what happens at AUSTA Q’s Junior String Festival –everyone gets a trophy and a report. That is far more beneficial. It saddens me that there are really talented composers living on the breadline.

SP: What do you see for the future of music making in this country?

SC: We need to diversify. We need to learn to improvise, we should learn about and play music from other cultures, even do other non-musical activities.

SP: What are your current goals?

SC: I have spent 25 years composing for educational purposes. I still love doing that (I’ve almost finished writing the scale book I think we all need!) but I now have more time to write for adult professional ensembles. I’ve found my ‘voice’ and want to write a violin sonata and string quartets.

SP: Are there any words of wisdom you would like to pass on to AUSTA members?

SC: Be the best player you can be for your student. I still get up at 4.30 every morning, go to school and practise until the first student arrives. As teachers, we should impart the motivation we have into each student.

SP: Thank you, Stephen, for sharing your experiences and thoughts with us. And congratulations once again on being awarded AUSTA’s National Award!