Naomi plays in the Orchestra's cello section
How did you become involved with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO)?
As an extra player when I was at music college. It was an Opera Gala concert on one rehearsal and I was completely flabbergasted by the speed at which everything around me unfolded. I felt pretty overwhelmed by the experience and inspired by all the other musicians on stage. I pondered that maybe one day in the very distant future I’d be comfortable with working that quickly!
What was your first experience of orchestral music?
My parents are both musicians so I grew up with music and practice in the house all the time. BBC Radio 3 was playing daily and one morning I excitedly exclaimed, “Mum, this music makes me want to dance!” It was some Monteverdi and I was three years old. (I was a very hip toddler it seems…)
How did you find yourself on this career journey?
I think the National Children’s Orchestra has a lot to answer for. I ABSOLUTELY loved it and I begged my parents to let me go to specialist music school after I returned (which I assumed would be permanent music holiday camp). I started at The Purcell School the following year and felt so at home in the company of other young musicians, I think the career path was inevitable. I really loved art and drama at school but fell head over heels with Schubert and couldn’t imagine a life without playing his chamber music.
What is the best thing about being part of the RPO?
The cello section WhatsApp group! Just kidding (although some of the chat has had me rolling around on the floor in stitches). On a genuine note, the people that make up the RPO are a bit like an extended family. There is a true feeling that we’ve all ‘got each other’s backs’ and there is an extraordinary spirit on stage when we perform, no matter how many concerts we’ve done that week. I also have a member of my real-life family in the orchestra which is pretty cool – my dad is in the oboe section (Timothy Watts) and he is a legend!
Tell us about your favourite RPO journey.
I’ve had the privilege to see many parts of the world with the RPO that I don’t think I would otherwise have made it to. We are going to Japan this week and I have never been more excited for a tour! It will be my first time in Japan and I have extended my stay there by one week (my favourite post-tour trick when the schedule allows) and am going to walk the Nakahechi Trail. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage pilgrimage route and I cannot wait.
Do you have any pre-concert rituals?
Pre-concert rituals include spending too long having dinner and doing my makeup at 7.25pm despite my best efforts not to do this! I have never been a good time manager.
Must listens – if you had to recommend one artist or composer, who would it be and why?
Always Schubert. For me, there is no other music that moves me the way Schubert’s does. It’s utterly sublime but somehow tinged with a quality of sadness that jolts you into presence and compels you to contemplate everything. As Schumann said: ‘Schubert’s pencil was dipped in moonbeams and the flames of the sun.’
Symphonic crossover – if you could work with any artist on a performance or project, who would you choose?
I am really into Stormzy’s latest album, This is what I mean, at the moment and would love to work with him. It’s a collaboration with quite a few other artists and Jacob Collier’s multi-layered vocal writing features heavily. It is really beautiful. I think there is definitely room for a collaboration between a British rap artist and a symphony orchestra. I think we classical musicians can learn a lot from other music-makers and performers in a broader sense (dancers, artists, etc). So Stormzy, if you are reading this will you think about it? It’s out there in the ether now, so I am keeping everything crossed!
Away from music, tell us two of your favourite hobbies and why they strike such a chord.
I need yoga in my life and am also hooked on Brazilian Forró. It’s a partner dance similar to salsa that comes from the north east of Brazil. I go to classes as often as I can and it brings me a lot of joy! I love the parallels between yoga, dancing and playing an instrument – mostly that if you can make them all a somatic experience (that which is felt from the inside out) – you can definitely affect an audience on a much deeper level.
Dream dinner party – who would you invite, what would you cook?
Dream dinner party line up. BKS Iyengar, my brother, Brene Brown, the writers of Lonely Planet JAPAN, one of my best friends from school, my yoga teacher and my Forró teacher. I would cook a plant-based feast and serve it on beautiful dinnerware. Presentation is key to the experience of taste.
Naomi Watts gratefully acknowledges the support of her Chair Partners, Nicholas and Caroline Bewes.