Golden years

Young musicians may be physically fit, but with age come the advantages of wisdom and experience

-  Ariane Todes

Shakespeare describes seven ages of man. The life of a musician crosses at least five of these. Mewling infant and 'sans teeth' aside, a player's life takes them from shining-faced schoolboy, sighing lover and quarrelling soldier to wise justice and bespectacled pantaloon. Youth might favour the former of these with fresh muscles and synapses, innocence and ambition, but age makes up for its losses with knowledge, time and understanding. So how do musicians' perspectives change across these different phases?

In youth, there's a certain fearlessness. Violinist Leia Zhu is now 17, but was winning competitions by the age of eight and made her London Symphony Orchestra debut at 14. She remembers: 'I started very young and loved performing. People asked me, "Are you nervous before you go on stage?" but I responded, "What's that?" I didn't have any nerves, but more adrenaline and excitement. One of my first performances, in Newcastle City Hall, was to 2,000 people. I was more worried about what to do after I played - I didn't know anything about concert etiquette. Do I bow, or leave?"

Edward Dusinberre wrote Beethoven for a Later Age about his experience of joining the well-established Takács Quartet as leader at the tender age of 26. He remembers the audacity: 'When you're young, to some extent you don't realise how difficult it all is. You're a bit cocky. You sign up for things. "Absolutely, let's record all 15 Schubert quartets in five consecutive days, no problem. Let's do it." I wouldn't do that now, but it's good to have some of that sense of adventure and raw courage, which is a little uneducated.'