They study at one of the most prestigious university in the country, and with all the academic pressure they still find time for a life passion – classical music. Here are questions to the quartet that is playing on February 23 in the Grieg Piano Concerto as well as a Grieg String Quartet. We start with Rachel Hsu, who many of you have seen before, this is her fourth time playing on Music on Park Avenue, and as she is graduating in the spring, this is the last concert as an Opus member. So, she will get some extra questions.

February 23 concert page link

You started playing the violin at three – did you like practicing as a kid? When did you start to really like and appreciate classical music?

I was actually the one that begged my mom to let me play violin and piano and I genuinely loved playing and didn’t mind practicing, although I would never say I LIKED or looked forward to practicing (laugh).

Even though I loved playing, I don’t think I really started to like and appreciate classical music overall until high school. Before that, I never listened to classical music for fun except for some pieces I had played before and found attending concerts to be boring. It wasn’t until mid to late high school that I really started enjoying listening to general classical music and enjoying and being moved by live performances.

How is it to juggle between tough studies at PU and finding time to practice the violin?

Finding time to practice while at Princeton has been very difficult for me. As a student at Princeton, I constantly feel like I’m pushed to my limits in terms of mental capacity and energy level, and during the day, I am always busy and running around because of classes, lab, meetings, work, etc.

By the time I have time to practice at night, I feel mentally and physically exhausted, and it becomes really tough to find the motivation to spend even just an hour or two practicing, especially when I haven’t been making much progress and there’s still school work I should be doing.

I’m always involved in other music-related activities on campus that give me a chance to play a lot every week, but practicing violin is unfortunately something that I haven’t been able to make the time to do consistently while I’ve been here.

What do you like most about playing chamber music?

When I play music, I get this thrill when the intricacies of all the other instruments come together to create this amazing blend of sounds. That excitement I get, that moment that gives me goosebumps, is why I couldn’t give up playing seriously in college. What I crave when playing chamber music is that moment I realize I’m making something beautiful with people who really care.

Everything fades away, and I’m completely captivated by the music; the only thing that could elevate the experience is that I get to indulge in the music with other people who also love it. There is nothing more fun for me than working on a piece with people who are passionate about music and push to make it the sound the best we can.

You said you like watching tv shows to relax, which are your favorite series and what are you following right now? 

Answering what my favorite series of all time are is so tough for me…in terms of rewatchability, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Friends, and Crash Landing On You will always be my favorites, and Game of Thrones was definitely up there for me until the final season. Recently, I’ve been watching The Last of Us, Veep, Chainsaw Man, and I just finished Physical: 100!

Now on to five questions for the quartet!

Michelle Yoon, Andrew Yung and Brandon Cheng

–Where were you born?

Rachel: Chicago

Michelle: Seoul

Andrew: Seattle

Brandon: Chicago

–What are your studies at Princeton University?

Rachel: Molecular biology and sociology

Michelle: Molecular biology

Andrew: Sociology

Brandon: Computer science

– When did you start to play your instrument, and how did that happen?

Rachel: I was 3. My older brothers played, but when I started and got better than them they all quit, ha!

Michelle: At age 7, I was required to play in school orchestra and chose violin.

Andrew: I was 6, my sister played so I wanted to. My mom said no (editors note: listening to children learning the violin is not for everyone…) I pushed and pushed and finally she gave up and let me start.

Brandon: Age 5. I wanted to play the violin but my mom said I would look ugly playing violin so instead I started to play the cello.

– What are your favorite things to do outside of studying and music?

Rachel: Watching TV shows

Michelle: I paint, and love to read books, currently it is War and peace.

Andrew: Singing and cooking.

Brandon: Powerlifting

– Mention one thing you know about Scandinavia?

Rachel: IKEA meatballs

Michelle: Northern Lights

Andrew: ABBA

Brandon: Spotify was founded by Swedes