BR> Eugene Fodor, who has traveled the globe
with his violin, stays close to home
for his latest concert.
Fodor in tune
with the islands
By Elisabeth A. Crean
Special to the Star-Bulletin"My life is music," says violinist Eugene Fodor. It's an understatement, considering he has traveled more than five million miles in his concert career. Antarctica is the only continent left to conquer for the international virtuoso who now makes his home on the Big Island.
Fodor's current tour brings him to Honolulu this weekend for a pair of concerts with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra. Then it's onward to play his way south from Kansas City to Santiago, Chile, before heading to Europe.
He used to be on the road 11 months a year, but has cut back to a mere nine. He considers himself fortunate to have two beloved companions traveling with him: his wife Sally, who plays the viola, and his violin, a rare Guarneri del Gesu made in 1741.
Along the way Fodor has worked with a range of cultural icons. He studied privately with this century's most dazzling violinist, Jascha Heifetz, whom Fodor calls "the epitome of single minded integrity and commitment in artistry."
By phone from Auckland, New Zealand, Fodor talked enthusiastically about living in Hawaii and performing one of his favorite concertos with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra.
QUESTION: Why did you decide to build your dream home on the Big Island?
ANSWER: After touring in major cities all over the world, with the noise and the intensity, I find that the environmental balance in Kona is perfect. I feel regenera ted, rejuvenated, and that's why I chose to live there.
With no neighbors, no power lines around, it's a great place to work on new projects, recording projects, and practice and learn new works. And also, riding horses is very energizing ... We're in the middle of pasture land.
(The house) is two-story, with an unobstructed view of the ocean. At 2,900 feet, you can imagine it's really dramatic. We'll frequently be looking down on the clouds at the coast, and be in the sun up there. It's marvelous.
Q: Why do you like to perform Jean Sibelius' D Minor Concerto? What does it evoke for you and the audience?
A: This piece many consider to be Sibelius' masterpiece. He was first and foremost a composer, but he also had very emotional feelings for the solo violin.
Having not achieved solo capabilities on the instrument, he nevertheless was an amateur player. This piece is the culmination of a tremendous devotion and love for solo violin music ... (He) reserved incredible thematic material for this piece.
It's a marvelous depiction of the various colors and the climatic uniqueness of Finland. You can almost see the lakes, and the mist hanging in the valleys, the chill wind that blows periodically, and the sun that peeps in and out between the clouds. You can live the experience of nature in Sibelius' music, and that's what I love most about it.
Plus, there's just incredible inventiveness in the themes, which just bring tears to your eyes with their beauty.
Q: Is there something special about working with the HSO? You've come back a number of times to perform with them.
A: It's very special. First of all, I'm a Hawaii resident, and I love living in this state. I feel a tremendous gratitude to be able to make my home in this paradise called Hawaii.
And so appearing with the orchestra in Honolulu, having had so many previous associations with them, feels very much like coming home. Making music with them is just a celebration of life.
In concert
What: Honolulu Symphony welcomes Eugene Fodor
