Music student wins major competition in Paris

"Congratulations, Frederieke!" shouts a passerby carrying a cello case.\nFrederieke Saeijs gently waves back -- she is getting many smiles and pats on her shoulders these days. The 25-year-old violinist and IU student just made a musician's dream come true as she won the Jacques Thibaud Prize in Paris, one of the world's top violin competitions.\n"I still can't believe that I really won. I guess I need a lot of cold showers to realize what happened," Saeijs said, her eyes and voice filled with excitement. "My main goal was the preparation of the pieces and the participation itself. Of course I tried my very best, but I surely didn't expect to win."\nSaeijs not only won the grand prize of the competition but also four extra prizes. As a result, she will have the opportunity to play some 20 concerts -- both solo recitals and orchestral concertos -- across France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Japan. The money that comes with it is more than welcome to cover expenses such as flights, recordings, strings and scores. But for her, the prestige is even more important. \n"These are the type of bio details that can open doors," she said.\nSaeijs was born in the Netherlands and received her master's from the Royal Conservatory of Hague in 2004. At a master class in France she met IU professor Maurico Fuks, who invited her to Bloomington to pursue a Performer's Diploma. Now, the teacher is just as happy as his student. \n"He didn't even expect me to win himself," Saeijs said. "But he is an incredible pedagogue -- not only a great musician but also a great psychologist. Without him, I couldn't have won the prize. He taught me a lot of tools that allow me to express the music more freely, to produce more different colors."\nFree expression is the key word for Saeijs' style of playing. \n"I try not to think too much while playing," she said. "The technique has to work automatically anyways, so you can concentrate on the music. You have to be honest, be close to yourself and express what you feel."\nThe young violinist finds Bloomington a great place to find this focus. \n"It's so cozy -- the ideal place for practice and studies," she said. "I like its character and its openness, which shows, for example, in all the international students and restaurants. But I have to admit that I miss the cultural vitality and the cosmopolitan flavor of Europe. I would love to live in Paris." \nIn between the competition's three rounds of recitals, Saeijs toured the sights of Paris. She described her rounds in the French capital. \n"(I loved to) stroll down the river Seine, feel the wind blow through my hair, enjoy the scenery and relax. Here in Bloomington, I go to the gym or dance salsa to get some distraction and clear my mind," she said.\nShe was surprised that the atmosphere at the contest was not as competitive as one would imagine. \n"Everybody was in the same boat, and nobody was mean or jealous," she said. "Everybody knows that really anything can happen at these contests." \nMany young musicians trying to launch their careers even travel from contest to contest. As one of the competing violinists in Paris put it: "See you at the next competition."\nThat might take awhile, though. In January, Saeijs will perform as a soloist with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, and she is already working on scheduling performances related to the Thibaud competition.\nFor Frederieke Saeijs, the main motivation is still the joy of playing -- a gift that some professional musicians are said to lose over time. \n"It can be laborious, but it also gives me satisfaction," Saeijs said. "Overall, it still makes me happy to play violin. I just love it. And I really hope it stays like that forever"