Motivation

It's inside me. I could not do anything else than playing the piano, it's a true vocation. Music is a part of me. To be more specific, my will to share works I love is really strong and I need to express my views on these works: the best way I found to achieve this is performing and teaching through master-classes.

"Structures  and colours"

I don't have one favourite composer, but I have a core of composers I really love. I would say I have a particular interest for structures and colours, and I tend to feel very close to composers having the same interests than me, like Debussy, Nono, Lachenmann, Messiaen or Boulez for instance. I think it's difficult for a musician to have one favourite work or one favourite composer. As for me, I discover new music every day, I acquire a better understanding on certain concepts every day, so I feel more or less close to certain composers every day.

"Crazy"
 

I remember me playing on an imaginary keyboard on my desk at school: I was playing my own inner music, or the greatest hits of the piano literature, and naturally it was always an outstanding interpretation! I was having real fun doing this despite the fact that my classmates were thinking I was crazy. I still do it but not for fun anymore, just for practice purposes, and I'm sure my neighbours on planes or trains think I'm crazy ...

Proudest Moment (Career highlight)/ up to now?

Difficult to answer! I generally don't feel there's something particular I can be proud of. Every performance is a challenge and is important for me. Whether I am playing in a 2000 seat hall or in a living room, my aim is still the same: serving the composer's intentions and make the audience love his music.

"Premiers"

 In the same vein, I find premieres extremely rewarding: for an interpreter it's a huge responsibility, but also an honour and a proof of trust from a composer who relies on you for the first success of his piece.

"Great Musician "

Being a great pianist means first being a great musician. I don't have a ready-made recipe but maybe some tracks. At first a great pianist has to know his boundaries. I think it's a fundamental quality towards mastery. But also he needs intellectual vivacity and subtlety, a large cultural knowledge and needs to be very curious of everything and capable of self-questioning and self-correction. The list is not complete at all, but I think it's a good start.

The biggest challenge you have overcome (in piano playing, composing or educating?)

 Understanding that being a pianist is not only a matter of piano playing. When I was younger I had in mind a false image of what is a pianist, i.e. a man or woman only playing the piano. In fact, you're doing so many jobs at the same time that you have to be really multitask to be pianist : musicologist, researcher, psychologist, writer, manager, professor, administrator… Your work can take so many forms that I won't list them all. It's harassing, but I won't never complain about it: it's a fascinating work you never, never get bored of.

Inspiration?

Everything around me. Sounds of ordinary life, stories people tell me, relationship between people, paintings... But I love cuisine and wine. Cooking is very similar to interpreting music: you have to mold a raw material to make a dish which will make your guests happy : you need savoir-faire, interpretation of a recipe, personal taste and training like for music playing. So odours, colours of wine or cuisine, as well as their balance are always inspiring me. Of course, I read a lot about philosophy, music, or novels, and that's an inexhaustible source of inspiration.

 http://www.pierre-arnaud-dablemont.com/

Alaska's Flag Song Variations written and performed by acclaimed pianist Juliana Osinchuk and dedicated to Bill Tobin. Recorded live at Atwood Concert Hall, Anchorage, Alaska on April 11, 2009.
 

"Brushing teeth"

I started to play when I was four.  It is part of my daily life like brushing teeth & eating.  And when a performance is going well & feels inspired, it is a real "high".

Favourite work/composer /why?

Most of the time my favourite work(s) are those that I am working on & performing, since I choose what I play & therefore I choose what I love to play.  But overall, my favourite two composers to perform are Mozart & Chopin.

Earliest memory involving piano playing?

As I said earlier, I started playing piano when I was 4.  There are countless photos of me playing at recitals so I am not sure if I actually remember playing them or if the photos have triggered that memory.

"Commitment to musicianship"

The most imortant qualities in a great pianist are total commitment to musicianship and recreating the wishes of the composer, truly listening to oneself and a critical ear.

"...superior technique, discipline and talent." - The Los Angeles Times

www.jlodmusic.com

"Selling a Motorbike" 

I grew up in Guangzhou, southern China, a city close to the sea.  My parents bought me my first piano when I was just 2 years old, not a common thing in the China of the 80’s.  My dad had to sell his motorbike to raise the funds. Once a week from the age of four, whatever the weather, my father carried me on his bicycle for 45 minutes to get me to my piano lessons.

Favorite work/composer /why?

I feel very close to Mozart, Schubert, late Beethoven, French music such as Debussy, Ravel, Franck, Faure. I seem to be able to relate to their music naturally, I feel that inherently I know what they were saying.

What motivates you to play Piano?

To me, Music is a language that connects to the whole universe.  In their own way every one can understand it without translation and I feel privileged to be able to ‘speak’ this language.  In life, we all try very hard to express ourselves, through different methods. Writing down music is the way of composers to express their feelings.  Likewise, playing the piano is my secret path to their great souls.   

 Proudest Moment (Career highlight)?

08/09 season, as the UK’s representative to the European Concert Halls Organisation (ECHO) rising star series, I gave concerts in 12 major halls including Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Vienna’s Konzerthaus, Luxembourg Philharmonie, Salzburg ’s Mozarteum and Birmingham’s Symphony and Town Halls. It was a fantastic experience, when I finished my recital in the Concertgebouw, the audiences began to stand one by one and soon it was my first standing ovation; I will never forget that moment.

Most important qualities in a great pianist?

Musicianship, great pianists are those who have something to tell, they have the genuine connection with the composers and understand the music like they wrote it, the ability to reveal the covered beauty and surprise their audience.

The biggest challenge you have overcome (in piano playing)

Knowing and accepting the fact that I will never completely happy with my playing.

Di Xiao, 肖荻, Sibelius, Op 5, Impromptus No5 on YoyTube by Ecstasy Xiao

Di Xiao, 肖荻, plays Sibelius, Op 5, Impromtus No5 as an encore to the first of her Rising Star Series recitals. Recorded in Birmingham Town Hall 26 October 2008.

“Very clear mind and excellent fingers!”  - Alfred Brendel

 Motivation?

The myriad intellectual, emotional, and technical challenges and discoveries it provides. The love of sound, and music in general. 

Playing the piano is a process of discovering / knowing ones self.

Favourite work/composer /why?

While I am known for Romantic era repertoire, and Schumann in particular, I always turn back to the staples, Bach, Beethoven, Chopin & Liszt.Especially exciting for us pianists are the Schumann & Chopin anniversaries for 2010 & after that, Liszt in 2011.

Any obsessions?

Debussy, can't seem to ever get away from the special swirls and colours he created for the piano and the impact/interactions of light, water, and movement on each other, within sound.

Earliest memory involving piano playing?

My family were not wealthy and I remember waiting for my mother to paint this old upright for me she had acquired for $50.00, before I could start playing and a memory later of playing the last piece in my 1st method (learning) book, the pics' in it and the excitement I felt at moving to the next book.  

I also remember my parents taking me to hear Van Cliburn playing at the Hollywood Bowl, the 1st real piano concert I attended, I was entranced.

Proudest Moment (Career highlight)up to now?

Of course winning the Artists International Competition & my Carnegie Hall Solo Recital Debut, but really, every time someone comes back stage after a performance to tell me how I helped them access their inner self by my performance.  

In your opinion, what are the most important qualities in a great pianist?

Beauty of tone, variance of tone colour, understanding of pulse, charisma & an ability to connect with others through sound. But I think it's  humanity which is the most important quality in an artist . Without empathy, or the ability to consider others, the playing is empty, only notes; a great pianist knows technique serves the expressive elements which is what creates meaning in sound.  A truly great artist serves the art of music, searching out meaning in the composers works, and how it reflects the composes and artists' life experiences. We all know of pianists who seem to have a less formidable technique than others but who's playing speaks directly to the listener- we also know that is the highest level of technique, being able to express.

The biggest challenge you have overcome (in piano playing)

I had to support myself going through the conservatory, my parents weren't thrilled about me becoming an artist, and a pianist at that! But I did it and am happy I did. Being an artist is a great life, you just have to figure out how to do it. 

"Beverly Serra-Brooks' performances of these contemporary works for piano sparkle and shimmer with brilliance and energy. Her touch is commanding and intentful yet expansive and fluid, making for an exceptionally engaging album from the opening of Aaron Copland's Sonata 1941 to the last track, speaking to American politics. In every work, the album maintains a high level of drive and magnetism. This is certainly a noteworthy album delivered by a superb pianist."

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/serrabrooks2

http://www.eroica.com/serra-brooks/artist.html

http://mesmerproject.blogspot.com/2009/05/meet-beverly-serra-brooks.html

http://oregonmusicnews.com/blog/2010/04/02/introspective-side-of-schoenberg-haydn-and-brahms-highlighted-in-piano-recording/

 What motivates you to play Piano/teach piano?

A Great moment is every morning when I wake up and  experience the excitement about the fact that I will stand up and play piano. ...I think it’s a basic instinct, it is something I can't live without. 

Favourite work/composer /why?

All of them, they are like my own children, I can´t put any one first.

Earliest memory involving piano playing?

I was 3 years old when I had my first date with the piano. I couldn´t take my eyes off it and was crying on the way back home - so my parents bought me one and that is how I started.

Proudest Moment (Career highlight)/ up to now?

I was 16 years old and played in Katowice (Poland) Chopin recital. The audience liked my playing very much so I went out to play an encore. I announced my piece: Mihovil Logar "Zlatna ribica" music composed by Croatian composer. And I started to play. After 16 bars, I realized that I had a black out and I started to improvise and after exactly 2 minutes I finished. The audience gave me a standing ovation,  not because of my improvisation skills but because I was brave enough  to go on till the end. I must say, I am very proud of that moment. 

In your opinion, what are the most important qualities in a great pianist?

 To be more than just a pianist. Not easy to explain but I love "singing" piano and that quality can only be achieved if you go beyond the pianistic approach.

Who has been your inspiration?

My hudsband.

"Nevertheless the pupil of Peter Feuchtwanger presented an enthralling panorama of late classical and romantic piano music and involved her own creative personality into it.
With the impressing remark, ’I will try it.’, she introduced her second encore - Schumann’s second romance-Humble words of an exceptional artist."

Piano festival in Feuchtwangen: The pianist Sanja Stefanovic was a discovery.

http://www.sanja-stefanovic.net/

What motivates you to play Piano?

 The joys and pleasures of interpreting the music of the great masters as well as discovering and playing works of my contemporaries.

Favourite work/composer /why?

My answer to this would change every minute.  To name a few of my favourite piano compositions: Copland’s Piano Sonata and Variations; Stravinsky’s Serenade in A, Debussy’s Etudes, Chopin’s 24 Preludes, Schumann’s Davidsbundertänze, anything by Mompou and Albeniz, and George Perle’s Inventions and Etudes. 

Evgeny Kissin plays Chopin prelude op.28 no.16 in Bb (Hades)

Earliest memory?

Listening to Billy Joel’s Piano Man at the age of 4 sparked my great interest in the piano.  I then started studying violin because I was too small to play piano. My heart, however, was with the piano all along and at 6 I switched to piano.  I remember studying pieces that Mozart wrote at the age of 6 as my first pieces. 

Most important qualities in a great pianist?

Obviously the fundamentals have to be there--beautiful sound, great rhythm and timing.  The ability to be faithful to the printed score while recreating the text with a personal, fresh and unique take on the music.  The great pianists that I’ve seen recently in public--Radu Lupu, Murray Perahia, Martha Argerich, and Richard Goode, have an ability to convince the listener of the composer’s intentions while creating sheer magic in the halls.  Another wonderful thing about a great pianist who has sustained a long career is his/her ability to constantly rework and rethink their interpretations.  Upon hearing Radu Lupu’s Schubert B-flat in Carnegie Hall, I was struck by how different his playing of the piece is now as opposed to his studio recording from the 1980s.  Both are sublime--yet completely different.  A true artist never plays the same way twice. 

Proudest moment?

Playing for and spending sometime with the late American composer George Perle.  I first played for him and his lovely wife, Shirley, back in 2003.  A friendship and a mentorship developed, and I was lucky to have been able to be connected with one of our most distinguished composers.  I proceeded to play on his 90th birthday concert at Princeton and on his Memorial concert this past June.  Playing on George Perle's memorial concert at Merkin Hall alongside giants such as Leon Fleisher, Seymour Lipkin, and Fred Sherry.  Being the youngest performing, I was honored to share the stage with such luminaries in honor of one of our greatest composers. His widow and I often spend afternoons reading four hand music and drinking tea.

 “polished and committed”  - New York Times

http://www.michaelbrownmusic.com/Michael_Brown.html

What motivates you to play Piano/ What does music mean to you?

Music is my life and means everything to me.  It is my great passion and heart's blood and I love sharing my music with an audience.

Favourite work/composer /why?

Rachmaninov and Liszt, but love so many of the great romantic works.  I love a beautiful melody.

Earliest memory involving piano playing?

From a tiny child the piano has been everything to me.  Can't really remember not playing the piano.

In your opinion, what are the most important qualities in a great pianist?

Strength, emotional, spiritually, technique

The biggest challenge you have overcome (in piano playing)

Rachmaninoff Third Piano Concerto  and Islamey by Balakirev
 

Although this version is not refered to specifically by Helfgott -Berezovsky plays Islamey on YouTube.

Who or what inspired you most in Piano Playing?

Rubenstein, Horowitz, my teachers but particularly the Russian school of piano playing.

On your site, it states that your life has taken some  of the most ‘improbable turns imaginable’ what have these turns taught you about life? And how have they shaped the course of your career as a pianist?

Marrying Gillian saved my life and turned it right around.  I am so blessed with all the love I have received since marrying Gillian and the great friends who have supported me and enabled me to play my best.

Through Gillian's (David Helfgott's wife) eyes:

 Both you and David know each other extremely well. How would you describe David?

He is an adorable human being, an extremely brilliant musician, a loving friend, great sense of humour, completely non-judgemental (which is  very rare), very noisy (radios going all the time) but life is never dull with him.
 

What attracted you to each other?

It was the perfect time astrologically for us to meet and to be together.  We just knew we were meant to be together and David asked me to marry him the second time we met.

Do both of you share the same taste and philosophy in music?

Philosophy is closet to our interests than music as I also love jazz, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald etc. etc.

Helfgott is admittedly a performer of some precious genius. The most striking aspect of his playing lies in his appreciation of atmosphere, which, at times, can be quite a mesmerizing affair.

Tan Shze Ee in the Straits Times (Singapore)

http://www.davidhelfgott.com/

What motivates you to play Piano?
 
A belief that I can express myself at a moment's notice and share that gift
with the world.
 
What does music represent to you?
 
A spiritual catharsis of creative release that somehow makes sense of the
cacophony of real life.
 

Favourite work/composer and why?
 
Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue. Why? If you have to ask, you'll never know.
 
Earliest memory involving piano playing?
 
11 years old. Theme to St. Elsewhere. That and Debussy's Le Petit Negre.
 
Proudest Moment (Career highlight)?
 
Performing live for family and friends at my 5-year cancer anniversary
party. That and performing live at Lincoln Centre in April of 2009 for my
first public concert in nearly 10 years.
 
In your opinion, what are the most important qualities in a great pianist?
 
Diligence, commitment, belief and unbridled creative flair.
 
The biggest challenge you have overcome in life and in piano playing?
 
Losing fine motor coordinating in my left hand due to brain cancer and ­
after not dying ­ spending 5 painstaking years self-rehabilitating in an
attempt to get back what cancer took away.

"A beautiful and powerful musical statement." — New Age Voice
 

http://www.matthewzachary.com/

“Mind  Body and Soul”

“For me, playing the piano is an activity which involves the entire body, mind and soul.  The study of music is a lifetime pursuit which constantly challenges us to reach for ever-higher planes of emotional expression, as well as ever-greater refinement of physical technique.  It allows us to connect not only with our audience, but with the emotional and intellectual world of the composers whose works I perform.    

 “Phases”

“Choosing a single favourite composer is difficult, and I tend to go through phases where I immerse myself in the music of an individual composer for a period of time.  That being said, I stand in complete awe, like countless musicians, of the works of J.S. Bach.  The perfect pairing of contrapuntal perfection with the most profound emotional expressions is truly magical.

Earliest memory involving piano playing?

“I recall with great vividness the first time I heard many of the great works of the piano literature.  In particular, the Chopin Etudes come to mind.  I was absolutely stunned by the technical ability of the pianist- I hadn't even dreamed such things could be possible on the piano- and was amazed by the emotional power of the works as well.

Highlight

“I've had many concert performances which were very special to me in one way or another.  I recently gave a performance for the "Elbe Day" festival in Germany, which celebrates the meeting of Soviet and U.S. troops there at the end of World War II, and performed a program of Russian and American works from around 1945.  I had a chance to meet several of the soldiers present at that historic occasion, and being connected to that history was especially meaningful.

“Musicians”

“Many of the musical skills essential in piano training in the past are now being thrown by the wayside in pursuit of pure technical perfection. 

“I believe firmly that pianists must devote great attention to their development as well-rounded musicians, and this means more emphasis on improvisation, sight-reading, transposition, harmonic progressions and sequences at the keyboard, and the like. 

“These skills are still alive and well in the organ community, but far too many accomplished pianists have no training or fluency in these skills.

“Students should become familiar with as much great repertoire- solo, chamber, and orchestral- as they possibly can.  One cannot possibly expect to perform music in a stylistically correct manner until one has developed a general familiarity with many works in the given style. 

The biggest challenge you have overcome (in piano playing)

"Growing up in a rural area, I was not fortunate enough to have had the best training as a beginner.  I've had to work very hard on my own to develop a suitable technique, but this has also forced me to think carefully about the approaches that work best for me.  This independence has, I believe, served me well in the long run."

"A piano concert of a completely special sort... absolutely an exquisite experience."

-Leipziger Volkszeitung, Germany

www.jasonpaulpeterson.com

“Piano literature”

"The thing that motivates me to keep playing the piano after 50 years is my love of the vast piano literature, which of course can never be fully covered.  

“I don't have a favourite composer.  I have about 25 favourites.  But just dealing with the solo piano repertoire I can possibly narrow it down to six.  It's not surprising that they are Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin, Brahms and Debussy.  Among those six I couldn't choose one.  I would hate to be without any of them.  

“My first experience playing a piano was at my aunt's house.  We didn't own one at the time.  And whenever I would go over there my mother said "Do not touch their piano", which of course made it all the more attractive to me.  

“My proudest moment playing a concert was my first recital in the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires.  I had never before experienced such a large enthusiastic audience in the United States.  

“The qualities of a great pianist?  I suppose the obvious ones - solid technique, understanding the various styles of the great composers, being able to impart something individualistic on top of this understanding, but also the stamina to keep working and putting up with some of the rigors of travel, and the risk of learning and performing new works, and not being bored with playing the works that one has played for years.”  

“…in the privileged circle that forms the great interpreters of the piano."

La Nacion, Buenos Aires

www.ralphvotapek.com

Motivation?

My fate. My whole life since early childhood was devoted to piano, and my adultness made no changes in this scenario, except even more devotion.

Favourite work/composer /why?

Almost everything that I’m playing right now. Bach, for sure - there is always a time for pray and joy in his music

What are the most important qualities in a good pianist?

Being a "good musician" at first - which is not equal to a "good pianist". Being Clever, Brave and Honest in the face of a Music. Of course, being flawlessly trained. 

"The dazzling Polina Osetinskaya comforted us by a superb palette of colors, of fealings,(Debussy) taking off in a flight of delirious virtuosity (Chopin and Scriabine) a piano that rings, that laughs, that rejoices, that lets itself both dominate and caress. Remarkable!!!"
 

(Le Soir, Belgium)

http://eng.osetinskaya.ru/

Motivation

My motivation changes. sometimes it's the music (I want to share some piece that's had me grooving for months), sometimes the audience (I have an urge to please gracious and curious audiences especially), sometimes the excitement over introducing a new concept (like my current project Hearing Colour, Seeing Sound which pairs Scriabin's 24 Preludes with the artwork of Kandinsky). 

Favourite work/composer /why?

probably Rachmaninoff. The "language" just innately makes sense to me. Perfect balance of intellect and passion, the most thoughtful emotionalism. Sometimes I'll be learning a piece of his (or another late romantic piece, especially by Russian composers) and I'll instinctively do some inflection and look up to find that it's actually in the score.

Earliest memory involving piano playing?

 There are pictures of me as a youngster on a toy piano but I don't really remember those days. I started with official lessons very late at age 8. I remember being taught out of those dreadful John Thompson books in the beginning. I remember taking the books home and learning the entire book in hopes that my teacher would allow me to move on. No such luck. I also remember when this one particular teacher was correcting me in something he accidentally spit a piece of apple and it landed between my pinky and ring finger of my left hand. I was too embarrassed to remove it so it stayed there the entire lesson! Grosses me out now to think about it.

Proudest moment (Career highlight)?

Corigliano Piano Concerto with the Dallas Symphony.

In your opinion, what are the most important qualities in a great pianist?

authenticity. Not in terms of religiousness to the score but finding the authentic balance of relaying the ideas of composers and illuminating one's thoughts and ideas as an artist at the same time. When I go to a concert I go to see the artist and what she is going to do, to add, to illuminate to me as the listener and the VIEWER!

The biggest challenge - "Demons"

I have my issues with the "demons" that come to psych me out. They say things like "you don't really know this part..." or "Uh-Oh here comes Var.15"... or "That guy in the front row is probably the critic." After having a two year-old son, my practice time has diminished therefore the time that I do have at the piano is mostly about efficiency and not so much about luxuriating in the music. Let's just say that can be a recipe for more demons! You need time to live with the music well after you've learned it. I'm looking forward to getting back to that some day soon...hopefully!

“A clear, powerful pianist with a magnetic personality…worth seeing any time.”

The Washington Post

http://www.myspace.com/jadesimmonspianist & http://www.jademedia.org/

What motivates you to play Piano?

Love.  Love for music and love in general.  Piano is the best communication device for me.

Favourite work/composer /why?

Composer - Sergey Rachmaninov.  He epitomizes the best in human soul.

Earliest memory involving piano playing?

Improving my sight-reading skills while hearing kids screaming on the playground.  Just kidding.  Learning Tchaikovsky Chorus and being amazed with its sincerity. 

Proudest Moment (Career highlight)?

Every moment of the true connection with audience and realizing that I've given people something they needed.  These are constant highlights worth living for.

In your opinion, what are the most important qualities in a great pianist?

 Not knowing his or her greatness. 

 The biggest challenge you have overcome (in piano playing)

 Thinking that there is an end to self-improvement.

“Daria Rabotkina is a young pianist with clearly prodigious musical gifts..she remained sensitive o each composers individual subtleties.”

– The Washington Post.

http://www.dariarabotkina.com/

What motivates you to play Piano?

"Beauty which is one of the countless but very important for us God's Faces, love to the people with whom I want to share this beauty, challenge of learning the universe and meaning of existence through the art.

Favourite work/composer /why?

"There are so few geniuses which God have sent us to our little planet that there are no preferences. Only periods - Chopin period, Rachmaninov period, Bach period etc

"Somehow it is connected with the state of my spirit and one of the few geniuses becoming the part of my soul for some time. It is a circle, or spiral - constantly changing.

Earliest memory involving piano playing?

"None of some special. Have a feeling that I always was playing piano since I came to this world.

Proudest Moment (Career highlight)?

"There is no such thing in the world I care less than the word "career", I say the "word" because the meaning of this word I still don't understand. Honestly.

"One could be proud only by the amount of good he has done to people. One can fully understand that a second before he dies.

In your opinion, what are the most important qualities in a great pianist?

"Pianist is a creature who pushing the keys on the piano. Does not say much to me. To be a great Artist one has to be at first a really great human being as everywhere in any human activity, especially creative activity.

The biggest challenge you have overcome (in piano playing)

"Understanding why I play piano. After I did understand that the rest was much easier to achieve because the rest of all challenges more or less technical matters.

"It is a pretty low level of cerebral and spiritual work compared to the challenges we have to overcome in searching the point where we have to channel all our forces!"

"Listeners at the Kravis Center were treated to world-class pianism Monday night when Moscow-born Andrei Gavrilov presented a bold program of Frédéric Chopin and Sergei Prokofiev. [...] This was supreme pianism."

Special to the Daily News, 9.4.2008 | Ken Keaton

http://www.andreigavrilov.com/4601.html

In memory of Terence Judd - (3 October 1957 - Dec 1979)

What did winning the Terence Judd Award mean to you?

"It was a great honour, as so many of the past recipients (including Stephen Hough, Nikolai Lugansky and Benedetto Lupo) are such wonderful pianists. Winning the award has also provided me with some fantastic performance opportunities, most notably three concerts with the Hallé orchestra this month.

In your opinion, what were Judd's greatest qualities?

"I've heard various recordings and have always been impressed by his playing - there is a fearlessness which is so captivating, but also tremendous conviction and emotional maturity, particularly impressive for such a young pianist. 

"His death was such a loss to the music world - I have spoken about him to some of his contemporaries such as Barry Douglas and Michael Collins, who hold him in the highest regard. It was very fitting that his sister Diana was in Manchester at the competition finals and I was glad to be able to talk to her about Terence.

 What motivates you to play piano?

 "The opportunity to explore so much amazing repertoire, to collaborate with other musicians whether it be orchestras, conductors or chamber music partners, and to communicate my love of music to audiences.

 Earliest memory involving piano playing?

 "I remember struggling through the first movement of Mozart's C major Sonata K.545 at a snail's pace on an electric keyboard (not long after I started playing) and being totally fascinated and delighted by the whole experience.

 Proudest Moment (Career highlight)?

"I feel I'm just at the beginning of my career, so hopefully the time for retrospectives is a long way off at present!

Qualities in a great pianist?

"There are many diverse qualities that can make a pianist great and I admire them all - personally I'm most impressed by pianists who can draw you into their own distinctive sound world so that during the performance you become totally enraptured and convinced by their realisation of the work."

 "...Instantly engaging..." - The Times

 www.michaelmchale.com

What motivates you to play Piano?

“As I sit here pondering this question, I'm amazed at how many answers immediately come to mind! My parents and how proud they are of me is certainly a motivation to continue playing. Learning a new piece and reaching that liberating moment when you suddenly realize you are in control.

 “The sound of the piano itself motivates me: I've always been captivated by the immense variety of tone and dynamics that our instrument can achieve. And add to that having an entire orchestra at your fingertips! The repertoire for the instrument is the largest, most extant body of repertoire for any instrument containing the widest array of variety of styles - which I enjoy exploring all of.

 “Speaking” and “expressing”

 “Perhaps the most important motivation for me to play the piano is that the piano is my natural speaking instrument. Having had a speech impediment at an early age (I couldn't begin to talk 'sensibly' until age six), playing the piano was a natural way of expressing myself. I was playing my earliest pieces (hands together!) at the age of three, and even then saw what joy it brought to everyone I played for. I have been hooked ever since.

 Proudest Moment (Career highlight)?

 “Realizing that I had reached the point where I could successfully give back to society, after having started a piano festival in 2004 to boost the musical education of the youth and audience in my hometown.

 “While I know I will continue maturing as an artist and have many more performances around the world, this new-found confidence marked a true turning point for the focus and purpose of my career as I cultivate future projects and ideas.
 
“The most important qualities in a pianist (and of a person in general) is to be generous, considerate, and adaptable. This should then followed by an intense desire to show your audience the reasons why the piece you are playing for them is incredible.

The biggest challenge you have overcome (in piano playing)

“Listening with my outer ear instead of always my inner ear. As a younger pianist, I was always amazed at my recordings of performances - how FAST they usually were. I had no recollection of how fast I played sometimes, as I heard the music internally when I performed. Van Cliburn mentions in his biography by Howard Reich about always keeping one ear out in the audience. This is something I practice everyday.

“Musical intent”

“I find myself coaching a lot of students who have problems with being nervous on stage.  I think it is important to realize that while we certainly practice for perfection, what matters most on stage is musical intent.

“If we can play even a single phrase beautifully enough to reach out and touch a single person in the audience, then something positive has happened. Our goal then is to do this with every phrase, and to touch every audience member. Then performing becomes a desirable and attainable goal, even for the most nervous!”

 “Mr Schneider is no “kitten on the keys” and his playing was robust and energetic...Mr Schneider’s encore for this programme was a morsel by Paderewski.”

 The Southampton Press, Southampton, NY (7/20/06) "Pianofest Veteran Satisfies His Following"

 http://www.pianomike.com/ & http://sapf.org

 "Music ringing in my head"

“I suppose there are two things which play an important role in motivating me to play: my obsession about some music pieces, which is usually so big, that the music is ringing in my head day and night, and I can only be freed from it, if I start to play them.  At the same time I badly want to share all my feelings and thoughts about them with other people and infect them with my ecstasy. First when (and if) I succeed convincing them, I feel happiness. I cannot imagine, that I could play just for myself, without this sharing with others.

“I´ve always believed that life is too short to play something you are not in love with. This rule I´ve followed all my life, therefore I consider almost every piece I play as my favourite. 

Earliest memory

“At the age of 4 I pictured myself as a grown-up woman in a long black dress walking on stage towards the grand piano. I declared for my parents, that I want to be a concert pianist. The strange thing about this story was the fact, that nobody in my family played any instrument, we hadn´t any piano at home, no TV either, I´d never been to a concert, and when I went to the cinema, I couldn´t see anything, because nobody knew I was near-sighted ever since early childhood. I don´t know where the idea about piano playing came from. I´ve been pondering over it all my life and still do.

"Formal playing"

“In my opinion individuality, passion and soul are very important qualities for musicians. I listen to thousands of pianists, when I´m sitting as juror to piano competitions, and no matter how perfect the performing is, formal playing bores me to death, and I´m very grateful, when competitors touch my heart.

Rachmaninoff said, that music is something, which is born in ones heart and penetrates into other hearts, and I think this process shouldn´t be killed by us, musicians.

 "Nina Kavtaradze plays with incredible mastery. Every chord is balanced, every rhythmic figure has cogency, every melody its sensual curve, everything totally effortless.”

- Thomas Viggo Pedersen

 http://www.ninakavtaradze.com/

What motivates you to play Piano?

 “I have always felt more comfortable expressing myself through music, rather than words.  I am sure that every pianist would agree that they forget everything about themselves when they begin to play the piano.  It puts you in another "consciousness."

 Favourite work/composer /why?

 “I am always asked this question and my usual answer is:  I cannot "pick" a favourite, because they are all so different and so wonderful.  Can you chose between Bach and Beethoven, or Chopin and Liszt?  Yes, one can have a certain affinity with a composer; a composer whom one feels comfortable expressing; but I don't believe that one is "better" than other.   We are all different human beings and we approach life in different ways. That is what is so fascinating about hearing a pianist.  Everyone brings their unique qualities to bear...”

 Earliest memory involving piano playing?

 “I give hundreds of children's concerts every year, all around the world.  And I always play the first piece I ever learned (I was 6 years old).  It's called "ABC"  and I sing while I play ABC:   "ABC, ABC, I can play my ABC.  CBA, CBA, I can play the other way."

Proudest Moment (Career highlight)?

“Well, I performed in Carnegie Hall.  That was very special. Such a unique place with a long gloried history.  I played very well that night, partly due to the atmosphere of the place...

“But I think that my proudest moment was just last week.  I donated a piano to a children's orphanage in Jerusalem, Israel and performed for them. Most of the children had never even heard a piano before.  It was a very humbling and special time for everyone and I almost couldn't do it because it was rather emotional for me.  But the power of music came through: smiles, laughs, excitement. It "lifted their spirits" immeasurably.”

Most important qualities in a great pianist?

“To be honest with oneself.  It is fascinating to listen to a pianist, because you get to know, right away, what they are about.  "Affected" playing annoys me.  Very few have the gift to truly express themselves well through music while keeping the composer's intent as honest as possible.”

 “This makes me think about the concept of practicing.  I don't believe that anyone needs to practice more than 2-3 hours/day.  I have told my students to GO OUT...ENJOY  YOUR SELVES...SEE LIFE!  Unfortunately many students (and professionals) "hide" behind practicing.  They become neurotic, social misfits, and this is a shame. Life is about relationships.  Music is simply an expression of life; not life itself.”     

The biggest challenge you have overcome ?

 “The biggest challenge:  Making money!    With the collapsing of classical music and the piano recital in particular, I am not very optimistic about the future.   I also feel sorry for people who will never know the profundity of Bach, the conquering of Fate by Beethoven, or the fragility of life by Schubert.  Classical music ultimately expresses the dignity and profundity of the human experience, and I am glad to be a part of it; to be touched by it; to be moved by it.” 

 Favourite teachers and why?
 
 “I was blessed with two very wonderful teachers:  William Masselos and Jorge Bolet. 

“William Masselos taught me two invaluable qualities:  Tone Production and the Psychological Meaning of music.

“Masselos was able to produce the most beautiful "round" sound that I have ever heard from a pianist, and I have tried to imitate that.  The Psychological part was very interesting.  He would say during a strong passage: "That a boy! Push! Life is Good! Capture the moment!" or a soft passage: "twirl around. Dance. Create."  These, of course, were suggestions to help 'imagine' the import of the music.   Wonderful stuff.  And his quote for musicians:

“There is a place for everyone under the musical sun".  God Bless William Masselos. May he rest in peace...
 

"Last and only student"

  “In Carnegie Hall he gave us sufficient opportunity to savor his attractive, natural musicality, his lovely unforced sound, his plentiful facility, all of which make his piano playing a real joy”.

-NEW YORK CONCERT REVIEW

 http://www.petersimonpianist.com/

Motivation?

“Love to the instrument and love to the music.”

Favourite work/composer /why?

“Debussy"

“I am a person who ‘experiences  life with the eyes.’ Everything visual is really important for me. But… I can’t paint. The only way for me to express myself is - through music.  Here we have it! This is what for me Debussy is about- “painting with the music.”

“The first time, when I played his second book of preludes - tears came to my eyes, so close was my connection to the music that I was feeling each note. Many of my really personal feelings, feelings that I could never put into words- everything was there.”

 The most difficult thing you've overcome?

“Difficult to say… Maybe sometimes you might feel really lonely. Practice alone, travel alone and play concerts alone. And you feel that there’s constantly too little time to be able to do everything that you plan, but I guess everybody feels like that.”

Proudest Moment (Career highlight)?

“Performing on my new Bluethner Grand Piano that I won in the Nordic competition.” (Nordic International Piano Competition in 2004.)

 Important qualities in a great pianist?

“I think there should be a combination of qualities. But first of all , you should really love what you are doing and you should also have a vast knowledge about how to do that. And then- you should have ability to 100% commit yourself to your work - so that is becomes so big part of your life -  that is becomes almost all of YOU. 

“Also, you have to have adventures in your personality, I think”

"…the young pianist Julia Mustonen played "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Modest Mussorgsky. She delivered an interpretation that left us completely breathless. …It has to be like that so that a soloist of great stand can go into the music, become one with the instrument Julia was living inside the music with strong and sensible theatrical gestures, she was so physical and both caressing and taming the grand piano, as if it were a giant body. Brilliant playing and a long well-deserved applause, with her being called back to stage a number of times!"

-Gotland Chamber Music Festival, 2007

www.juliamustonen.com and www.debusy.juliamustonen.com

 Important qualities in a great pianist?

“I have always been attracted to the older pianists and their performance practices evoking the Great Art of the Romantics since Liszt."

"Moiseiwitch was a master of subtle colour, refinement coupled with suave elegance always with a golden tone. He was Rachmaninov's favourite interpreter of his own concerti. Of course, the Composer-Pianist Rachmaninov whose tone Earl Wild told me ( he heard him live on numerous occasions) was "intoxicating, and his recordings do not do him justice." Like a fine particular wine, I can recall with awe Rachmaninov's recordings of Chopin Funeral March Sonata, Schumann Carnaval;"

"I also admire Cortot's luminous imagination and spontaneous playing in Schumann and Chopin; Schnabel's real musical depth merging with sheer joy and a fantastic sense of timing and sound in Bach, Weber, Beethoven, Mozart;

"Fischer's vibrancy and exuberance in Bach, Schubert Impromptus and Beethoven Concerti; Friedman's stylish, inimitable elegant and dancing (finally!) Chopin Mazurkas and beautiful Nocturnes;

"Lhevinne with his stunning pianism and tone Schultz-Evler Strauss, Liszt, Chopin, Schumann; "Rosenthal with his staggering facility in his Viennese waltz transcriptions and untouchable Chopin rubato and imagination;

"A magician of rhythm"

"Francois and Nat as unique exceptional examples of great French pianists; I heard Horowitz many times in concert , a magician of rhythm, colour, poetry and sheer electricity in Schumann, Scriabin, Rachmaninov, Liszt;

"Gilels in powerful Russian repertoire. I also loved his Brahms Concerti and heard him a few times in beautiful recitals always ending with his signature Bach-Siloti Prelude. He has historic stunning reading of Liszt-Mozart Figaro Fantasy;

"Bolet with a monumental Wagner-Liszt Tanhauser; Arrau with his Liszt (stunning Villa d'Este, Gnomenreigen, Spanish Rhapsody and beautiful Dante, great Debussy, stunning live Ravel Gaspard from Italy 1963, one of the best in my opinion!);

"Lipatti with a most amazing Ravel "Alborada"; Hess' powerful inspiring drama in Beethoven; Novaes evoking wonderful charm; Cziffra's spectacular personal gypsy pianism in Liszt and his own unplayable transcriptions;

“Amazing original colourist”

"Cherkassky as an amazing original colourist whom I heard many times and even attended his last concert which was unforgettable with the most haunting Chopin Funeral March Sonata at the Salle Gaveau in Paris. Everything he touched became new and fresh : Ravel Sonatine, Liszt Sonata, Stravinsky Petrouchka, Pabst-Tchaikovsky Transcriptions, Berg Bonata. Even Leonard Bernstein's "Touches" written in 1980 for the Van Cliburn Competition and played 250 times, but in Cherkassky's hands they became transcendental and a marvellous wonder! It makes one think about re-looking at the modern music being written today and to try to infuse it with more of that old world mastery and commitment. It reminds me of a quip by Arnold Schoeberg who said " My music is not modern, it is only badly played."

“Also, Cherkassky has a fantastic recording of the Chopin Preludes as does the great Rubinstein from the 1940's. Some modern pianists I like are Argerich (whom I prefer live ), pianists Perahia, Friere, Volodos and my old Juilliard friend Hough.

“No hammers”

"I just discovered the American pianist George Copeland (1892-1971) in astonishing Debussy performances that make the piano sound as if they have no hammers! He premiered several Debussy pieces in the United States and played for Debussy in 1911 who remarked " It is not my habit to pay compliments, but I wish to say Mr. Copeland, that I never thought to hear my music played as well as that in my lifetime.". He studied with Teresa Careno who once asked him how he had gotten such a wonderful tone. " I just have it in my ear before I play." "Rubbish" she said "I want to know how each finger plays on the key." To which Copeland replied "I don't know how -- and I don't want to know how!"

 "The Great Last Romantic"

“And of course let us not forget the Great Last Romantic Earl Wild, who studied with Egon Petri, one of the most important students of Busoni (who studied with Liszt), and has helped to perpetuate in an important manner this great tradition with his ingenious transcriptions. His celebrated Rachmaninov and Gershwin, to name but a few. Also a fantastic Liszt interpreter, his memorable Demonic Liszt CD among a vast recorded legacy.

“The wrong notes of god”

"Many of my favourite pianists of the past in their recorded legacy often had wrong notes. "But they were the wrong notes of a God," someone wisely remarked. Their playing in general was imbued with colour, elegance, a singing tone and an astonishing flexibility of facility (like a yoga master!)

“Many pianists have speed, power and endurance but sound in the end hard, brittle, angular and stiff. That suppleness of rhythm is almost a lost art. REAL technique is total control of the production and shaping of sound and timing whether in fast cadenza-like passages or cantilena itself. Even Horowitz pursued this goal in mind when he studied with Cortot for three months in 1926.”

“Astounding”

“My mentor Joseph Villa was astounding and his legendary talent can be witnessed on you tube. He was phenomenally instinctive and had a beautiful sound and hand for playing the piano. One must try to surround oneself with stimulating, enriching, inspiring friends, events and art. I think that if you refuse to accept anything but the best you very often get it.

“So, you should never limit your view of life by any past experience. Continue absorbing , continue to be curious, and always listen attentively.”

“Finally one of Liszt's most famous teaching aphorisms was  - "Create memories."

"Flawlessly poised,elegant and brilliant"

 - The New York Times

http://www.erichimy.com/

 Motivation to play Piano?

“Translating life's kaleidoscopic array of emotions , love and death, passionately into music."

 Favourite work/composer /why?

“That would be insufferable. Like having to be with only one  person on a desert island!"

"While I love and have studied and performed many of the classics, I tend to gravitate towards the colourists. Those who like to exploit the resources of the piano thereby revealing an amazing palette with no limits, open only to a fertile imagination. Debussy, Ravel, Albeniz, Scriabin, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov passing through of course Chopin, Liszt and Schumann.

"And of course there are many others, even many lesser-known composers, that speak to me, but these speak the loudest. There is music which comes of itself to us, and there is music which requires us to come to it. The latter can be the most intriguing.”

 Earliest memory involving piano playing?

“Korsakov's Scheherazade left a distinct impression on my youthful imagination and at four I was already making choreographies to such masterpieces.

“Having seen Stravinsky's Firebird at the newly constructed Lincoln Centre in New York also inspired me to want to become a Russian dancer.

"I remember being taken to see Leonard Bernstein's Young  People's Concerts which were a lot of fun and educational as well. Also there was always a lot of singing in my large family gatherings.”

"Cultural events ans activities"

“My Mother, newly arrived immigrant to New York City from French-Spanish Morocco, had always been exposed to music and always searched out cultural events and activities.

"In fact, she heard Olivier Messiaen in concert in Morocco where he performed in a Cinema (serving as Concert Hall) performing some of his piano works when he was not yet widely known.

"Many French and other artists of the day were passing through Morocco such as Cortot, Francois, Rampal, Nat, Menuhin. So when she arrived in New York she wanted to begin piano lessons and purchased an upright piano but I kept interrupting her practice and finally she relinquished the piano bench to me. Little did I know what I was getting myself into!”

"Elderly Madame Rosa in Manhattan"

“My first lessons were with my Father who actually was an electro-chemical engineer but had taken up guitar and violin as a hobby and had a working knowledge of the rudiments of music to introduce them to me. Later through some recommendation by a friend of my parents we found an elderly ( 90! ) Madame Rosa in Manhattan who claimed to be a student of a student of Liszt! Well, we began lessons for about a year but unfortunately she had an accident!

"Master Teacher Robert Vetlesen" 

"So at the age of seven we moved to California and I was eventually introduced to a Master Teacher Robert Vetlesen from San Francisco who was half-Norwegian and half-Hawaiian. He had studied in Europe with Schnabel and Bartok, and in the States with Lhevinne. He looked a bit like Yul Brynner and had accepted me into his studio.

"Despite his intimidating air he was a true raconteur and was full of amazing stories making the learning of music extremely fun. But it was also the real beginning for me in being exposed to the great literature of piano and the art of piano playing.”

 Career highlights and fond memories?

"Living as "an American in Paris " I was able to use Paris as a trampoline to travel and perform in other countries such as Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Egypt, Italy, Monaco, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, and Slovenia with many celebrated conductors and venues...."

"There is a saying that "one is never a prophet in one's own country". I think that it helped me experience many other cultures. I was able to hear and earn a great deal about music-making there that I would otherwise not have known. Also many great artists who are there that I heard do not come to the US because they really hate travelling and the US represents such a different large scale dimension of travel.”

 "19th Century feel - Parisian Salon"

“In Paris there really is still present something of the 19th century feel. Where I experienced this most and first-hand was in the famous "Parisian Salon."

"This practice is something that used to be active in New York to some degree in the 50's but was ever-present in Paris as in the days of the Romantics! I had the privilege of not only attending but performing in many.

"Many of these seemingly informal performances in fact helped my career. These were not just some dilettantish events but quite to the contrary places where one could play in an intimate setting on usually fabulous instruments for really knowledgeable people and potentially important contacts.

“At one of the more prominent salons, which were always word-of-mouth and always packed on a monthly basis, I heard S. Richter,Viardo, Pires, the violist Yuri Bashmet and even my former mentor Joseph Villa which proved to be his last performance before his tragic death. That performance was memorable as the audience in the salon was like a Who's Who of musical Paris and I know that they were absolutely flabbergasted! "

Visits

"Also I enjoyed the opportunity of being so close to the source of the composers, searching what motivated them to write their masterpieces. For example I visited the Villa Metzli and d'Este in Italy where Liszt had sojourned or I also visited Ravel's house outside of Paris and performed on his piano drawing in the elements to imagine what inspired them to compose certain of their works.”

"Himy is a major talent. His technique is awesome in scope, and his passion for music and its projection is indeed overwhelming, what dexterity, power and daring ! Himy is in a class of his own."

- Seymour Bernstein

http://www.erichimy.com/

Motivation

“The pleasure and satisfaction of being in touch with a higher consciousness (even for some brief moments), it might be well worth a lifetime of hard work…”

 “As for favourite work/composer, well, whatever piece/composer I’m playing is my favourite – whether it’s a monumental Beethoven sonata or an obscure Moszkowski miniature makes no difference.”

“Hearing Shura Cherkassky”

“One of the greatest musical  moments in my life was the first time I heard Shura Cherkassky twenty years ago – I remember sitting in Carnegie hall, holding my breath, couldn’t believe what was happening, and I can still hear every note he touched that night…”

 “Also,  I love listening to recordings of great pianists from the past, the more I listen to the old masters, the more I realize how mysterious ‘greatness’ really is!”

"Human Nature"

“There are  hundreds of qualities that makes a pianist ‘great’. Great pianists (or artists in general) somehow find their own individual ways to get to the core of human nature…"

 Ren Zhang won the Artists International Shura Cherkassky Award some years back, and listening to this disc you can certainly hear why.  His Schubert late A major Sonata and Chopin A flat major Ballade possess a magical integrity and probing sense of the meaning behind the notes that recalls the 'golden age'.

- International Piano Magazine - Julian Haylock - March/April 2006

http://www.renzhangpianist.com/

Motivation

“The urge for playing piano is an inherent desire of omnipotence for expressing itself in our paradigm, through our material bodies as ultimate instruments for universal expression.”

Favourite composer

“My favourite creators are Bach ( as all music started with his Big Bang ), encompassing Beethoven, Liszt, Chopin, Rachmaninov, Scriabin and Ravel & Debussy. Their vibrational frequency closely resonates with my own, hence the term "Favourite".”

“I passionately argue in support of Bach` s Chaconne d minor from Violin Partita No. 2, especially Busoni` s masterful transcription for piano as the greatest piece of music ever written. The evidence for that is up to a performer and listener to discover themselves. .”

Qualities in a Pianist

“Greatest qualities of a pianist are tonal palette, dynamic range and phrasing, voicing with real heart, which is very rare to hear, but is after all, the essence of art of piano playing.”

“…The Wigmore Hall recital by the young pianist Dorian Griner on 6 April 2008 proved to be a very well-chosen and satisfying programme, well played throughout by this gifted artist… First-class Chopin playing… and Ravel's Pavane… most beautifully played throughout… These were quite magical and engrossing in their superb creation of atmosphere…”

- Robert Matthew Walker, MUSICAL OPINION

Angela Lear – International Chopin Exponent and Scholar

What motivates you to play Piano? 

“Thinking about this question I have to think back some years to when I was 12 years old and first giving public performances. I have always felt 'driven' to play the piano. No conscious decision was ever made to play. It is something I have always had to do and is something I regard as a privilege.”

What is so dear to you about Chopin? 

“From my first introduction to Chopin's music I felt quite differently about his compositions. The originality of his creative genius contained within the few hundred pages of his complete piano works - the harmonic boldness and rhythmic complexities of his Mazurkas, the exquisite lyricism and melodic beauty of his Nocturnes, his epic Grandes Etudes, the spirit and passion of his Polonaises - all bear testament to this great composer. 

“Through the voice of the piano Chopin created works of pure Art. “

Earliest memory involving piano playing? 

“As a child, enjoying the pianola my parents had at home - intrigued by the depression of the keys as the music rolls played.”

The most important qualities in a good pianist?

“ (Assuming all of the basic pianistic technical requirements...)   Someone who has that rare insight and ability to communicate the inner meaning of the music. On the subject of interpretation, perhaps I could quote Alan Walker, who said, "A great interpretation is never 'applied' from without; it always emerges from within."

The Ultimate aim of an interpreter?

“Great music should surely ennoble the spirit, create a moving experience and provide a lasting impression to reflect upon after the final notes have been heard. To allow the composer to be revealed through the re-creation of his music must be the ultimate aim of an interpreter.”

-  Notes on Interpreting Chopin (Article) by Angela Lear.

“Angela Lear’s Chopin recitals were altogether exceptional for perfect interpretation and maximum faithfulness to Chopin’s intentions. They will stay forever in the memory. Chopin’s music is not just music to delight or charm the ear – but more than that, to enter into the spirit and touch the soul of the listener. It is poetry which expresses itself in sound as the poet expresses in words.

- Le Matin

http://www.angelalear.com/

Motivation?

“Music is powerful.   Instrumental music  helps the mind to  be carried away in any direction it wishes to go unlike vocal music  with lyrics that  direct the mind in the thought process.  Piano playing is fulfilling, rewarding, and exciting!  To experience the joy it brings to its listeners is enough for me to continue to play and inspire others!”

 Favourite work/composer/why?

“Brahms D Minor Concerto.   To me, it encompasses everything pianistic with its brilliant writing--textures, colors, melodic material, harmonic material, technical feats, structure, architectural design, audience appeal, etc., etc., etc.” 

Earliest memory involving piano playing?  

“Age three sitting at an old upright piano in a dance studio with feet dangling above the floor.  With two hands (though simplistic) I played 'be ear' music just heard on the radio in the earlier dance class.”

The most important qualities in a good pianist?

“Highly developed technical facility, critical listening skills, theoretical understanding (form and analysis of structure), performance experience, charisma, and honesty to the score--capturing the composer's intent!

“Here's a thoughtful, anonymous poem you might enjoy:

    "For the common things of everyday,
    God gave man speech in a common way;
    For the deeper things men think and feel,
    God gave the past words to reveal;
    But, for the heights and depths that know no reach--
    God gave man music, the soul's own speech."

“Clearly, Hatch is one of the finest talents to appear on the international platform."
--Edinburgh, Scotland

http://www.davidglenhatch.com/

“It's a natural extension to my life (composing). I can't imagine a day without music and the chance to compose. I'm not a composer who always composes to commission. That I would find boring. I've always got several works on the boil and I make a lot of sketches.

“I guess the motivation is just liking being asked to do it and knowing that the music I write is appreciated as it's music that gets played a lot and published. I am very lucky to be able to work with world-class players and to be asked by them to compose. That's the motivation. We all love to be liked!"

Influential composers?

“I take influences in different ways. I admire the counterpoint of Bach (my own music is very horizontal). I admire the formal structures of Haydn and his use of thematic and intervallic development (my own music wastes nothing and is very 'structured' in a classical sense even to the extent of using (dare I mention it?) Sonata Form). I admire the orchestration of Ravel and Debussy.

“I admire the blatant use of melody of Rachmaninov, the serial techniques of Richard Rodney Bennett's early music, the textures of Nicholas Maw, the sensuality of Henri Dutilleux........... But all this doesn't mean my music sounds like any of these .... I hope......

“Then my own teacher at the Royal Academy of Music, Alan Bush, instilled in me a very strong technique which, to this day, has seen me through some dry moments."

Earliest memory – “poetry”

“Piano pieces and songs. I've always been drawn to poetry and I've composed quite a lot of songs. I've never written a large-scale orchestral work although I did write a full-length opera in 1978/79 when I was the first Vaughan Williams Composer-in-Residence at Charterhouse.”

Qualities in a great composer?

“To not be afraid to be yourself. So many composers strive to be something they are not. It's very hard to be individual today

“ We've had everything now from serial techniques, electronic music, minimalism, avant-garde, post-romanticism, huge orchestral works with massive percussion sections, neo-classical, cross-over..... Most of these techniques have also been incorporated into film scores. Then there's the question of technique and keeping to a style."

"Playable"

“There's also the question of writing music that's playable, suitable for the instruments that play it. There's always the question of challenging yourself with new projects and ideals - it's all too easy to fall into a rut. To be one's own sternest critic is difficult to do. Don't be afraid to rewrite - problems always in writing to deadlines. Never throw anything away but be prepared to adapt and recycle if possible."

Composition today & The "Old fashioned" way

“ I feel too much emphasis is now put on these computer programmes and too many 'so-called' composers are fixated by them. It's so easy to spot a computer-generated piece. I hate being asked to do classes and the student composers come in with their laptops. They always ask if I want to hear what they've written! I need to see the whole piece spread out before me. Not page by page on a tiny laptop screen. After all painters work on the entire canvas. Why can't composers do the same thing?”

“I was pleased to meet a fellow composer in New York a few weeks ago who teaches at one US's main conservatoires and who thinks the same way as I do. I use pencil and manuscript paper. Luckily my publishers (Editions BIM in Switzerland) do the computer setting for me. Jeremy Mathez at BIM says it's much easier and quicker for them to do it 'in house' and to a house style than try to adapt a poor attempt by a composer. I've tried but lost confidence when I had a power cut and lost some of it having struggled with phrasing, ties, time changes. But I realise for many it's a God-send.

“I was so pleased to see manuscript paper still on sale in Foyles, London. Huge supplies of it and in all sorts of shapes and sizes. I have paper specially made up - large sheets. I'm very old fashioned in this respect. But, each to their own!"

''In a post-modern era often characterised by various aesthetic movements, it is especially enriching to encounter an artist like Roger Steptoe, who possesses a fresh and individual voice at once original, accessible and adventurous.''
-The New Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians 2000

http://www.rogersteptoe.com/

“If I'm learning repertoire for a concert I need to be motivated by the music. One of the advantages of being a composer-pianist is that I get to choose the pieces I want to play. Also when I compose I need the piano and I use it as a useful aid to my work.”

Favourite piece – “Neglected British Music”

“I don't have a favourite piece nor a favourite composer. As a pianist I am drawn largely to neglected British music of the 20th-century. I am not interested in playing standard repertoire. Recently I rediscovered Frank Bridge and John Ireland. In fact I learned the piano part of Ireland's Cello Sonata for a recent recital in Geneva, New York.”

Earliest memory - “Naturally drawn”

“I started to play the piano when I was five. We had a piano in the house and I guess I was naturally drawn to it. I did all the graded exams and some diplomas. I started composing using the same piano.”

Important qualities - “Comfortable”

“To be comfortable with what you are playing and interpreting. There's too much pressure on young players of all instruments to play the same kind of repertoire mainly to get noticed in competitions. But I appreciate there are certain works that have become benchmarks.

“Also, there's too much emphasis on technique and not enough on musicianship and individual interpretation. I wish teachers would introduce their students to different composers rather than same stuff all the time.

“New and Unknown"

“Performers have a duty to delve into new and unknown repertoire. There's tons of it out there and some really good music by unknown composers. Why do we need hundreds of CD versions of the same music? It's become obsessive particularly for pianists. Next year is a 'biggy' for Chopin and Schumann. I dread to think just how many pianists will trot out countless performances of the same things.”

Memory‏ - “Completely hopeless”

“My musical memory is completely hopeless. I cannot memorise anything, even my own music. How many times people say to me 'Play us something you've written'. I say 'I can't, I can't even remember how the beginning of the piece I'm writing at the moment goes............”

“But once I have the music, the notes, the language in front of me, I'm off. I can improvise for hours. I can sight-read almost anything and make some coherent sense of it. But, when it comes to memorising music I'm completely useless. But, when I'm playing the piano with the score in front of me I'm totally at home.”

“And, how many times in the middle of a concert do I suddenly think. 'God, I didn't know that was an F-sharp - I'd learned that as a natural, or, I hadn't seen that, or, perhaps this should be phrased this way, or that was tied-over all the time, ah....... so it's like that after all!'”

“Concerts bring out a different aspect of us. We are literally under a microscope (if the audience hasn't dozed off with a new work that they're insistent on NOT understanding).”

‘Perfect Interpretation’

“I hate having to play my own music but so often I'm asked to do it, and I'm expected to come up with the 'perfect' interpretation.”

“But then in the first rehearsal with someone else I'm coasting along with my own part because it's really the first time I've heard the piece with the other player - like the other week in New York, with the wonderful Stefan Reuss, principal cellist with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and the premiere of my new Sonatine 2 for cello and piano. I'm crashing around trying to keep up, marvelling and keeping three eyes open on how it REALLY sounds........... difficult! A world premiere for me too!”

“As an admired pianist he has pioneered much neglected British music through recitals as a soloist, an accompanist to singers and a chamber music player. A sought-after teacher he has taught at the Royal Academy of Music in London for fifteen years, given regular master classes internationally and currently teaches at the conservatoire of Brive-la-Gaillarde in the French Limousin and where he lives.”

-Bim News: Editions Bim and The Brass Press, International Music publishing Thursday 18 December, 2008

“I have loved the sound of the piano since the age of four. I grew up in Philadelphia and was fortunate to hear the Philadelphia Orchestra perform almost every week from the age of seven through seventeen. That wonderful orchestral sound has been a life-long inspiration.

“Orchestral”

“I try to make the piano sound both orchestral as well as vocal. Making the piano "sing" and producing a genuinely lyrical sound with legato is perhaps the most difficult aspect of playing the piano, but this is the primary reason why I love to play the piano.”

Favourite Composer?

“My favourite composer has always been Robert Schumann. I also adore Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Chopin. But actually, my favourite music is whatever I am playing at the moment.”

“Unique sound”

“Great artistry begins with a unique sound. Sound is the most important musical element for me.

“That is followed by the ability to directly communicate what you feel about a piece of music to your audience. In order to do so, it is vitally important to immerse yourself into the composer's world and life - therefore, knowing the biographical information of the composer whose works you are playing is very important. I often read letters that the composer wrote.

“Next, playing with conviction and feeling that the music is the most important thing in the world makes the difference between a compelling performance and a routine one.

“Technique is important, but it is only the means to a much greater end.”

Artymiw displays piano poetry worthy of envy

Artymiw’s recital began with Mozart’s “Pöbel” Variations, and she played them incredibly well, with all sorts of lyric grace and felicity in phrasing and nuances. Her Schumann (Davidsbundlertänze) was a victory, full of warmth, lyricism, and romantic phrasing. But her Chopin was even finer. Her performances of the Fourth Scherzo and the Introduction and Rondo were beautifully achieved, something many of her seniors might well envy.

-Chicago Sun Times

http://lydiaartymiw.com/

“Personality”

“The good pianist should have musicality, good memory, good technique and should work a lot. But, the “great” pianist should have all these qualities, but the main thing – he should have a personality, a warm heart and a personal sound.”

“It was my mother a pianist and musicologist that motivated me to play piano”

Favourite work/composer/why?

“It depends – sometimes I can play Chopin (I live Chopin) and sometimes I can play Beethoven (I love Beethoven too). But, I think my favourite composer in a lifetime has to be Bach because he is the greatest. Even though he lived during the Baroque era, his music is romantic and more contemporary than music that has been written today”

“Listening to her Bach is something like observing a celestial clockwork. There's a precision and also a sense of ecstasy borne out of contemplating the precision.”
-Bach CD - Rob Haskins, American Record Guide

http://elenakuschnerova.com/

“Necessity”

Motivation?

“I don't have a choice! Really, it's a necessity for me to express myself in music, and particularly through the piano.”

Favourite work/composer /why?

“If I had to chose one composer it would be a toss-up between Beethoven and Schubert (at the moment). Beethoven for the enormous range of expression and authority, Schubert for the astoundingly deep lyricism”

Most important qualities in a good pianist?

“The ability to make the piano sound like other instruments: the basic sound of the piano is not so interesting, in the end. Beyond that, the necessary qualities are the same as for any musician: humility, self-confidence, and a profound ability to connect to the emotion in music.

“All musicians should improvise, in my opinion. It doesn't matter what style. The experience of becoming comfortable playing your own music is enormously fun and also helpful for classical playing.”

“Steven Osborne has reawakened in me the essential beauty of these preludes and reminded me also of the composer's high level of craft. Osborne brings a special feeling to the music. It's not opulence; it's innocence.”
-Rachmaninov Reawakened In Preludes by Tom Manoff – June 23, 2009

http://www.stevenosborne.co.uk/ 

"Inspired"

“I started when I was a very young child and was able to play easily many tunes by ear which indicates musical talent, so my mother started my first lessons” – Juana Zayas

Favourite composer?

" I love JS Bach most because his music is truly inspired and has a very strong spiritual component. He is one of the greatest musical geniuses ever.

"Then there is Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Debussy, Ravel, Debussy, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Bartok..."

What are the most important qualities in a great pianist?

“Musicality, beauty of tone, technique, artistic temperament.”

3/30/2001 “Zayas, Channeling Chopin. . . . Zayas is a pianist who has much to teach the world. She trusts Chopin implicitly and never roughs him up or slathers on rouge; she lets his repetitions play out naturally and hypnotically. Her sense of the right way to do things is so close to what Chopin writes on the page that it can seem as if she isn't interpreting the music at all. But that is a kind of interpretation in itself: or rather, a kind of faith. Zayas's devotion and modesty are her greatest strengths, and both came through with perfect clarity.” Philip Kennicott, The Washington Post - Washington, DC

http://www.juanazayas.com/ 

"Musical honesty"

What motivates you to play Piano?

"Motivation is probably age dependent now I just want to make great music"

Favourite work/composer /why?

"Chopin , Rachmaninov , BRAHMS Beethoven"

In your opinion, what are the most important qualities in a great pianist?

"Musical honesty ( besides of course the god given gift )"

"Vered has fingers that work like power -operated pistons. She can play breathlessly fast, with breathless power and sweep, and she can instantaneously melt into Rachmaninoff’s most somber reflections or sing the famous 18th variation with affecting directness. She is a tigress virtuosa, as well as a bel canto pianist."
- Los Angeles Times

http://www.ilanavered.com/ 

"Love”

What motivates you to play the Piano?

“The only motivation is the LOVE to make music”

What are the most important qualities in a good pianist?“

The most important quality for a pianist is TALENT and ability to work hard after that.”

A critic for the Albany Times-Union wrote, "Antonova dazzles with her Russian repertoire. Her performance had plenty of virtuosity, but it also had drama, grandeur and sweep."