Alpesh Chauhan: On Growth, Experience, and Music
Birmingham born-and-raised, Alpesh Chauhan knew from a young age that his future was set on the course for one path, and one path only: music.
A legacy in himself, the 27-year-old recently became the Principal Conductor of the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, Parma—an impressive feat for a professional of his age.
Taking his first steps into the musical realm as the Principal Cellist with the CBSO Youth Orchestra, Chauhan was shepherded into masterclasses, leading him ever-further down his musical path as he attended Royal Northern College of Music in 2008. From there, he pursued the prestigious Master’s Conducting Course, was mentored by both Andris Nelsons and Edward Gardner, and has since become a titan in the world of conducting.
Chauhan joins us on Classical Post to discuss youth, experience, mentorship, travel, and the strong influences that have greatly impacted his successful and ever-burgeoning career.
Youth, Experience, & Growing Along the Way
Chauhan, who is the principal conductor of the impressive and renowned orchestra Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, Parma, is only 27 years old—an impressively young age for a conductor to take on such a hugely pivotal, important role. Though Chauhan has been preparing for this his entire life, the enormity of this responsibility—this incredible feat—is not lost on him.
“I felt extremely lucky when I found that the orchestra wanted to offer me the Principal Conductor role, of course,” he said in an interview. “But this also came following a handful of programmes I had already conducted with the orchestra where we'd had the opportunity to build up our relationship: the way of working, the sound and the freedom of music-making together. The orchestra has changed a lot over the last few years (not least due to various auditions and competitions for posts - both fixed and guest positions) and so have I.”
Chauhan believes that the orchestra’s international reputation has grown significantly in recent years, and though unorthodox in some ways (it is not an opera orchestra by mandate or contract), it’s filled with hungry musicians who are desperate to put both their souls and their sound on the line to prove their willingness to live in the moment and create magic.
Mentorship and Mentoring: How These Influences Can Change the Course of Career
Mentored by Andris Nelsons and Edward Gardner at a young age (as part of his role as Conducting Fellow and then Assistance Conductor at the City of Birmingham Symphony of Orchestra) Chauhan credits inspiration for his conducting style, his flair, and many of his habits to the influence of these mentors.
“As well as being able to learn and absorb scores on an incredibly intense scale (with two or three programmes per week) and speak to the orchestral musicians about their thoughts on the job and conductors, it also gave me invaluable access to the internationally renowned soloists and conductors and enabled me to ask for their advice and about their experiences,” he said.
“With both of them I learned how to get the best results from the orchestra - from gesture, use of language in rehearsals, freedom in concerts, the journey from the first moment of rehearsal until the performances and so much more,” he said.
The most important lesson he learned from both mentors? The value of connecting with your orchestra.
“Because they held posts and had regular weeks, they got to know the orchestra almost as well as family,” he said. “This is something I've increasingly noticed with my job in Parma - as time has gone on, I need to say less to the orchestra as our connection has grown: they know what I expect from them (particularly in the sound I like or will demand in certain repertoire) and I know what makes them play better and what makes them more frustrated! This can potentially lead to increased productivity in rehearsal - faster work for higher results.”
Daily Routines, Travel, and the Organized Chaos of a Musician’s Lifestyle
For Chauhan, the question of a daily routine is almost laughable—(“does any working musician really have a daily routine?” he quipped in our interview). The only time he truly feels that he slip into a routine is when he’s home on study days—but even then, he never abides by a rigid plan. With the travel, the constant practice, and the studying, his life is very day-to-day—making it incredibly difficult to cement down a schedule to stick to.
Even his “off days,” when he returns home for a few nights between traveling aren’t strictly R&R—instead, they’re filled with ironing, packing, laundering, paying bills, maintenance, organizing and more for the next however many weeks he plans to be on the road.
“And then there's arrangements for the travelling in between,” Chauhan said. “Do I need to drive to an airport? Do I need to arrange parking for the next trip? Do I need to print off tons of flight and hotel confirmations ready for the next period of work? Do I need foreign currency? Have I logged all my expenses…WHERE IS MY PASSPORT!!!??
Though the constant travel is quite exciting—he’s often away for 3-4 weeks at a time—he does periodically miss being home in England with the ability to cook, relax, and sleep in his own bed.
“The luxury seems to be returning home,” he said.
Of course, even that is a double-edged sword.
“When I am at home, though, I do miss being in Italy,” he said. “It's a culture I've wholly embraced — drink Italian and I even cook Italian most of the time! I have had the opportunity to work in such beautiful Italian cities too—from the Caribbean-esque beaches of Sardinia to the bigger cities such as Genoa and Verona, to the smaller cities with their hidden beautiful parts and traditions like Parma.”
On Inspiration: Where it Comes From and How It’s Found
As a well-traveled, professional, and richly-cultured young person in the musical realm, the question must be asked—where does inspiration come from, and of course, how does Chauhan find a way to apply it to his work?
His answer? Well, it’s a little surprising—but intriguing all the same.
“Usually in bed!” he said. “I don’t sleep well at all—especially on days that I’m working. On workdays, the rehearsals/concert just play back in my head, and I find myself thinking and critiquing in order to prepare what is necessary to do the next day with the orchestra. I wish I slept better, but if this is the way that my mind works to go through everything, then needs must!
Of course, not all of his grand ideas come from in bouts of insomnia—he also finds inspiration when working with an orchestra. The music is made by a particular orchestra, he finds, and it has a way of making things clearer. Though there’s a common thought that a conductor should have the orchestra play a specific way without compromise, Chauhan tends to steer clear of this practice.
“Andris veered me away from that,” Chauhan said.
“He often used to explain about the first read through with an orchestra: ‘don’t kill the orchestra and the music they’re giving you just to reproduce something in your head.’ I think this was invaluable advice: he went on to explain that sometimes (especially as a young conductor) an orchestral musician may give you a phrasing or colour you didn’t even think possible, and as conductors, we should allow the musicians to breathe and to make music naturally, whilst we guide them through our interpretations.”
Advice for Young Artists
As an artist who dedicated himself at a young age, Chauhan believes the secret to success for young enthusiasts seeking a career as a professional musician is simple: Desire. In his words, it is not a passion that can be driven by money or by success, but by the honesty of loving, needing, and wanting to make music.
“You have to love it and you have to need it!” he said. “Absorb as much as you can—go to rehearsal to watch, take lessons with whomever you can—especially in areas you KNOW you must work on or develop. Get friends together to practice your art—no matter how much you study at a desk, you need the practical time to get hands-on experience to get better.”
For Chauhan, this advice comes from direct experience.
“When I was younger, I spent many evenings conducting amateur orchestras and youth orchestras,” he said. “The money I was paid for these basically went straight back out on paying for petrol to drive to all of these opportunities and to purchase scores. As well as taking lessons, it can be incredibly valuable to have a drink or a coffee with musicians…Absorb, absorb, absorb!”