Miguel Costa
With a network of Artist Centres and Ateliers around the world, Yamaha works with leading players to support their performances and develop instrument designs and new ideas for the benefit of all musicians. Yamaha Artists share with us a passion for inspiring the next generation of players, and a belief that everybody should be encouraged to nurture their talent, connect with others and tell their stories through music.
Get to know Yamaha Artist and clarinet player Miguel Costa
How does your instrument improve your daily life as a musician?
Actually, I wouldn't have any artistic life without my instruments. The clarinets are the vehicle to spread my message, they are the best way to express myself. Obviously, the characteristics of the instrument greatly influence the way I play and how I face the various professional challenges.
How would you characterise your instrument?
At the moment I play with the YCL-CSGIII and YCL-CSGAIII models which in my opinion are clarinets with a very balanced tuning, they have physical characteristics, namely in the tube, which gives them a lot of resonance, a characteristic which is in line with the way I play and the type of sound I look for. Still in what concerns the sound of the instruments I identify characteristics that I appreciate since it is very focused, warm and fluid. These characteristics give them a unique sonority that merges perfectly with other instruments. I find that the instruments have balanced and precise registers which makes them versatile and without sonorous limits. I feel that the instruments are easy to respond to and are very comfortable to play.
When and how did you first come into contact with Yamaha?
My contact with the YAMAHA brand started with the student clarinets that I recommended to my students because I considered them to have an excellent quality/price relation. Meanwhile, with the launch of the competition of which I am a mentor "Seixal Clarinet Competition" I contacted YAMAHA in order to seek support for the event. That's how I got to know the human and corporate dimension of the brand in several subsequent contacts with people in charge and in the seminar offered by Yamaha to the participants of the Clarinet Summer School.
Who was your most influential teacher and is there any advice which you still follow?
I believe that all teachers have added something very positive to me and it is obvious that I end up passing on to my students the "legacies" that I consider positive. An example of something that transformed my way of playing was knowing and contextualizing the work and the composer and therefore I encourage my students to do the same.
Advice for a young musician:
The best advice is to do a daily, hard and honest work! To those who are students I suggest they accept the teachers' guidance because we teachers wish each one of them success; I suggest they listen to a lot of music, look for information about that same music and reflect on the music to build their interpretation and thus be able to offer the "emotional charge", the message to those who will listen to it their own interpretation.
