‘I want to feel nourished and comfortable’: what do string players eat before a performance?

Discover more Featured Stories like this in The Strad Playing Hub 

Performing a stringed instrument onstage is an extremely taxing activity for your body – both physically and mentally. While string players have spent countless hours honing their craft technically and musically, how much time and thought have they put into how they fuel their performances? There’s been no shortage of parallels drawn between musicians and athletes; indeed, sports nutrition is a huge factor for any sportsperson in the lead-up to their games and matches.

As a cellist working in London’s West End, my pre-performance eating routine has largely been cultivated based on learning from my experiences. I have learnt the hard way that the (delicious) combination of pizza and Coke before a show is a surefire recipe for sluggishness and lack of focus during the performance, and that having what may feel like a much-needed caffeine boost at 6:45pm will probably result in an inability to sleep after the show!

Staying focused for a two-and-a-half-hour show in an evening (sometimes twice a day if there’s a matinee too) requires fuel that digests slowly throughout the length of the performance – for me, this is my perfect combination of rice, salmon and broccoli at least 40 minutes before a show, plus a banana at the interval, and water during the dialogue scenes.

However, every musician is different, and each musician will be fulfilling differing demands of performance, whether that be a concerto, a chamber concert, solo recital, or something else entirely.

I chatted to a few friends of The Strad to see how they like to fuel their performances – and yes, bananas, the evergreen favourite, feature heavily.

Liya Petrova, violinist

Have you ever been told that on a concert day you should eat a big plate of pasta? I’ve been told this so many times, and I did it for a very long time, until I noticed that most of the time I just felt heavy afterwards. These days I eat as lightly as possible, with plenty of protein.   

My first priority is hydration, and it starts the moment I wake up. Sometimes it’s just hot water to wake the body, sometimes electrolytes. I always carry a pack with me and I check that it has no added sugar. The one thing I avoid is drinking a lot right before going on stage, so the morning is where the real hydrating happens. Then I have something warm, like a tofu soup, or simply some eggs.

When I travel, I always bring a sachet of miso soup to prepare in my hotel room. Sometimes I go to the morning dress rehearsal with nothing more than a few nuts. I like to be hydrated but sharp, with my head as clear as possible and not in the middle of digestion. 

That’s also why I like lunch five or six hours before I play, so quite late, around 2 or 2:30 for an evening concert. Again protein and a bit of energy: chicken breast with rice and some cooked vegetables, or fish with potatoes – something warm and calming for the stomach. I keep drinking through the afternoon, and just before the concert I have a few nuts and a bit of banana. 

But none of this is a strict rule. Sometimes what I really feel like is an omelette or some sardines. The biggest change has been learning to listen to my body, rather than eating what I think I’m supposed to eat on a concert day. I want to feel nourished and comfortable, and for me that means not eating too much at once. If I feel heavy on stage, I know I got it wrong. 

After the concert, it’s harder. You’ve just given everything, you want to relax and have a nice generous meal. A burger or pizza can sound very tempting, but I sometimes realise that my appetite is bigger than what my stomach feels comfortable with late at night. I’m still learning to eat slowly and let my body tell me when it’s ready. 

I want to feel nourished and comfortable. If I feel heavy on stage, I know I got it wrong

Bella Hristova, violinist

Anyone who has played with me remembers my little ’hiccups’ that come and go – usually one or two at a time. They often happen after eating, so I try not to eat too much before concerts. However, a banana that is on the unripe side of ripe is the perfect thing, and so satisfying when I find a good one. Not green, but by no means with any spots on it, and preferably with a light yellow peel.

I try not to have a very salty meal the night before a performance because it makes my joints feel swollen.

Another thing I rely on anytime I’m cold backstage is drinking hot herbal tea or just hot water. I have cold extremities and I find that warms me up much more thoroughly than any exercise I can do on the violin. 

Paul Huang, violinist

I try to have a full meal before an evening concert so I don’t have to eat much after the performance. Over the years, I find that if I am eating late night, three days out of a week, it gets really unhealthy for my body in the long run.

Generally eat something not oily for my dinner before a concert, like a salad with some protein in it. I drink a cup of mint tea which really calms my nerves down and warms my body and some dark chocolate as my little sweets before going on stage. 

Hsin-Yun Huang, violist

Musicians should ’normalise’ the pre-performance process, which helps bring the concert mindset into good focus.  Every body is different, and everyone’s comfort level and needs are different. So my principles typically would be: 

1) Make sure you are not empty. Treat the body as if you are an athlete. One needs fuel in order to operate. The brain, and not to mention the physicality of performing, requires an enormous amount of energy.  

2) Personally, I make sure I eat a small dinner around two hours before the performance. Then bananas, almonds, dark chocolate – all of these can support extra calm and focus. 

Matthew Barley, cellist

The best for me before a performance is a bit of 100 per cent cocoa chocolate and a banana which offers non-shaky energy and slow release from the banana. And lots of water and a catnap. 

Joanna Latała, cellist

For me, the most important part is having a regular meal routine and making sure I eat enough. In the lead-up to an audition, competition or important concert, I try to get up and have breakfast, lunch and dinner at roughly the same times each day.

I generally aim for meals spread throughout the day, with lunch being the largest – usually a two-course meal – and something lighter in the evening. I avoid heavy meals late at night.

I also pay attention to hydration throughout the day, personally aiming for around 2.5 litres of fluids. These are my own habits rather than recommendations for everyone.   

I try to eat a varied diet, including plenty of fruit and vegetables, as well as meat and fish. Since dietary needs, preferences and food allergies vary so much, I would emphasise consistency and eating enough over any particular food.

My aim is to arrive at a performance feeling comfortably nourished and hydrated, with my attention available for the music rather than distracted by hunger, thirst or discomfort. 

Margarita Balanas, cellist

I take a good nap and then a Coke for the sugar. Then no food at least three hours before the performance – I need to be fresh and a little hungry! Then after the concert, I’ll eat a steak. After a concert you’re just exhausted after giving it your all, and I find that a steak does the job.   

Phoebe Russell, double bassist

I honestly don’t really have a particular meal I eat before I perform, but I try to avoid too much sugar and caffeine on the day of a recital and avoid eating too close to the performance time so I don’t feel heavy or sluggish.

Kleio Quartet

As a group we love to do a Marks & Spencer haul before train rides to concert venues and to compare our meal choices. We absolutely LOVE going to restaurants in the different cities we visit while touring, and we have a ranking system that we post on our social media. It’s a fun way to compare our food preferences! 

Yume Fujise, violinist: I don’t have anything in particular before a concert, but will appreciate a plate of cheese, meats and tomatoes backstage.

Katherine Yoon, violinist: I live to eat so will devour anything that is available. For a lengthier concert, I lean towards food that’s more slow burning so that it will get me through. Then in the interval, I’ll eat a sugary snack for the glucose dopamine energy boost hit.

My ideal meal before a concert would be a hot meal consisting of really yummy cooked veggies. I love potatoes with melted cheese on top. I am very specific about the texture of the potatoes – they can’t be too grainy or overcooked and they must have a slightly firm bite. Then for dessert, some berries or kiwi fruit with yoghurt.

But usually before concerts I don’t have access to these foods and I end up just having some chocolates or snacks. Oops! 

Jaren Ziegler, violist: I love food and will eat anything anytime. So it’s best to not offer me too much otherwise I might get indigestion during the concert. I would also appreciate a bowl of yoghurt and frozen mango for the journey home. 

Gerard Flotats, cellist: Being used to South European meal times, I have to adapt my schedule on concert days. A hot meal a few hours before the concert is ideal but it’s important not to eat too much and end up feeling sleepy on stage.

Chocolate backstage makes for the best interval snack, and after the concert, nothing can top a cold beer.

What do you like to eat before a performance? Let us know: thestrad@thestrad.com