With musical memories ranging from Carnival of the Animals to Abba and Nana Mouskouri, it’s no surprise that Korean-born cellist Su-a Lee loves music in all its forms.
We caught up with her before her performances at the East Neuk Festival this weekend.
The classically trained cellist returns to the East Neuk of Fife this weekend and has invited some friends along to enjoy the ride.
Su-a is one of three musical sisters. “I was born Seoul, South Korea, along with two sisters who are also professional musicians,” she explains.
“We moved to England when I was one and half years old, and then emigrated to Hawaii when I was eight.
“However we all ended up being awarded full-scholarship places to study at Chethams School of Music in Manchester, so came back to the UK.”
Since then, she has studied at the famous Juilliard School in New York before joining the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in 1993. She has been based in Scotland ever since.
Falling in love with the cello
Su-a took up the violin when she was nearly eight but quickly discovered that it wasn’t for her. “I really didn’t enjoy it one little bit, so that lasted less than two weeks!” she laughs.
“I switched to cello after hearing it on the radio and luckily my violin teacher’s brother was an amateur cellist.
“Now right from the beginning, the cello gave me sheer pleasure. The first time I got to bring one home I played it for 6 hours straight, refusing to even eat!”
I just love that you get to wrap yourself around it like a hug.”
She loves everything about her chosen instrument: “The fact that it sounds in all registers of the human voice. It is versatile and can play melodically, rhythmically and harmonically… basically melody and accompaniment.
“The tone is rich and adaptable to whatever mood you feel. It vibrates when you play and I just love that you get to wrap yourself around it like a hug!”
Su-a has spent many years training and playing as a classical musician and says, “Unsurprisingly, I will always see myself as a classical musician, as this is what I spent my formative years training for.
“However, I have spent longer than that now immersing myself into other genres of music and I enjoy it all immensely.
“I am lucky enough to be asked to play with all sorts of musicians and groups and I definitely don’t feel bound by genres.”
She loved to push the boundaries and says that when she and her colleagues formed Mr McFall’s Chamber in 1996, the aim was, “exactly that. We wanted to push the boundaries of classical music… by taking it into the nightclubs and introducing it to a younger and more diverse audience.
“Not only did we play contemporary strings quartets by Webern and Shostakovitch, we also played Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa (arranged by Robert McFall), alongside Piazzolla Tango and Palestrina motets.
“This desire for pushing the boundaries has never ceased.”
East Neuk Festival stalwart
The cellist is a stalwart of the East Neuk Festival, having been involved with the celebration of classical music since it began.
“The festival was founded with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra at its heart and is a highlight of our summer season,” she explains.
“So I have performed here with the SCO, but also with Mr McFall’s Chamber and a variety of different chamber ensembles.”
This year Su-a has been invited to bring some musical friends along to two concerts at the East Neuk Festival, so who is she bringing and why?
“For my first concert I have invited Donald Shaw, Duncan Chisholm and Hamish Napier as my musical friends,” says the cellist.
“They are in the top tier of Scotland’s finest folk musicians. All three musicians are collaborators on my debut solo album Dialogues, released last year.
“Donald is an absolute titan of talent,” she continues. “A founding member of the band Capercaillie. He is also an award-winning TV and film composer and director of Celtic Connections Festival since 2007.
“Duncan is a true master of the breath-taking Scottish slow airs as well as a composer of fiercely rhythmic tunes.
“He has played fiddle for Runrig and is founder member of the folk rock band Wolfstone.
“Hamish is multi-talented: one of Scotland’s finest wooden flute players, piano accompanists, singer of traditional Scots songs, as well as a prolific composer inspired by his native landscape of Strathspey.”
Su-a Lee and playing the saw
The four musicians will entertain their audience with three duos from Su-a’s album along with, “some sets that we’ve put together from a lovely quartet tour we did some years ago at the Small Halls Festival in Skye.”
Su-a will also take the opportunity to showcase her talent for a rather more unusual instrument when she visits the East Neuk.
“Back in 1999, this cellist had a hankering to learn a new instrument for our band Mr McFall’s Chamber, and it was Robert McFall who suggested the musical saw to me.
“We happened to be playing a lot of music by Raymond Scott, and Gert-Jan Blom, the producer of his archives Manhattan Research played the musical saw.
“I immediately booked a lesson with him in Amsterdam and bought a saw there in a bric-a-brac shop! I’ve collected a few other saws along the way, but that one is still my favourite,” she enthuses.
East Neuk Festival
Talking about the festival programme in general, Su-a says: “Obviously I’m somewhat biased and will be looking forward to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra concert on Sunday afternoon at 5pm in St Andrews.
“However, it is hard to pick out particular events as the whole programme looks delicious, with lots of fabulous chamber music and recitals, not to mention fellow Koreans! I only wish I could go to them all!”
- The 2023 East Neuk Festival runs until July 2, with concerts taking place in Crail, Kilrenny, Anstruther, St Monans and St Andrews.
