Concertmaster, soloist, conductor: the many faces of alumna Misaki Hall '21, '23

Director of Development Mark Kaczmarczyk recently sat down with Misaki Hall to reflect on her time at UofL and recent experience as guest lecturer and conductor of the University Symphony Orchestra. 

Where’s home, and how did music resonate in your early development?

My parents (American father, Japanese mother) met in Okinawa, Japan, and later moved to the United States. I was born in California, and moved to Radcliff, KY at the age of two. My brothers and I would watch Doraemon, a Japanese children’s show, where a young girl character played the violin. I told my mother (a high school teacher) that I wanted to play as well, and eventually started violin lessons at five years old. During my undergraduate career, I briefly considered pursuing medicine, but ultimately decided to fully commit to music.

What were the seminal musical moments growing up, and what brought you to the UofL and the School of Music? I studied at the Bardstown Suzuki School, which was fabulous. The instructors there cultivated a healthy relationship between child and parent through the Suzuki Method. From sophomore year of High School, I continued to study violin under Professor Brittany MacWilliams through the School of Music's String Academy, an outreach program she directed. The Academy became a crucial part in my development as a musician and was the reason I ultimately attended the UofL School of Music as an undergraduate student.

Along with String Academy, I participated in the Louisville Youth Orchestra, which was under the direction of Jason Seber at the time. This experience exposed me to orchestral repertoire, performance, and traditions, which I am forever grateful for.

What can you tell our readers about what it is like to play in an orchestra? My favorite aspect of orchestral playing is the honor and privilege to make wonderful music as a team. At the University Symphony Orchestra there exists this fantastic culture and community based on the value of every player. Every musician is a key player, no matter the seat or section, and this culture is led from the top with Professor Kimcherie Lloyd. My undergraduate years of playing the violin in orchestra under her direction, as section violinist and occasionally as concertmaster, furthered my curiosity of the orchestral world, and is what ultimately made me want to learn orchestral conducting from her. During my graduate studies with Professor Lloyd, I was fortunate to further study the violin with Dr. Geoffrey Herd as well.

My time studying with Professor Lloyd is something I will always treasure and led me to learning opportunities and professional experiences I would have never imagined, including my time as lecturer for the University Symphony Orchestra during her sabbatical this past fall and playing solo jazz violin with the Count Basie Orchestra in February.

Describe how you learned the basic conducting technique, and then refined it? I studied instrumental conducting as an undergrad with Dr. Jason Cumberledge, where I learned basic technique, patterns, etc. With Dr. Amy Acklin I further studied technique as well as refined my score study/analysis. I was eventually permitted to observe and occasionally conduct the Graduate Orchestral Conducting Seminar which hosted the Graduate String Quintet. My first time conducting a full orchestra was for Dr. Acklin’s Conducting II final exam, which was with the University Symphony Orchestra playing Beethoven’s Overture to Fidelio, Op. 72.

There are still very few female concert masters of major orchestras in the world, and even fewer female conductors, but the landscape is slowly changing.  What were your personal challenges transitioning from being in the orchestra to standing on the podium? I suffered from imposter syndrome, doubting myself, being a girl, and making final artistic decisions. Over time, I have learned that all the musical decisions must be made as a conductor before we are on the podium, and never to “think on the orchestra’s time”. This expectation has encouraged me to combat my doubt with as much studying, research, and use of musical instincts as possible.

Fortunately, I’ve had the opportunity to travel and participate in conducting festivals and symposiums, most recently the Denver Philharmonic International Conducting Workshop this past February taught by Maestri Robert Spano and Lawrence Golan. What I witnessed were conductors who arrived confident and sure with solid musical ideas and a wide variety of different artistic interpretations - whether others thought their ideas were “right” or “wrong,” they came with a musical concept of the work that they were absolutely convinced of while recognizing that their concepts are likely to change over time. This inspired me to approach the art of conducting differently.

I have also attended the Pierre Monteux School and Music Festival in Maine, which is largely based on the principle that conductors should continue to play in orchestras as instrumentalists as long as possible. This has most definitely aided in my understanding of the different roles, and to maintain both perspectives.

Goals for the future? More playing, more teaching, more conducting - possibly a DMA program, but not right away. Most importantly, I aim to continue to learn as a student of life.