Final Forte 2025: Vivian Van de Sype Cucu

[viola music] – My name is Vivian Van de Sype Cucu, and I am a senior at the University School of Milwaukee.
My family and I, we’re really close.
We really like sailing together.
I’ve been sailing for as long as I can remember.
With sailing, you have to adapt to the wind and who you’re with.
And with music, I kind of have to adapt with the people I’m playing with or the hall that I’m playing in.
I think the viola is a pretty interesting instrument.
It has such a beautiful tone, almost like a singing voice.
[viola music] I started playing when I was four years old.
I really enjoy playing in ensembles.
The viola adds a really unique texture, and I love to provide that.
I’m a part of the Music Institute of Chicago Academy, and my quartet is definitely my favorite part.
My nonprofit organization, Musicians for Hope, is a collaboration between me and a few peers from the Academy.
We try to raise money to bring instruments and better funded music programs to public schools.
– Davis King: Ha!
That’s better.
– Vivian: I’ve been studying with Davis King for three years now.
He’s helped me progress exponentially.
He’s really enjoyable to work with, and I love him.
– No change of bow speed.
– Really?
He really makes me have to perfect it before we can move on.
That’s really helpful.
– Now you’re getting sharp.
– I will be playing the first movement of the Walton Viola Concerto.
The beginning’s really soft, but it gets really intense as it goes on.
I know Walton was in love with someone, but it was sort of an unrequited love.
I try to think of that when I play, but I can’t relate.
The ending is so wonderful.
It just slowly fades away and it sort of dies at the end.
Playing with the Madison Symphony Orchestra is definitely a big deal.
I’m just gonna really try to savor the moment and appreciate the music.
[ending note] [applause]