We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Philip Vaiman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Philip, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Being a professional musician, and spending most of my life learning, mastering and perfecting the art of violin playing seems like an endless task. And indeed it is. The road, the journey is endless and sometimes feels like the more you know and can do, the more you still need to work on. That’s when envisioning new programs, collaborating with wonderful artists opens up this outlet for pure joy of creation. And, of course, hearing back from the audience members who felt touched and moved by music, definitely makes it worth while.

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 started playing violin at the age of 4 as my late mother, a professional violinist and a teacher, saw some potential in me and decided to show me the way. As I entered the Gnesin School of Music at the age of 6, everything became quite serious, as it took extreme dedication and commitment to study there. After 11 years and a graduation, my studies continued here, in Los Angeles, with wonderful teachers at the UCLA and USC. At that point my professional life has started, opening the doors to many opportunities to play with different groups, travel to play for international festivals, and to record for a wide variety of artists. As any creative field, music, especially classical music scene is extremely competitive. Apart from obvious challenges, it also creates the drive for bettering your art and, in the end, the only person you competing with is yourself.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Being an artist, a musician is not a job or a career path as many think. It’s a lifestyle and a journey. It never gets boring or dull, your life is an open path that’s changing every day, as one encounter or performance lead to something new. I meet amazingly talented people all the time and as we learn each other and learn from each other, we create something new. Another interesting benefit of this uneasy path is the fact that being a professional musician requires everyday practice. As dreadful as it might seem, once you establish the structure and know your goals, it becomes almost a meditative practice where you need to completely connect with yourself and your instrument. It creates an almost alternate reality where the world is ruled not by greed and anger, but rather the serenity of the sound. It’s truly amazing

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Every creative journey must have a goal or something you strive for. For me it’s very simple: 1. Perfecting my art, my capabilities, trying to become better every day
2. Connecting with the audience in the way that I can touch and move the feelings and emotions of my listeners, leaving something meaningful with them

Contact Info:

• Website: www.philipvaiman.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/philipvaiman
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/philip.vaiman
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/philip-vaiman
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@sofritti1

Image Credits
Stephanie Fife Philip Vaiman