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WFIMC Café: Maria Zaitseva

Artists
Competitions

2024 winner of the ARD Competition, Cellist Maria Zaitseva talks about her experiences in Munich

Maria Zaitseva studied with Oleg Bugaev at the Gnessin Moscow Special School of Music and was the recipient of a scholarship from the Mstislav Rostropovich Foundation. She has been a prize-winner at competitions including the Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition, the Svyatoslav Knushevitsky International Cello Competition, the International Tchaikovsky Competition, and was a semi-finalist in the Geneva International Competition.

WFIMC: could you tell us a little about yourself- you are from Moscow?

Maria Zaitseva: Yes, I am from Moscow- I was born here in 2001. My mother is a pianist, and myself, I started to play the cello at the age of four. After three years at the Gnessin School, I am now at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, but my teacher is still the same: Oleg Bugaev.
You did quite a few competitions before- Tchaikovsky, Geneva, Janigro… how did you feel when the results were announced in Munich the other day?
Well, they announced the Third Prize and the Second Prize first, so there were a few seconds when I thought- “oh my god!” It was a bit surreal. I was going on stage, receiving all these prizes and congratulations, but in a way I didn´t really understand what was happening. It felt numb, somehow… There is this moment of emptiness, because you finish something you were keen on for such a long time. You´ve done a good job, but the job is done, and you move on to another goal, another dream… 
Then again, I was quite happy with how I played my rounds!

You seem to feel quite comfortable with competitions.

I really like to be together with other cellists, with other artists, who have the same goals and who love music the same way as I do. For me, the environment at competitions has always been very friendly and motivating. For me personally, ARD was great because it made me feel stronger, more powerful, every time they announced the results of a round. Powerful not in terms of how far I can go or whether I can get a prize, but stronger in terms of how I play, how I feel I can become a better cellist.

©Volkov Photos

Some people have questioned the choice of repertoire in the ARD finals, with only Herbert and Martinů Concertos to choose from. What is your opinion in this matter?

I found it brilliant. I love discovering new concertos and I love learning them, so it was quite a joy for me to listen to both pieces and then decide which one I´d rather perform at the competition. I decided on the Martinů, but I am definitely going to learn also the Victor Herbert, maybe even quite soon, I don´t know yet. I think it´s fantastic that competition programs include pieces that are not much known yet.

Would you not have preferred to play Dvořák, especially with an orchestra like the BR Symphony?

With this orchestra, I would love to play everything. But for me, I don´t know- I like to learn new pieces. I think it´s better to first learn more, then refine and make it better.

There is a story about the famous cellist János Starker, who was not a fan of Martinů, or at least pretended not to be. Whenever a student of his played a piece by Martinů, he would say “I am not sure why you chose this piece- myself I don´t play this composer”. Later on in the lesson it would become clear that he very well knew the music. And in the late Niteties he even recorded it. What do you think about the concerto? Will you perform it again?

Of course! I love it! Actually, I have to look at the second concerto because I love the first one so much. I find it very exciting, especially the second movement, it is so touching. I just love it, I cannot describe it any other way.

Maria Zaitseva with Hankyeol Yoon conducting the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks ©Daniel Delang

In the semifinals, you performed Haydn with the Munich Chamber Orchestra. Have you performed a concerto without conductor before?

I´ve never played without conductor before, but the MCO is incredible- they don´t need anybody to tell them what to do. They are just one single organism, and they were fantastic for me. It was pure pleasure to play with them. Almost like a big party, really!

How do you prepare for a competition? And how do you cope with the pressure before going on stage?

It´s always different. Sometimes you are nervous and play well, and sometimes it´s the opposite: you are not nervous and play badly. It´s like a game: you have to work with your state of mind! But I don´t have a certain recipe of how to do it, for me it´s always different. Sometimes I just like to sit in silence, not talk to anyone and not think, to save energy for going on stage. Sometimes I practice a little. Sometimes I do my makeup, just to calm myself down a little.

Any good (or bad) memories of the competition you would like to share?

One difficult moment was when they had us all cut our 2nd-round programs from 45 minutes to 30 minutes. I think there was some problem with the hall, or maybe the jury accepted too many of us. So it was really stressful to choose what to cut and how to cut… 
Another moment came when I walked on stage for my second round performance, slipped and almost fell down. I thought “Oh great, this is a really nice start!”. Later on, it seemed really funny.

What are your plans for the future? Will you take on more competitions?

Well, I still have to finish my studies at the Moscow Conservatory. I have a few years left to study and a lot of new things to learn…. But competitions? Of course! Queen Elisabeth is to come in 2026, and some others as well. It only ends at, what, 32 years? So I still have a few chances. I really want to keep that atmosphere, that feeling of “anything is possible”, as long as I can.
 

©WFIMC 2024/FR