“I find my peace of mind
in Amsterdam”

With his love of bikes and the typically Dutch concept of ‘gezelligheid’, acclaimed oboist Alexei Ogrinthchouk feels at ease in Amsterdam. It is here that the Russian finds peace in an existence packed with foreign trips. The musician is hungry to get together with people he can learn from, with the aim being to become as complete an artist as possible. ‘The day you are satisfied marks the beginning of the end.’

To choose the oboe is not to choose the path of least resistance. According to the Guinness Book of Records from a physical point of view it is the most difficult instrument to learn and play, second only to the French horn. In order to play it well you need to master advanced breathing techniques. And that’s not all: oboe players have to make their own reeds, a job that needs doing almost weekly. All this means that this instrument demands a musician with character, discipline and stamina.

And so when Russia’s Alexei Ogrintchouk chose the oboe at the age of nine, not everyone understood his decision. “My parents are professional pianists. At the time some of their friends said: ‘You’re mad. You’ll ruin your child’s life.’ But my father and mother believed that I should make my own choices in life. And I chose the oboe. The decision came straight from the heart, because I had fallen in love with its sound. I had experience this up close when my father was practising with an oboist. At concerts I went to at the time, it was always the sound of the oboe that I picked out.”

First waves

It turned out that Ogrintchouk was a natural. At the age of 10 he was admitted to the Gnessin School of Music in Moscow. “The school can be seen as a direct path to a career as a professional musician. They select children with a talent for music and a good harmonic ear. In addition to normal school lessons pupils learn to play instruments and work on their musical development. Wonderful teachers teach you how to get better quickly. This school is one of the reasons why Russian talent manifests itself at an early age.”

The Concertgebouw Orchestra’s Russian oboist remembers this period as a time of hard work and competitiveness. “Measuring yourself against others makes you grow more quickly. It also makes you strong. It mainly comes down hard work, certainly in the beginning. It’s only later that you can take a step back and enjoy the music to the full.” Ogrintchouk believes such competitiveness to be healthy. “But you do have to channel it wisely. Jealousy, a strong human trait, must be kept at bay.” In his view being better than someone else should never be an end in itself. “Your prime motivation should always be to make the most beautiful music you can.”

Ogrintchouk grew up at a time of great change in Russia. Following the détente between the East and the West a climate with a greater degree of international exchange was starting to emerge. The young oboist made his first foreign trip at the age of 13, travelling to Japan to give a performance with his school chamber orchestra. “It was my first time on a plane, going to a totally different country, to perform as a solo oboist. It was a huge culture shock for me, but at the same time an unforgettable experience.” He enjoyed his international experience so much that when the opportunity to study in Paris came along in 1995 he seized it with both hands. At 16 he was awarded a French government grant to study at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse, where his teachers included the famous oboist Maurice Bourgue. “Naturally it was difficult for my parents to see me go, but being professional musicians they understood that this was a unique opportunity. I was among one of first waves of Russian students who left to study abroad.”

Studying in Paris meant taking a leap in the dark. “The city was like a different planet. I was completely thrown back on myself. It was a voyage of survival but at the same time an enervating voyage of discovery in an inspiring international environment.” In Paris Ogrintchouk was able to hear all the contemporary masters. “I bought tickets for the cheapest seats in the back row of the balcony so that I could go to as many concerts as possible. One of my most vivid memories is of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt playing Schubert in Le Théâtre du Châtelet. That concert made a huge impression on me. The same goes for the recitals by pianist Radu Lupu, and I didn’t miss a single one. At the time I couldn’t even dream that one day I would be playing in the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra myself or performing alongside Lupu. That was one of the best moments of my life.”

To the Netherlands

Ogrintchouk came to the Netherlands as a twenty-year-old. The move was partly inspired by his fellow countryman Valery Gergiev, the Russian conductor leading the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra at the time. For Ogrintchouk this was an extra incentive to take a shot at applying for the position of solo oboist despite his tender age. Much to his own surprise he was accepted after auditioning. “It was a courageous decision by the orchestra to award that position to someone so young. And it was a wonderful experience to be able to work with Gergiev.”

Eight years ago Ogrintchouk made the move to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, the opportunity to take up the position of solo oboist there being too good to miss. Not just because of the world-leading quality of the orchestra and concert hall, but also because of Mariss Jansons, a Latvian conductor who speaks Russian. Ogrintchouk sees Jansons as an example of a leader who knows how to create team spirit. According to the Russian oboist Jansons’s leadership of the orchestra has made for a great working environment in which everyone can excel without scoring points off each other. That is exactly what he wants: to be ambitious, but never at the expense of others. “My aim is to be as complete an artist as possible. Which is why I combine my work for the Concertgebouw Orchestra with international performances. In addition I teach or conduct from time to time. I view the latter as a real bonus.”

An international existence such as Ogrintchouk leads is very demanding. He says it does not bother him. “International touring makes for a rich life. Music is the most international of languages. It is great to be able to share emotions anywhere in the world.” But he realises that the quest for peace of mind is a permanent one. “You need somewhere to have downtime. I find that in Amsterdam. I enjoy the lifestyle and the ‘gezelligheid’”. He also loves the beautiful houses built on a human scale, as well as bicycles because they are less of a nuisance than cars. “Although cyclists in Amsterdam can knock you off your feet at times. When that happens it is important not to react with too much emotion, but to stay ‘cool’, like the Dutch.”

Self-criticism

Ogrintchouk attributes the fact that he is doing well in the Netherlands to the tolerant yet productive climate. “People here work together on an equal footing.” He says the Dutch have a good work mentality. “They separate work from their private lives, which means they are productive during working hours.” He also appreciates the direct style of communicating, which he believes could be a reason why the Russians and Dutch are a good business match.

Another thing the Netherlands and Russia have in common is the fact that people in both countries appreciate and revere music and art, according to the oboist. Both boast a rich cultural heritage. Ogrintchouk is proud to be a part of Russia’s great musical tradition. “Our country is the scene of marvellous world premieres by living legends in the world of classical music.” Ogrintchouk says this is evident when performing in Russia. “My countrymen adore tradition. They form an audience of aficionados with clear opinions. Appreciation from a Russian audience is the biggest compliment an international artist can get. If you can win them over, you can play anywhere.” Asked how he would characterise a Dutch audience, he once again stresses the sense of heritage. “You have wonderful traditions, such as the St. Matthew Passion that is performed all over the place. In addition you could say that Dutch audiences are open-minded. They like new things and surprising combinations. Innovation is actively stimulated. The great thing about the Netherlands is that combination of innovation and preserving tradition.”

The same combination is also characteristic of Ogrintchouk. He knows his classics but is always open to cooperation and innovation, giving performances all over the world. Where does this outward-looking attitude come from? “If you want to be as complete an artist as possible, you have to keep on learning. You can only do that by getting together with people: colleagues, other artists and students, too. Because as a teacher you learn from your pupils. They force you to think, for example because their views on a piece of music are different from mine.”

Ogrintchouk believes he will never stop learning because there is no such thing as perfection. “Each new concert is a new challenge. Sometimes as the Concertgebouw Orchestra we play the same piece four times in a row, but no two performances are ever the same. If you could do better, you are keenly aware of this, even when people are praising you after a concert. You have to maintain that self-criticism. The day you are satisfied marks the beginning of the end. Music can touch you but is itself virtually intangible. You are always in search of the secret of it.” .