‘Don’t exclude any area of music’ - Catherine Hewgill’s life lessons
2023-05-02T09:36:00
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s principal cellist discusses her time in the US and the life of a section leader
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I first encountered the cello at one of my parents’ amateur chamber music soirées. A cellist let me try the instrument out, and within five minutes I knew that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. My first teacher in Perth, Jill Cole, gave me a solid grounding in technique and set me on the right path from the very beginning. Five years later I was lucky enough to study with Eileen Croxford in London for a year. She gave me a real love for playing scales. They’re like stretching. You’re covering the whole instrument within a minute of picking it up. I still take them very seriously today…