Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Suh Lane.
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story starts with my immigrant parents who chose to come to the U.S. on my father’s fellowship invitation and eventual job offers in the U.S. I grew up in Kansas taking violin lessons with Eleanor Allen, then Tiberius Klausner, but my professional life started as an international musician residing and working in Europe, eventually, coming full circle to the midwest. I have been a life-long musician since I began playing at 4. My Korean parents believed in the importance of studying music for all of their children but I’m the only one who continued beyond college. Although I have always had a wide range of interests, it was not until I was invited to be a Fellow (violinist) at the Tanglewood Music Center in Massachusetts, that my trajectory to becoming a professional musician began to crystallize. I feel incredibly lucky to have spent four glorious summers thriving in the idyllic musical and natural setting of the Berkshires with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and numerous music icons, Seiji Ozawa, Eugene Lehner, Leonard Bernstein….
Around that time, I was accepted to the Yale School of Music as a Broadus Erle Memorial Scholar. Just prior, I was invited to the inaugural Schleswig-Holstein Musikfest in northern Germany with maestri Leonard Bernstein and Sergio Celibidache, That summer influenced my decision to move to Germany after graduating to take auditions to become a professional orchestral musician. Thus, my European career began in Germany however an impactful detour emerged: The Tanglewood Music Center invited me to be the TMC Ambassador at the Britten-Pears Music Festival in England where I performed in masterclasses for many great violin gurus, including Max Rostal, who spontaneously invited me to join his private violin studio in Switzerland. I pivoted and relocated to Bern, learned how to practice and eventually, auditioned for my dream ensemble, Chamber Orchestra of Europe the next year, and began touring the world with them, residing and performing in a different country every month, a dream for a young musician’s life!
While living in Switzerland, I auditioned and was invited to the inaugural Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan with Leonard Bernstein, my final experience working with this legend who died just a few months later. In Sapporo, the London Symphony Orchestra was in residence which led to me auditioning for the LSO in London. The LSO invited me to join the orchestra and I moved from Bern to London performing in the finest concert halls, touring the world, and making recordings at studios like Abbey Road and Air Studios in London with the most renowned conductors and musicians every month.
Relocating to the U.S. coincided with the birth of my daughter, a relatively easy decision so that I could be closer to family. First Chicago, where I worked with the CSO, then, relocating to Kansas City where my parents still resided and my husband was offered a job. Being a musician, I had to create an entirely fresh plan to balance the new challenges of motherhood somehow with being a musician. So…I founded the Bach Aria Soloists. I have served as its Executive-Artistic Director and violinist for the past 25 years! This adventure of establishing and leading a successful chamber music ensemble has been deeply fulfilling in Kansas City and continually evolving from our inaugural Hauskonzert to innovative collaborations with multi-genre organizations from theater, modern dance, Jazz, Tango, choral music, art and much more! With the constant support of my husband, working with the highly talented musicians of Bach Aria Soloists, along with the dedicated Board of Directors, my service to BAS continues!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Living in a foreign country, in my case three different foreign countries was a great challenge but had huge rewards.
Founding and managing a chamber music ensemble in today’s environment of constant distractions and entertainment, is another giant challenge. Keeping this small, independent music organization running successfully is challenging. Bach Aria Soloists is in our 26th Concert Season, I hope that’s a testament.
We’ve been impressed with Bach Aria Soloists, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am the Founder, Executive-Artistic Director and Violinist of Bach Aria Soloists.
Our adventurous chamber music organization brings the genius of Bach, Baroque and Contemporary to new life through our multi-discipline partnerships in BAS’ critically-acclaimed Concert Series and BachReach education.
Bach is at the heart of what BAS does and is the inspiration, yet we are a highly versatile ensemble of musicians who perform a wide range of music from Renaissance to living composers of today whom we have commissioned to compose for BAS. We seek out other talented artists with whom we want to collaborate to deliver multi-genre performances not seen before.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Being all together with my siblings and parents eating my Umma’s (mother’s) delicious feast for the holidays!
Pricing:
- Concert series: $40/$20 Students
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bachariasoloists.com
- Instagram: Bach Aria Soloists
- Facebook: Bach Aria Soloists
- Youtube: @KCBachAriaSoloists
