Meet Hugo Ksenhuk

We recently connected with Hugo Ksenhuk and have shared our conversation below.

Hugo, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

Discipline and consistency in daily studies helped me a lot to have resilience in the musical environment, this came over the years, it is not something that can be acquired overnight. I understand that in music talent and discipline go together.
At the beginning of your musical career, it is common and normal to feel frustrated, but over time, resilience is acquired. It’s not always about you, it’s about the task.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Born in Sao Paulo Brazil, I began my musical studies at the age of 10 at the Municipal School of Music of São Paulo. one of the best music schools in Brazil . I also attended the Free Music University, a University extension through the Federal University of Parana, via the Curitiba/ Parana Brazil Music course.

As a founding member of the Okynteto Brass Quintet, I achieved 2nd place in the Chamber Music Competition Sta Marcelina 1993, 3rd place in the Eldorado Music Prize 1994, and also received the ALCOA Prize for Best Chamber
Music Group. I was conductor and founder of the São Paulo Brass Ensemble and also artistic director and conductor of the Camerata Callis.

One of my passions is composing music that inspires not only the musician but also the audience..
For 29 years I worked as a professional musician at the Municipal Theater of the City of São Paulo, one of the oldest orchestras in Brazil, as a bass trombonist. also acting as a representative of the musicians.And what an adventure it is to represent musicians.

As a bass trombonist in an opera orchestra for almost 30 years, I had the opportunity to play hundreds of titles such as Carmen by Bizet, La bohème – Giacomo Puccini, La Traviata – Giuseppe Verdi, Tosca – Giacomo Puccini, The Ring Cycle – Richard Wagner, Turandot – Puccini, Madam Butterfly – Giacomo Puccini, Der Rosenkavalier Richard Strauss’s, Otello – Verdi, Tristan und Isolde – Wagner, Jenůfa – Janáček’s, Don Carlos – Verdi, Falstaff – Verdi, The Valkyries – Wagner among other titles. It is a very unique universe that makes you travel in your imagination and emotions.

I am fascinated by the creativity and talent of these composers, without the technology, internet and tools we have today, how they were able to create such emblematic masterpieces.

Now believe me, to relax I don’t listen to opera, but Jazz and bossa Nova.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, what helped me a lot in my journey was undoubtedly discipline, focus and determination. I decided not to just stick to my instrument, I risked navigating other seas, such as composition, conducting, singing and music production. Today’s market is highly competitive, and the internet offers a lot of things, good and bad too, talent is not always actually recognized. With AI technology and its plugins like Melodyne and Autotune we no longer know if the person really sings in tune or if it was plasticized by AI. Ahh I miss the Beatles.

If I could give one piece of advice to anyone starting a musical career, it would be to have discipline, don’t give up and open up your range of opportunities within the area.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

With age approaching, the challenge is undoubtedly to maintain high performance as a musician. Every instrumentalist deals with muscular issues, which over time wear out and do not have the same performance as when they were 19 and 20 years old.
Studying daily is a path of no return for anyone who wants to continue playing. A musician is like an athlete, he needs constant training.
Another challenge is keeping up to date with new technologies and digital platforms to promote your work.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: hugo_ksenhuk
• Linkedin: hugo-ksenhuk
• Youtube: @ksenhuk
• Other: TikTok @ksenhuk

Image Credits

Rafael Salvador