I play the viola in the New York Philharmonic.

I grew up in Montreal, Quebec.

I started with the violin, actually,

when I was five years old.

My best friend was playing the violin,

and I just wanted to be like her,

and it's much later that I switched to viola,

because the E string, I was a little

bit uncomfortable, and it felt too small

all the time, and at that time I just

happened to have a violist neighbor

who had an extra viola in her closet,

and she said why don't you try the viola,

and I tried it, and I fell in love

right away. Physically I felt better,

and I love the sound, because it's

close to the human voice range.

When I was 17 years old,

after high school, I just didn't feel

like practicing anymore

the violin; I was a little bit tired of it.

I spent some time working in restaurants.

I was very interested in cooking.

I worked in a Japanese restaurant in Montreal —

the best one — with Chef Obayashi,

who passed away, but he was one of the greatest sushi chefs,

and he was training me to become

a professional, and at one point he asked me,

you have to choose between viola or sushi,

because if you choose sushi I need you

every day; so I chose the viola.

What I enjoy the most in the Philharmonic

is the music-making, of course.

That's why I'm here.

Making this beautiful, luscious, rich,

powerful sound that we have at the Philharmonic is

really something special.

Well it's like when we played Mahler [Symphony No.] 5

with our new Music Director, Jaap van Zweden.

Time flies when you love being there and enjoying

the piece, and I didn't want the concert

to be over, actually, because I enjoyed every note.