Daniella Strasfogel is a violinist, violin teacher and performer in Berlin. Through her years of development as an artist, she has consistently sought to deepen her understanding of her body as a vessel for interpretation, through the instrument and the voice as well as through physicality of movement and gesture. Born and raised in New York City, she is a founding member of the Solistenenesemble Kaleidoskop and was artistic director of the ensemble from 2010-2015. In this position she has created staged concert programs, led audience discussions and worked with amateur musicians and students. In 2018, Daniella founded the production company LOUDsoft with the aim of creating multidimensional musical experiences for and with families, young people and amateur musicians.
FACTS:
1: Getting older is the only solution.
2: Kitty cats can bite and scratch.
3: The night sky is full of satellites.
QUESTIONS:
1. What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
Singing my daughter a goodnight song while she sings a different song to herself at the same time.
2. How and when did you get into making music?
I come from a family of musicians; it came as easily as falling down.
3. What are 5 of your favourite albums of all time?
PJ Harvey – Rid of me
Gilbert Kalish, piano: Charles Ives – Piano Sonata no. 2: Concord, Mass. 1840-60
Sparklehorse – Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot
John Eliot Gardner, conductor: Igor Stravinsky – The Rake’s Progress
Anna & Elizabeth – Anna & Elizabeth
4. What do you associate with Berlin?
Berlin’s been my chosen home for over 15 years. The smell of coal smoke in winter will always remind me of my first years here, even though it’s rare these days.
5. What’s your favourite place in your town?
Schöneberger Südgelände! But if you mean my town as in where I come from, then: my parent’s kitchen.
6. If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
You pose an impossible question!
7. What was the last record/music you bought?
Christian Wolff – Kompositionen 1950-1972
8. Who would you most like to collaborate with?
I misread this as who I do most like to collaborate with, so I’m going to go with that… Clara Gervais & Steffen Klewar. I like the way they watch us while we rehearse. It’s slightly intimidating but it also makes us want to impress them.
9. What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
Über den Fetischcharakter in der Musik und die Regression des Hörens, playing on the 27th and 28th at Radialsystem. If you ever wanted to see me wear pink and hear me sing a high A, this is your chance!
10. How important is technology to your creative process?
I use technology just about never.
11. Do you have siblings and how do they feel about your career/art?
I have a sister who is a teacher for kids with learning and developmental disabilities. She lives far from here and hasn’t been able to see me play in decades. We’re both as supportive of each other as we can be from far away, it’s one of the down sides of living on a different continent.
Photo © Christina Voigt
