Judah Waten (1911-85), born in Odessa, was a famous author and leftist political activist in Melbourne. His mother Nechama was concerned to give all her children a musical education. Odessa was a Russian heartland for music, and many of the great violinists of the C20th came from Odessa, incl Nathan Milstein and David Oistrakh. Judah was my mother's beloved cousin.
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Alice and her beloved violin
Limelight
In Australia Judah married Hyrell McKinnon and had a child, Alice (1947-2022). Judah was a famous novelist, but music was part of their life every day. Hyrell and Judah were proud when Alice began to fulfil her promise as a violinist.
After studying with Eberhard Feltz at Berlin's Hochschule für Musik, Alice gained a master's degree from Moscow Conservatory teachers, David Oistrakh and Valery Klimov. She had chamber music coaching from Moscow’s Borodin String Quartet
Before returning to Australia, Waten taught at Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts and Chetham's Specialist Music School in Manchester. And she was actively involved in many teaching seminars: Luxembourg Conservatory with Daniel Shafran and Igor Ozim, and Juilliard School.
Back in Australia, she became a founding member of the Australian Chamber Orchestra in 1975 and held the Principal 2nd Violin for 10 years. In this era she undertook extensive tours across Europe, Australasia and Asia. She held various principal roles and leaving an indelible mark on Australia's musical landscape as a performer. But her interest in training young violinists was a constant ambition from early in her own career.
After studying with Eberhard Feltz at Berlin's Hochschule für Musik, Alice gained a master's degree from Moscow Conservatory teachers, David Oistrakh and Valery Klimov. She had chamber music coaching from Moscow’s Borodin String Quartet
Before returning to Australia, Waten taught at Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts and Chetham's Specialist Music School in Manchester. And she was actively involved in many teaching seminars: Luxembourg Conservatory with Daniel Shafran and Igor Ozim, and Juilliard School.
Back in Australia, she became a founding member of the Australian Chamber Orchestra in 1975 and held the Principal 2nd Violin for 10 years. In this era she undertook extensive tours across Europe, Australasia and Asia. She held various principal roles and leaving an indelible mark on Australia's musical landscape as a performer. But her interest in training young violinists was a constant ambition from early in her own career.
Australian Chamber Orchestra rehearsal
Alice playing the violin in the centre chair, aco
At the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Alice rose to be Associate Professor, together with Norwegian Ole Bohn and Romanian Reiner Schmidt after an international search involving 130 applicants. Among Waten’s students were some of Australia's most notable violinists Richard Tognetti, VC artist Suyeon Kang and Dr Robin Wilson. Wilson is now himself a pedagogue for the new generation of young Australian violinists, including VC Rising Star Christian Li. And she taught Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Co-Concertmaster Sophie Rowell and Anne Horton, both of them members of the Australian String Quartet. Sydney Symphony Orchestra Associate Concert-master Sun Yi and Principal Second Violins Marina Marsden and Kirsty Hilton.
Richard Tognetti wrote that young violinists require a mentor, both a musical instructor and psychologist. He first entered Alice’s class in 1977 at 11. He was suitably challenged; little did he know about the rigorous Russian Violin School and her Russian language skills.
Alice brought discipline, historical sense, sarcastic wit, real love and support, perfect for both cocky teenagers and affected musicologists. As his curiosity grew, Tognetti decided to try to learn from the musicology department. In time Alice helped him to get to study with the celebrated Slav violinist & pedagogue Igor Ozim at the Bern Conservatory, another very strict teacher from the RVS. His praise for Tognetti was always about how well Alice had taught him.
Alice brought discipline, historical sense, sarcastic wit, real love and support, perfect for both cocky teenagers and affected musicologists. As his curiosity grew, Tognetti decided to try to learn from the musicology department. In time Alice helped him to get to study with the celebrated Slav violinist & pedagogue Igor Ozim at the Bern Conservatory, another very strict teacher from the RVS. His praise for Tognetti was always about how well Alice had taught him.
teaching in the Strings Dept, Sydney Conservatorium
The Strad
Back at home she held teaching positions in Melbourne at the Australian National Academy of Music and was seen as a devoted, tireless and fierce pedagogue, awesome and terrifying at the same time. She possessed a hawk-like precision when it came to spotting something that needed to be fixed. She was the driving force behind countless Australian musicians throughout the world, still committed to this art.
In 2022 Alice Waten sadly died at 75. For years, Waten had held positions at prominent Australian institutions including Australian National Academy Of Music and the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney. Her legacy lives on in the careers of her students performing and teaching in Australia and around the world, finding success both as orchestral musicians and as soloists. Waten had a profound impact on them; she was a liberator of spirits, a courageous creativity and intense motivator, and they in turn continue to foster the musical growth of further generations.
In 2022 Alice Waten sadly died at 75. For years, Waten had held positions at prominent Australian institutions including Australian National Academy Of Music and the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney. Her legacy lives on in the careers of her students performing and teaching in Australia and around the world, finding success both as orchestral musicians and as soloists. Waten had a profound impact on them; she was a liberator of spirits, a courageous creativity and intense motivator, and they in turn continue to foster the musical growth of further generations.