Composer’s Spotlight: Julia Sandee performs ‘Nataliana’

Composer’s Spotlight Series: Julia Sandee performs ‘Nataliana’

In this interview, Julia shares her experience playing ‘Nataliana.’ She first learned Nataliana when she was preparing for her final exam at music school. She also played the piece for a music competition and won the first prize. She likes Nataliana because it is a piece that everyone watching her likes. 

Julia Sandee

Julia Sandee is a 22-year-old harpist from the Netherlands. She has been playing the harp for about 14 years. She works as a teacher at a primary school where she gives harp lessons. Recently, she’s been playing in the harp ensemble of the music school nearby.

Continue reading below for the full interview with Julia Sandee

Watch Julia Sandee perform and win first prize at a music competition at Johannus Orgelbouw with Deborah Henson-Conant’s ‘Nataliana’.

A Mini-Interview with Julia

How would you describe your experience of playing the piece?

It’s a great piece to play because you can put a lot of feeling into it.

What do people say when you play this piece? Do you have favorite memories of people’s reactions to it?

At the competition, I heard that this piece is not just a standard piece, but rather a daring piece, in which you can put a lot. People generally find it a beautiful piece to listen to. It captivates from the first to the last bar.

What drew you to this piece – why did you choose to learn it?

My music teacher gave it to me a few years ago, to study for my final exam at music school. I learned it by heart then, because I already thought it was a wonderfully beautiful piece! When I entered the competition and reached the final, I actually already knew for sure that I wanted to play this piece, because it is close to me and I can express a lot in it. In addition, it is just a really fun piece to play and I still enjoy playing it by heart.

What does this piece add to your repertoire (and/or your life) that you didn’t have before?

The piece brightens up my repertoire and is a very nice addition to it. It is a piece that everyone likes and that fascinates every person. The piece fits almost every concert.

What would you tell someone else who’s thinking of learning this piece that you wish you’d known before you learned it?

Enjoy it. Learn it by heart, so you can play it at any time, even without the sheet music. Study the piece section by section and focus on the details. But most of all: Enjoy playing it!

What do you think you can get from working directly with the composer of the piece that you can’t get from the sheet music?

The composer knows exactly how the piece should be performed. This is not always easy to write down in the music. If you work with the composer, you know exactly how certain pieces should be played and how the composer intended it.

Additonal message you want to add?

I am grateful to Deborah Henson-Conant for writing such a beautiful piece and I hope to play much more of her wonderful music!

Please follow this artist on social media and let them know what has opened up for your own self-expression in seeing and hearing their performance, and please share in the comments below.

YouTube: Julia Sandee
Instagram: @julia.sandee

Stay tuned for more artists soon and check out my Composer’s Spotlight blog series, featuring other talented musicians who played my song!  If you’re playing my music, apply here to be in the ‘Composer’s Spotlight’ blog series.