Describe the best day of your life.
A specific day doesn’t spring to mind, but any day where I get to play, tutor or hear a live string quartet, eat a great meal and spend time with excellent people is pretty much all I need.
Describe your best purchase.
My violin bow by François Nicolas Voirin. It was a big purchase for me but worth every cent. I love that the bow can completely transform the sound of an instrument. For those who are not string players, finding a great bow is kind of like the scene in Harry Potter when he finds the right wand. Magical!
What is the best photograph you have?
I have lots of photos on my fridge, but my favourite is one with my parents, siblings and my grandparents after a family dinner at home.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
Among our family and friends, my dad was famous for his lectures and trying to constantly teach us from his experiences, wins and failures, while my mum was more of the opinion that we must learn from our own ups and downs. I try to live somewhere in the middle. I constantly read and research to try to be informed but there’s nothing quite like having to go through something difficult by yourself and being a better human by the end of it.
Describe the best meal you’ve ever eaten.
Growing up, I spent a lot of time in Hong Kong as we have a lot of relatives there. While all the meals were great, my favourites were at a community centre in Mong Kok. There are different stalls that cook different things then deliver them to the table and the atmosphere is absolutely chaotic! Alarm clocks going off constantly, beer sellers running around bringing dozens of bottles of beer to the the table, tables of people playing cards and mah jong, rolls of toilet paper on the table (because who needs napkins?) but above all, fresh steamed fish, succulent roast goose, beautiful, glistening vegetables … the best!
What are the best qualities of your favourite person?
Kindness and authenticity. Both extremely underrated qualities in my opinion, and what I realise is a shared trait of all my favourite people.
Best five songs on your playlist?
Not necessarily all ‘songs’, but Schubert’s 15th string quartet in G major, Britten’s 2nd String Quartet, Four Last Songs by Mahler, Bach’s Cantata No.8 … and ‘She’s Always a Woman’ by Billy Joel.
Francesca will perform as part of the Australian String Quartet’s Rapture tour on 16 May.