Lukas Medlam

Physicist-turned-musician, Imperial alumnus Lukas Medlam (MSci Physics with a Year in Europe 2009) is a well-established member of the Viennese music scene, performing as a violinist in front of hundreds of classical music aficionados several times a week. He also works as a composer and arranger and has been involved in a variety of projects over the past few years, from tours with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra to recording film music for streaming giant Netflix. 

We caught up with Lukas to hear about his time at Imperial, his move from studying physics to pursuing a career in music, and his ambitions for the future - which include keeping livestock in the Austrian mountains.  

Can you tell us about your studies at Imperial?

I completed an integrated Master's in Physics with a year in Europe, which lasted four years, from 2005 - 2009. The third year of the degree was an Erasmus exchange, which could be spent in a European city of choice and I chose Padova, Italy. It was there that I researched for and wrote my Master's thesis, whose title was: 'Study of the effect of time-varying magnetic fields on voltage-gated ion channels in neurones.'

What is your fondest memory of your time here?

Aside from the year abroad, and the thrill of living in a historic Italian city with all related privileges, my fondest memory during the whole degree was performing the Samuel Barber violin concerto in the Great Hall, with the Imperial College Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of the venerable Richard Dickins in November 2007. There were roughly 600 listeners in the audience and it was my first-ever appearance as a soloist with an orchestra. It was an exhilarating experience and proved to be the foundation for my future as a violinist. 

Who did you find inspiring at Imperial and why?

One of the lecturers in the Physics department was called Dr Michael Coppins and he lectured two courses during the four years that I spent at Imperial. The first was 'Mathematical methods' in year one, and the other course was 'Thermodynamics' in year two. I found Dr Coppins to be exceptionally inspiring because of his steadfast dedication to high standards in lecturing, something that unfortunately wasn't all too common amongst other lecturers. Not only did he engage fully with students by always offering unwavering academic and personal support and attending to their individual queries and needs, especially outside his office times, but his eloquence and charisma enabled him to deliver a fascinating and entertaining lecture each time, allowing the subjects he taught to come alive for us - something that is particularly difficult in the case of a perhaps rather dry subject like maths methods. I aways thought his voice would be ideal for operatic singing, as he had a stunning range of pitch and colour. 

I owe Michael Coppins a lot and shall never forget how he motivated not just me but the rest of the year group. I bonded very well with him personally, especially over his love of classical music. 

What did you learn during your time at Imperial, in class or out?

In addition to much about the actual subject, time management. This was the most crucial skill that I was able to acquire and proved to be most formative not just during the degree but also later on. Time management is essential not only when juggling the numerous requirements of a gruelling course like Physics, it is also vital for the effective management of one's free time! Initially during the degree, I struggled with finding a balance of all the activities one must complete whilst a student at Imperial: studying, socialising, partying, sleeping, exercising, preparing and enjoying meals, and discovering London. But after an average performance in the first year exams, I cleaned up my act and started discovering how unexpectedly easy (and important) it is to allocate time to life's different activities carefully. From the second year on, I did much better in exams and went on to obtain a first class honours. One can learn so much about life, by studying something seemingly specialised and dry, like physics. 

Tell us a bit about the work you’re doing now.

I am living in Vienna and working as a freelance violinist, composer and arranger. I have also occasionally worked as a cocktail pianist in some of Vienna's bars and cafés.  

My regular freelance work currently includes regular performances within a string quartet, recordings in a film music studio, concerts and tours with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and other Viennese orchestras. Performing at weddings and for church masses is also a regular activity. Inevitably, much time is also spent on administration and management. 

What inspired you to work in the music industry?

My parents were professional musicians and enjoyed colourful and successful international careers not only as members of a chamber group which they themselves founded and managed, but also as teachers. I found them to be the primary source of my motivation to become a performing musician and despite fears about embarking on a similar journey as a freelancer (I had always preferred the prospect of employment and the so-called stability that this was supposed to bring about) I decided to give it a go after graduating from Imperial. During my physics studies, I had taken regular private lessons with a high-ranking professor from the Royal College of Music, Itzhak Rashkovsky. Prior to my time at the College, I had been studying the violin with other professors and teachers and my parents had always encouraged me to practise hard and aim for a career as a musician.

How has what you learnt at Imperial helped you in your career so far? Have you found any unexpected connections between your degree and work?

What I learned at Imperial greatly helped me in my current career because I learned how to work towards goals and achieve them. Problem solving is a universally applicable skill and required in almost every area of life! The aforementioned time management was of course also critical. There were ultimately many unexpected connections between the scientific discipline and the field I'm currently working in, which became clearer as time passed. I would conclude by saying that no matter what one studies, it can have a direct and positive bearing on a completely different realm of one's life. 

What have been your career highlights and lowlights? 

Career highlight - performing for the president of South Korea in Palais Belvedere, June 2021. 
Career lowlight - having six months of engagements and work cancelled because of the first COVID-19 lockdown of 2020. 

What does a typical day look like for you now?

Because of the great unpredictability and variety of a freelance career, it's hard to identify a typical day! However, there are trends and on many occasions a day would be structured roughly as follows: Wake up at 8.00, materialise and rush to the film music studio to record the soundtrack for a Netflix film or programme, reply to emails on the way. Return at 18.00 and prepare for the evening quartet concert at St Peter's Church. Return home at 22.00, cook, feed and enter into cyberspace. 

N.B. waking up at 8.00 is not the norm. Monday mornings are invariably spent in bed, sleeping off the Sunday evening concert. 

What are your plans for the future?

Compose more music and have it performed. Complete concert tours in more countries and eventually move from Vienna to the Austrian mountains to connect more with nature, by growing my own food and keeping livestock. 

What would be your advice for current students?

Do not allow yourself to be placed under an excess of pressure and never cease to have belief and trust in yourself to be able to fulfil your maximum potential - more is not possible. Some pressure is healthy and productive, go beyond the magic threshold though and the pressure becomes toxic. Find out where that threshold is!

Enjoy everything about your time at university (even the difficult moments) - those opportunities may never present themselves again. 

Learn from others but do not compare yourself to others, only compare yourself to who you were yesterday. 

Have trust in yourself to find the right path or that the right path will be found. 

What makes you proud to be an Imperial alumnus?

The richness of experience I have been allowed to have whilst at Imperial and the way I have benefitted from it ever since. 

What one word or phrase would you use to describe Imperial alumni?

Open-minded.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Der Weg ist das Ziel.