Notes Newsletter Student Spotlight: Luke D’Silva

Posted on October 2, 2024

Luke D’Silva is the principle violaist in PYP. He is also a senior from Westview High School and takes private lessons from Andrea Hawkins.

What is your favorite memory of PYP?

It’s pretty hard to pick a favorite memory from my time! I would like to mention a few of the highlights from my time in PYP. During the March concert of Season 98, PYP played Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. I have always loved this piece because of the famous recording of Leonard Bernstein leading the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood. At the March concert,I still remember feeling the adrenaline from the performance! The distinct energy and buzzing is something I will never forget. Another highlight is performing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. I have always loved late Beethoven with his late piano sonatas and late string quartets, but this Ninth Symphony is the peak of his late period, in my opinion. Learning this masterpiece is perhaps the biggest challenge I have encountered at PYP, but it was so worth it! While many in the audience are drawn to the exciting first, second, and fourth movements,  I will always remember PYP’s performance of the lovely third movement. The tender second melody for the second violins and violas that soars above the rest of the orchestra is one of the most special moments I have experienced in PYP. Over Season 100, the chamber music exposure I received was awesome! With the PYP nonet conducted by Mr. Hattner, we played pieces by Martinů, Svoboda, Rota and Farrenc. I was unfamiliar with Martinů’s works, and I looked into his music afterwards and ended up discovering a duet for violin and viola called 3 Madrigals which has become one of my favorite duets. 

What is your favorite piece of music? Why?

It’s so hard to choose one! If I were to choose my favorite pieces of music, they would have to be Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto and Act 1, Scene 3 from Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District.  I consider Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto to be his greatest symphonic work. Brahms is able to balance the virtuosity and the musical intent of the pianist so well. The sweeping melodies from the french horn, violins, and cello soloist from the first and third movements are some of my favorites in the repertoire. The rhythmic displacement Brahms uses in the second and fourth movement is just stunning to listen to. Then, the selection from Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District is one of the pieces of music that blew my mind when I first listened to it. Shostakovich’s use of the brass and percussion is incredible. The climax of this scene is so loud; it’s insane. I believe this is Shostakovich’s most innovative composition besides his moving Fourteenth Symphony.

Do you have any hobbies outside of music?

Outside of music, I love watching and playing basketball. I have always enjoyed playing basketball myself. It’s great to see such hard work and dedication towards winning games among professional basketball players. I think every kid who has touched a basketball within the last 10 years could say Steph Curry has influenced them as a player. He is one of my favorite players. I remember trying to make as many 3 pointers as I could in a game after watching Steph and the Warriors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder with Steph not only playing with an injured ankle but also tying the 3-point record in a single game. I don’t remember being as successful as Steph Curry on my shot attempts!

What advice would you give the younger students in PYCO, PYWE, and PYSE?

I would advise learning the fundamentals of intonation and rhythm correctly the first time and eventually incorporate the dynamics. Then for string players, start learning to play by the bridge, consistently practice advanced techniques, and perform for audiences often.  Also, love what you do!  During the pandemic, I loved listening to Mahler and watching Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts. Give PYP everything you have with score study, practice, and markings to make PYP a fulfilling experience!

If you and Mr. Hattner switched positions, how would you lead the orchestra? What pieces would you want to conduct? Would you have a favorite section? Feel free to let your imagination run with this question and be as silly or as serious as you want!

I wish to preface this by stating that I enjoy working under the direction of Mr. Hattner! His selections from the repertoire are excellent and bring out the best from PYP. With that being said, I would select a repertoire that I have enjoyed listening to such as Debussy’s La Mer , Respighi’s The Pines of Rome, and Schumann’s Fourth Symphony. I would also like to explore classical music from different mediums like ballet and opera:  Wagner’s Vorspiele, Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloe, and Stravinky’s Pulcinella or Oedipus Rex (not technically an opera but a great cantata nonetheless). A personal favorite from the opera literature I would program immediately would be Weber’s Overture to Euryanthe. I would also look at orchestral works with extended instrumentation like Shostakovich’s Babi Yar Symphony, Strauss’s Don Quixote, and Mahler’s Seventh Symphony. For piano concertos, I would gravitate towards Beethoven’s piano concertos like the Emperor but would also choose works like Liszt’s Totentanz , Busoni’s Piano Concerto, and Dvorak’s Piano Concerto.