We were lucky to catch up with Alice Hong recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alice, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
Growing up, I was a pretty shy kid. I felt uncomfortable and inherently out of place in any group of people, and I would go whole days of school without speaking to anyone. I had always loved music – apparently I would kick to the beat of my mom’s Walkman before I was born! – and I spent many hours of my day playing piano and, eventually, the violin as well. One summer in 2003, my violin teacher decided to go see his students who were performing at Sewanee Summer Music Festival, and he thought it would be fun to bring me along. When we arrived, we were surrounded by musicians of all ages: students my age wearing black and with instruments on their backs, heading to the concert hall for the evening’s concerts. Faculty members laughing with each other as if they’ve known each other for decades – which they did. I spotted the conductor getting out of his car, toting heavy scores under his arm. Never before had I been in an environment where music was so alive in every person there. The audience, including myself, was mesmerized by the performance, and I knew I had to be a part of this world. The next summer, I attended Sewanee SMF myself, and for the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged and I had a purpose. I knew then that I wanted to be a professional musician.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m a violinist, composer, arranger, and a member of the Edgewood String Quartet! As a violinist, I often have the privilege to perform with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and sometimes I’m in the pit of the Atlanta Opera as well. I’ve also performed with the Toronto Symphony, Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, and Charleston Symphony. You’ll see me most often performing with Edgewood String Quartet at Atlanta’s Candlelight Concerts and other fun, immersive capacities (we’re partnering with an exhibit that’s going to be super cool…but we can’t tell you too much about that yet!). We work with other artists and experts in their field, and our musical adventures have taken us to Washington D.C. and Blue Ridge as a group. In the past, if you ever cruised on Holland America Line cruise ships, you might have seen me perform with Lincoln Center Stage as you traveled by sea.
As a composer and arranger, I get to work with cool companies like Fever for their Candlelight Concerts, Whole Soul Strings in LA, and with my own groups – Edgewood String Quartet and Project MainStream. My classical compositions have been played by the Toronto Symphony, Georgian Bay Symphony, and Niagara Symphony, among other. I’m grateful to be involved in many different aspects of music on a daily basis; it keeps things exciting!
I’m also a photographer, and I have a photography business called Alice H Photography! If you need headshots, let me know! I specialize in musician headshots but now I’m getting my feet wet with in-studio actor’s headshots!
: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I think the most general answer for this question is that I just don’t want to live life with regrets. That goal has led me to a lot of crazy adventures that I’m so grateful for, like living on a cruise ship and traveling to twenty-something different countries, or moving into a film bubble during the pandemic with a day’s notice to shoot “Red Notice” (out on Netflix). I just want to have as many adventures as I can in my life, and I hope I can bring them to others too. I’m currently in the process of starting a music festival with my quartet, similar to the ones we went to as students and now as professionals. So many cherished memories are made at music festivals, whether as an audience member, musician or collaborator, and it would be amazing to create an event that generates those kind of special moments for others. I also want to create immersive experiences that combine music and art into a soul-enriching journey for others to enjoy and be able to access when they need an escape.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
If any part of you is on the fence about going to a live music event, please go! During the pandemic, so many live musicians had to face the prospect that they were obsolete for years to come. I personally learned never to take an audience for granted, and I always make sure, if I’m in a position to say something during the concert, to thank the audience for being there. The truth is, so many creatives have ideas that would make the world such a better place, but most of them don’t have the funds. If more people took the time to invest in ideas by creatives, I guarantee the world would be a happier, richer place.
…with that being said, if anyone is interested in investing in an awesome music festival idea, check out Edgewood String Quartet’s website and look for the Swallowtail Musicfest page for more information!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aliceyhong.com
- Instagram: @alicehong__
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/alice-hong-music/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/projectmainstream
- Other: Edgewood String Quartet: https://www.edgewoodstringquartet.com Alice H Photography: https://www.alicehphotography.com
Image Credits
Shot By Kynder, Stuart Lowe, Jolie Loren Photography, Tom Starkland