FIRST PERSON

MARTHA WINDHAGAUER VIOLA PLAYER, GIOCOSO STRING QUARTET

I was happiest when ... I realised we were going to play a tour in Australia. You wouldn’t know it but ... I am really scared of all Australia’s dangerous animals. My most embarrassing moment ... was during a chamber music concert, when all of my scores fell from the stand while I was turning the page. The last time I cried was ... when I played La Bohème last month. I just love that opera. The last book I read was ... Stephen King’s IT. My favourite films are ... The Place Beyond the Pines, Wo ist Fred?, The English Patient, Death Proof and Nocturnal Animals. I really want to ... own a house by the sea. My guilty pleasure is ... enjoying amazing food. Life has taught me ... whatever comes, never lose sight of your goals. I’m about to ... drink a beer in Berlin with my colleagues after a long day of rehearsals. My first job was ... as a waitress. My most memorable musical moment was … playing beautiful chamber music while island-hopping in the South Pacific. What I enjoy most about my work is … connecting with people, the feeling on stage, travelling, and being able to express everything that’s possible through music.

Israeli mandolinist Avi Avital performs with the Giocoso String Quartet, with Martha Windhagauer on viola, on Thursday, at Hobart Town Hall as part of Musica Viva Australia’s 2018 international concert season