00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:07 This is one of Germany's rising stars
00:09 in the classical music world, German-Mulgarian percussionist
00:13 Vivi Vasilieva.
00:16 Music for me is life and this very, very big energy
00:22 that brings the most intense emotions from inside of us.
00:28 Already at her young age, she's reached
00:30 the pinnacle of her career.
00:33 She performs around the world as a soloist.
00:36 Here in Vienna's concert house, she's
00:38 rehearsing for a piece for percussion
00:40 by Austrian composer Friedrich Serha.
00:44 In the beginning, it was challenging for me
00:46 to find the connection to this music
00:48 because it's very, very intense and quite aggressive also.
00:54 My first impression was, OK, this
00:55 is some kind of masculine energy, masculine aggressiveness
00:59 that I don't really feel how I will stand on the stage
01:03 and interpret this music with all this convincing
01:08 and passion in every note.
01:10 Conductor Maren Alsop is performing this piece
01:12 for the first time with her.
01:14 It's a fantastic experience to conduct with Vivi as soloist.
01:17 She's so energized and dramatic and into the music.
01:22 So it's a matter of trying to get everybody
01:25 in that same zone.
01:26 It's really fun.
01:28 Vivi Vassileva comes from a musical family.
01:31 Her father taught her and her siblings to play violin.
01:34 For her, another profession is unimaginable.
01:37 It's what I always wanted, and I always worked for this.
01:45 And it's just a dream come true now
01:48 that I can play with the most wonderful orchestras,
01:51 most wonderful conductors, and these really amazing pieces
01:55 that are written for us.
01:57 Only some 10% of classical percussionists
01:59 are female, including one of her role models, who's
02:02 paved the way for her career.
02:04 The first percussion soloist was a woman,
02:08 the first person who went in front of the orchestra.
02:11 And it was Evelyn Glennie.
02:14 She's still premiering works.
02:16 And yeah, she was the door opener.
02:20 Back in the concert hall, the doors
02:22 are beginning to open for tonight's concert.
02:24 I practice every day.
02:29 Musicians have actually no holiday.
02:32 And I practice all day, probably up to 10 hours.
02:38 Playing percussion definitely keeps me in shape.
02:41 I eat probably three times more than all my friends around me.
02:46 And I still can't get enough.
02:48 We use our whole body when we play percussion.
02:52 Vivi practices up until the audience takes their seats.
02:56 A career highlight occurred in 2023
02:59 when she received the prestigious Leonard Bernstein
03:01 Award worth 10,000 euros, money she's already
03:05 spent on some of the instruments used in tonight's performance.
03:08 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:11 Yeah, fantastic.
03:29 And the audience reaction, you could feel it was on fire.
03:34 And she's such a--
03:35 not just a wonderful percussionist,
03:36 but such a performer.
03:38 It was amazing.
03:39 It's when you're in the flow and you're loving every moment.
03:43 And you feel now's the time.
03:46 You had the rehearsals.
03:48 But in the concert, you always give like 30% more.
03:52 And yeah, it was amazing.
03:55 It was very intense.
03:59 And what does the future hold?
04:01 I have a lot of plans for new pieces,
04:03 working with composers for different projects,
04:08 like for, of course, for orchestra.
04:10 A lot of new works are waiting for us in the future
04:14 and nice concerts and projects.
04:17 And with that confidence, Vivi Vassileva
04:19 is showing the world how she marches
04:21 to the beat of her own drum.
04:23 [MUSIC PLAYING]
04:26 (eerie music)
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