AE100
PORTRAITS IN STYLE AND CULTURE
Meet Filip Pogády, Violinist
What does work mean to you?
For me it’s hard to describe because it’s easily interchangeable with other words like “fun”, “purpose”, “legacy”. I realize that my definition of work comes from a very fortunate point of view, since it’s something that goes well beyond simply a way of making a living. I’m very lucky that my work gives me tremendous joy and a sense of purpose and meaning. To me work means the endless quest for self-betterment. They say that the journey is the destination. I agree with that statement completely.
What Makes something a classic?
“Classic” is an attribute that has to be earned. It means standing the test of time. It isn’t superficial or attention-seeking. Classic items are of the highest quality, and they don’t follow short-term trends. It’s this kind of timelessness that earns something the right to be called “a classic.”
What does a pair of boots say about a person's style?
Boots convey a sense of freedom and not following the beaten path. There’s a certain ruggedness to them, which makes people wonder about the story of the person wearing them.
“There is no final goal and there is no retiring either. To me work means being stuck in this blissful loop of endless self-improvement.”
—Filip Pogády, Violinist
@FilipPogady
“Succeeding at making a musical phrase sound exactly the way I intended is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world to me.”
—Filip Pogády, Violinist
@FilipPogady
Tell us about your life's work.
For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be a musician. Playing the violin is an eternal quest for perfection. Obviously, for mere mortals, perfection is a concept that will always remain in the realm of the unreachable, which means that the violinist will never reach his desired goal. Coming close is all that he or she can hope for. That may sound frustrating but striving to surpass one’s limitations is actually incredibly motivating. It’s literally creating emotions out of thin air. If that’s not inspiring, I don’t know what is.
How does your sense of pride inform what you do?
I wouldn’t necessarily attribute the things I do to pride. Even though there have certainly been concerts and recordings that I’ve been proud of in the past. Pride for me is just a byproduct, not the cause or the motivational force behind my actions. What really affects what I do is knowing who I am and sticking to my beliefs and values while keeping an open mind to the ideas of others.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I would like to be someone whose name puts a smile on people’s face. And hopefully not a sarcastic one.
What’s your take on classic style?
When I think of ‘classic style’ I think of timelessness and a sense of effortlessness, style that’s successfully stood the test of time. That doesn’t mean that classic style has to be strictly conservative or old-fashioned. Even classic style is something that develops over the decades, slowly reinventing itself. Not through sudden revolutionary inventions, but rather through a slow and steady evolution. As a classical musician, I work a lot with music that has stood the test of time which is why I like this sense of timelessness being reflected in my appearance on stage as well.
