Bay of Many Coves Will Provide Inspiration for Jazz Violinis

Bay of Many Coves Will Provide Inspiration for Jazz Violinist

International jazz violinist, Fiona Pears, has a bucket list of things to achieve before she finally lays down her fiddle.

Now in her late 30s, Fiona is aware that her inspiration, jazz legend Stephane Grappelli, was still playing gigs well into his late 80s so she has many years to go.

In her “to do” dossier she wants to compose a violin concerto, play solo with major orchestras, become more well known in the New Zealand music scene and experience the world so she can write beautiful melodies about it.

Her first priority however is to perform with Wellington jazz icons, Hot Club Sandwich, at the 5-star resort, Bay Of Many Coves, in the Marlborough Sounds from October 12-14.

Fiona has performed with them many times before and intimately knows, what she calls, their “personality, exuberance and talent” so she’s familiar when they play the classics or their own unique style of music. However never before have they played together in the exclusive resort in the Sounds.

“We’ll perform my own compositions but often I’ll extemporise around their music. So much will depend on where the mood takes us,” she says.

Spontaneous musical combustion is a far cry from Fiona’s classical upbringing. She remembers a violin concert in Ashburton when she was three or four and, while she first studied piano, there was something very special about the violin.

“It’s an instrument that can either break your heart or make you laugh,” Fiona says. “I listened to so many recordings of the greats and the way the violin could play beautiful soulful melodies captured me for life.”

When the family moved to Christchurch she focused on the violin. She was good at it and, as a teenager, played first violin with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, sometimes as soloist and even performed a TV gig with NZSO musicians.

But by the time she was 18, she was “insanely bored with the classics.” It meant practising six hours a day and taking part in endless competitions. She hated it.

It was then Fiona met Stephane Grappelli. Nearly 90, he played one of his last concerts ever in the Christchurch Town Hall. “I managed to get back stage into his dressing room. He arrived with a bottle of whisky and kissed me on the cheek,” Fiona recalls.

“We even jammed together. He didn’t have a care in the world. For him playing was as natural as breathing.”

Inspired by the maestro, she established the Blue Swing Quartet and performed jazz classics from the 1930s onwards. The group played at weddings, bars, festivals, anywhere they could get a gig.

It was only a matter of time before Fiona took her talent beyond New Zealand. She backpacked overseas, earning an income from her violin. She became immersed in Celtic, tango and gypsy and absorbed the music from everywhere she went.

When she was engaged by Hayley Westenra to lead her backing group and play solo in the world tour, she met future husband, Ian, a pianist, manager and record producer. They have property in London and a home with cat and dog in Christchurch and it’s there that Fiona’s contemplating her future.

One project is to write a six piece suite of music influenced by sights and sounds from around the world. There’ll be a musical description of early morning New York taxis as she’s buying cheesecake from an all-nighter, the haunting Celtic sounds from her Scottish roots and “we’ll end up in India using rhythmical drums based in a classical setting.”

Another is performing at Bay Of Many Coves with Hot Club Sandwich. “It’s a stunning location and a very exclusive event. I’m looking forward to it. I want it to be the inspiration for one of my special compositions,” Fiona says.

ENDS

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