Oliver Jones, Montreal pianist, was a child prodigy who at age 3 could play songs he heard on the radio from memory.

By Kathleen Black

We see most classical musicians formally and only from afar, but violinist Lev Berenshteyn’s current photo exhibition in the National Arts Centre foyer gives us a rare, up-close view of many renowned names who have graced the NAC stage.

The 13-piece exhibition, From the Stage of Southam Hall, is on display until March 8 and includes portraits of classical luminaries such as acclaimed pianist, conductor, and Senator of Canada, Tommy Banks, as well as four-time Juno award-winning pianist Oliver Jones.

A violinist with the NAC Orchestra for the past 27 years, Berenshteyn created the exhibition to give the public a glimpse of the artists’ “private faces,” which we seldom see during performances.

“When people come to listen to the orchestra,” Berenshteyn explains, “they see the back of the conductor, or the soloist performing.” As an audience, our focus is placed on the songs, the sound, and the emotions evoked during the performance. Through Berenshteyn’s photos, we get the chance to meet the musicians in a more personal setting.

Berenshteyn’s fascination with people led him to photograph casually at family gatherings and during his travels. Later, when he got his first digital camera, his passion for photography blossomed. Over the last few years, he’s been photographing events, people, and landscapes.

“There are many similarities between music and photography,” notes Berenshteyn. “Both are interpretive forms of art. One tells the story with sound, the other with light.” He explains that in music, the “colour of sound” is often mentioned to help musicians visualize the sounds produced.

This leads to the notion that art forms can be interchangeable and that many artists practice more than one.

“I know a lot of musicians who practice another art form,” says Berenshteyn. “My advice? Do it. Tell it. Paint it.”

Born in Russia, Berenshteyn has been playing the violin since he was seven. After briefly living in Vienna and Rome, he moved to Canada in 1979 with his wife, and has been a member of the NAC Orchestra for the past three decades.

Berenshteyn reasons that a musical group or soloist can play various interpretations of a song, similar to a photographer, who can snap a shot from a variety of perspectives and angles. In his portraits of musicians, Berenshteyn often uses negative space to capture only what he wants to show: facial expression.

“I would like to show a privileged view of the private faces of these people,” he explains.

The photo of Berenshteyn himself in the exhibition poster shows him looking cool, in sunglasses, concealing his own identity in a sense. The focus remains on the faces of Southam Hall that he wants us to meet.

Tommy Banks, Canadian conductor and pianist, host of the CBC television’s “The Tommy Banks Show” for 15 years.

Hans Graf, Austrian conductor, is a wine connoisseur in his private life.

Leonard Slatkin, American conductor, is a proud parent who writes monthly about his experiences on tour with various orchestras.

Trevor Pinnock, English harpsichordist and conductor, was told as a student that it would be impossible to make a living as a harpsichordist.