TINA GUO: The Cellist Who Conquered Hollywood!
How do you get a gig with Hans Zimmer?
That’s what I want to know. The multi-Oscar winning film composer is also responsible for putting on some of the best live music shows on the planet, and his stages are packed with the world’s greatest musicians. From top rock people like Johnny Marr and Guthrie Govan to orchestral greats, witnessing a Hans Zimmer live experience is to sample the best in rich, cinematic performance.
Key to the vibe and energy of these shows are the main featured players who stalk the front of the stage, and the most recognisable of these is undoubtedly cellist Tina Guo. An incredible force on the instrument, Guo is equally impressive as a performer, bringing attitude, energy and finesse to her role as lead cellist.
Tina Guo Interview
It doesn’t end there, though. Tina also writes and records her own original music, performs arrangements of film and video game music, and plays with numerous bands and artists across the world. That’s on top of being an in-demand session player for Hollywood. She is easily one of the busiest people I’ve ever met, and I just had to know more about how she gets it all done!
Luckily, Tina is also a very friendly, chatty person, and was more than willing to engage in talking about the sides of a musician’s life that non-artists often don’t know about or even understand. In our exclusive, in-depth conversation here, Tina and I discussed the drive, ambition, relentless work ethic and sense for opportunities that have made her a celebrated star on the world’s stages.
We talk about her love for industrial metal, her new project The Water Phoenix, and why it’s not only good but essential to sometimes just play four notes for an hour! We talk about the sound design on the Oscar-winning Dune soundtrack, and about Tina’s use of the Line 6 Helix in order to get her incredible cello sound further into the world of guitar (and beyond).
Film soundtrack fans are in for a treat with this one, but even if you aren’t into that type of music (or indeed even the cello), this one is still highly worth your time for Tina’s insights and examples on how to create a career amongst the top artists on the planet. Everyone can apply her advice to their own world, and you can trust her because she has lived it!
Please enjoy this exclusive interview with myself and cellist Tina Guo right here…
My thanks to Tina for such a great conversation, and for finding time for it amidst a crazy schedule! Catch up with all of Tina’s projects and performances at the official Tina Guo website.
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