The power of a 30-minute nap: WYSO conductor and La Maestra winner Rebecca Tong shares her secrets to success
Tong shares her love for music, her advice to young musicians, and her special pre-concert routine.
When you read conductor Rebecca Tong’s professional biography, it’s hard not to be impressed.
From winning the inaugural La Maestra competition to debuting with orchestras around the world, it seems that Tong has been everywhere and done everything.
Last week, she added to that list with a memorable performance leading Interlochen's World Youth Symphony Orchestra.
What Tong’s resume doesn’t reveal, however, is a deep love for music that began in childhood and has supported her through the many challenges of conducting at a high level.
A lifelong love of music
Tong’s love for music began in childhood, supported by her father, who constantly played classical music around their family home. Tong has vivid memories of watching Puccini’s tragic opera Madama Butterfly, and being completely dumbfounded by Butterfly’s suicide.
“I was four years old, and I thought that was pretty stupid,” she laughs. “Years later, of course, I understood the agony of loss and love that drove her to it.”
Soon, Tong started piano and violin lessons. She played those instruments through college, sharpening her skills in solo and chamber performances. It wasn’t until her third year of undergrad that Tong considered a completely new direction.
“I was sitting in the orchestra and was suddenly struck by the fact that, although I loved the orchestra’s sound, I didn’t want to play there forever. I looked up at the conductor and thought: ‘What can I do as a conductor?’”
After that, there was no looking back. Tong finished out her college years with a conducting recital, earned a master’s degree, and embarked on a global career as a conductor.
Bringing classical music to Indonesia
Conducting has taken Tong all around the world: Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, and Macedonian Philharmonic are just a few highlights. Her primary role right now, though, is Resident Conductor of the Jakarta Simfonia Orchestra—a position which often allows her to be a pioneer.
“Classical music is not a familiar language to many people in Indonesia, but it has become much more popular in recent years,” Tong says. “Because of that, I often find myself in a position where I can premiere certain pieces of music in Indonesia.”
In August, for example, she’ll return to Jakarta to conduct Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. The performance will be the first time the piece is ever played in her home country.
Tong says her role gives her considerable freedom to innovate.
“There are so many things in my interpretation that I can bring to the table while still respecting the language of the composer,” she says. “If I was conducting elsewhere, they might have a very particular way they’re used to doing it. That’s not the case here.”
Music is a difficult profession, but it can be quite rewarding. You develop skills you can use in all of life—discipline, teamwork, and the ability to trust each other.
Sources of strength—and her advice for young musicians
Over the course of Tong’s conducting journey, she’s developed a simple routine that helps her excel in performance.
“The day of the concert, I take at least a 30-minute nap,” she says. “I also like to have some quiet for about an hour before the concert, before I start mingling and saying hi to my musicians.”
When facing the stresses that a global conducting career can present, Tong draws strength from her support network as well as her personal faith.
“I have mentors that I look up to, and I still ask them questions. I also have friends I talk to,” she says. “And my whole life I’ve been a person of faith, so I always look to my inner self and my faith inside. I pray, and even if I don’t get the answer right away, I know God will lead me. That’s my drive in life.”
She does her best to pass on a positive mindset to students.
“Music is a difficult profession, but it can be quite rewarding. You develop skills you can use in all of life—discipline, teamwork, and the ability to trust each other,” she says.
Tong speaks warmly of her students at Interlochen Arts Camp, noting that they play at a very high level. Her advice for them is a challenge: “Bring a soloist’s precision to your time in the orchestra. I’ve heard some of you practice your concertos, and you sound great. How can you bring that mentality into orchestra rehearsals?”
On July 28, Tong took to the podium at Kresge Auditorium, leading the World Youth Symphony Orchestra in stirring renditions of Alex Berko’s “Condense Eternity” (performed for only the second time in history) and Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar.
As the famous notes of Elgar’s “Nimrod” floated out on the evening breeze, it became clear that Tong’s advice to her students—drawn from years of passion and experience—had made a lasting impression.
“The students are doing great things here,” Tong remarks. “I’m so happy for them, with the quality of the facilities, instructors, and support systems they have. Interlochen is such a great place to be. I wish them the best, and I’m so grateful for my time here.”
At Interlochen Arts Camp, music students learn from professional musicians and top conductors from all around the world. Ready to take your musicianship to the next level? Explore music programs at Arts Camp and apply today.
