"Be proactive in chasing opportunities"

We asked violinist Johanna Roehrig about her outlook on the future and the challenges and opportunities that she sees for young musicians.

Background:

When did you graduate and from where?

2020, Royal Academy of Music, London, with Distinction Honours and DipRAM.

Who were your “main” teachers in terms of influence?

Prof. Rodney Friend (RAM) and Prof. Tanja Becker-Bender, whom I study with at the moment but have known for many years.

Where do you live?

In Hamburg, Germany (for now).

What are your plans for the future?

My future offers so many different possibilities, that sometimes I have a hard time deciding on what to focus on at any given moment. Next year I'll be finishing my Artist Diploma, which I study for at the moment in Hamburg, and if I'm lucky and everything works out in my favour, I will have spent a few months at a Uni in New York by then.

What would be the ideal path forward?

I have always engaged in many different activities in my musical career, and I'd like my work to stay this way. There are my concerts as a soloist and recitalist that take me all around Europe, and my students whom I teach online mostly and enjoy working with a lot. I also have many of my own projects and ideas that I'd like to realise; innovative crossover projects, a line of concert dresses that I designed specifically for artists, or charity projects that I'm trying to establish.

What are your thoughts about the current professional perspectives for young graduates?

I don't think that perspectives for young artists are too bad at the moment. The world is hungrier than ever for live music and performances, and there are so many institutions actively providing funding for solo artists, ensembles and new concepts to be realised. There are many ways in which one can perform and make a living from it, and through the internet our chances to fund and make our art visible are endless.

Any advice you would offer to the ones graduating next year?

Be proactive in chasing opportunities, never give up. Learn and practice your hardest, and never stop believing in yourself. That's the most important thing really because with that everything else will follow.

Website: www.johannaroehrig.com || Instagram: @johannaroehrig_violin