Interview with Marie Cendelínová by Giuseppe Chiaramonte

Giuseppe Chiaramonte 
Some guitarists start studying guitar pushed by an innate passion, some others thanks to their curiosity, others are encouraged by their parents... how did you start studying guitar?

Marie Cendelínová
When I was a child I started to play Violoncello and Bass guitar, only at the age of 11 my first teacher Jiří Freml, asked me if I wanted to try also concert guitar. I immediately fell in love with this instrument and after 3 years of studying I asked my teacher to prepare me for the entrance examination of our conservatory. He asked me if I was totally crazy – but in the end I think it was the right decision ;-)


Giuseppe Chiaramonte 
Are you still used to publically perform also as a solo guitarist? Which is your preferred solo guitar repertoire? 

Marie Cendelínová
If there is a possibility to perform as a solo artist I never reject. My repertoire is quite mixed, differrent styles and epoches, mostly music from the 20th century with impressionistic and neo-classical elements and also spanish influences... But in general I prefer to play with the quartet, chambermusic is just so beautiful and the communication with the other girls on stage is so much fun! In this way I can totally enjoy the music...

Giuseppe Chiaramonte 
Who is your favorite composer? 

Marie Cendelínová
Hmmm... that’s very difficult, I have so many favourite composers! I fear I cannot answer to this question, but like I said before I love the composers of the 20th century and music with spanish elements.


Giuseppe Chiaramonte
Do you play also with other musicians that are not member of guitArtistas?

Marie Cendelínová
No, at the moment I only play with my guitartistas-girls! :-)


Giuseppe Chiaramonte 
Let’s imagine you have to play with another (others) musician (musicians) which is not a member of guitArtistas, let’s say, another ensemble with guitar(s) and other(s) instrument(s). Just imagine how guitar timbers could be combined with other instruments (no limit  of number of instruments). Other then the quartet (of course!)  which ensemble with guitar could be the best, in your opinion? 

Marie Cendelínová
To my mind the guitar fits to nearly every other instrument, also a lot of different genres – classic, pop... Every group with a special instrumentation, has it’s own qualities, so it is impossible to say, which is the best.

Giuseppe Chiaramonte As a guitArtistas member, you play a concert guitar and an octave guitar, is it difficult to switch from one instrument to another one during a concert? 

Marie Cendelínová
In general it is not that easy at all, because the octave guitar is quite different to a concert guitar. First of all because of it’s small size, everything is so much more tight. In addition to that, the fingers need to have much more pressure on the strings – in the left as well as in the right hand (nails disappear rapidly!), because the sound isn’t as strong as a concert guitar’s sound. But by the time it get’s better and better!

Giuseppe Chiaramonte 
Other than the guitar, what are your other interests? How do you like to spend your free time?

Marie Cendelínová
I like to watch movies and good food in general, I also cook very often (especially every kind of sweets) and love to stay in bed doing nothing, just relax! :-D