For Michael, passing on knowledge to up-coming musicians is fundamental. ‘I think it’s really important that musicians are forced to engage with the world around them. That they learn how to express themselves critically,’ he explains. ‘They don’t have to be the greatest academics the world has ever seen; that’s not what they want, they’re musicians, but they can be better representatives of society than if they just scratch on their cellos for eight hours a day.’ Equally vital, says Kurt, is passing on inter-generational wealth in the right way. ‘It’s very critical to have these conversations within families. Aside from the fiscal impact, there needs to be as much transparency as possible with the next generation so that problems don’t arise in the future. I’ve seen many situations where children begin to argue and, as the head of the family, that’s not what you want. From the bank’s point of view, we need to invest in the next generation because they are our future.’
For some, following in a parent’s footsteps could be daunting but Michael says that pressure has only ever come from ‘going on stage and playing the music of Beethoven and Bach to the best of my ability. My name doesn’t add anything: the moment the music starts, all the audience is hearing is what’s being played, not who is playing.’ Duetting with his father is, he says, still an incredible experience. ‘I played Mozart’s Sonatas with him in January and realised once again just how much I learn from him. I remember when I was starting out with the violin; he would play a passage on the piano and I would think, wow.’ He also cites his many collaborations with the late composer Pierre Boulez and playing chamber music – both at his mother’s Jerusalem International Chamber Music Festival and with his own West-Eastern Divan Ensemble – as other career highlights.
He does admit that in practical terms, it was ‘probably smart not to learn the piano. If I played the same instrument as both my parents, then you could really compare.’ Does he ever see himself becoming a conductor like his father? ‘A lot of my colleagues do this: they play with conductors they don’t like and think they can do it better, so they start conducting. But I don’t feel the urge to do that. I have enough to do; I don’t need to start getting conducting jobs to keep busy.’ Conducting aside, Kurt sees many similarities between an orchestra and a bank – and connecting these two worlds has proven very successful. ‘A good bank has colleagues who work together in harmony, just like musicians who play together in an orchestra. Everyone has their own part but to succeed, you stand as one united team,’ he concludes.
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