Meet the Musician | William Huxtable

If you were not a musician, what would be your profession?

If I wasn’t a musician I would have liked to have tried apprenticing in a trade like carpentry, auto repair, plumbing or electrical work. 

Who is your favourite composer of all time?

Maurice Ravel’s music has always been a favourite of mine. I love his harmonies. Performing La Valse this year was a personal highlight. 

Can you share some insights into your practice routine?

When practising new music for WASO I usually start by listening to the piece with the violin part in front of me, taking note of any difficult passages and begin putting in initial fingerings for the left hand. Then when I’m in the practice room my first priority is to learn those difficult passages and then iron out other tricky corners. After that, I sometimes like to play through the whole piece to help consolidate and cement the work on those spots. 

What is the best part of being a professional musician?

One of the great things about being a professional musician is the amount of variety we experience. Almost every week we’re performing something different be it a Symphony by Schumann, the score to a Harry Potter movie or an Opera by Puccini. 

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time, I like to read books or listen to audiobooks or podcasts. A favourite of mine is the Lord of the Rings trilogy read by Andy Serkis.