Happy New Year everyone and welcome to 2026.
To start the year I'm really excited to share
this conversation with you. In today's episode
of The Piano Pod, I am joined by Emil Bushkowitz,
an Israeli -South African concert pianist and
recording artist whose work bridges continents,
cultures, and centuries. Known for his deep connection
to Schubert and the tradition of German lead,
Emil approaches music not as spectacle, but as
shared storytelling, intimate, reflective, and
deeply human. In this conversation, we explore
why Schubert's music still feels so relevant
today, not as something preserved behind glass,
but as music that continues to speak directly
to our lives. We talk about the Schubert 200
Project, what it means to live alongside one
composer over many years, and how Schubert's
sense of time, his slowness, patience, and emotional
honesty challenges the way we listen in the fast
-moving world. We also talk about the tradition
of German Lied, the unique relationship between
singer and pianist, where the piano is an accompaniment
but an equal voice, shaping the narrative, breathing
with the text, and carrying the emotional subtext.
And we explore why intimacy rather than scale
may be the future of classical music. very much
in the spirit of Schubert's own salon culture.
A quick note for listeners. If you are tuning
in via audio, you're in for an extended version
of this conversation, including some of the most
personal and reflective moments from the session.
We go further into music as refuge, empathy,
and a place to breathe. If you are enjoying the
episode, please take a moment to like it and
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if you are joining us on YouTube, subscribe there
as well. Your support truly helps the show grow.
And now I am honored to welcome concert pianist,
recording artist, and one of the leading Sherbert
interpreters of our time, Emil Bushkovitz. Please
enjoy the show. You are listening to The Piano
Pod, where we talk to the brightest minds in
the industry about how they are bringing the
piano into the future and thriving in a complex,
ever -evolving world. Emil, welcome to The Piano
Pod. It's such a privilege to have you here with
me today. Thank you so much. Thank you for the
invitation, Yukimi. It's an honor to be here.
Thank you. And before we dive in, where are you
joining us from today? I'm in Zurich at the moment
and just arrived from New York a few days ago.
Oh, really? You were in New York? in Zurich,
where I know you are a world traveler. I can't
wait to talk more about that. You're traveling,
you know, part of your career. Now, I had an
opportunity to participate in the Artsong Preservation
Society of New York as a collaborative pianist
last season. And it reminded me how much I missed
working closely with singers and our mutual friend,
Blair Boom -Megura. who is, of course, the founder
of the organization, has been one of the strongest
supporters of this show and encouraged me to
reach out to you. Blair and I collaborated last
season featuring his organization and I'm so
grateful he made this connection today. But thank
you so much for really generously accepting my
invitation, Emil. No, thank you. And yes, as
you say, Blair is a... Such a wonderful person,
both as a human and as an organizer and a connector
of various people and organizations. Yeah, I'm
really happy to know him and to have worked with
him as well. Oh, wonderful. Yeah. So now you've
built such a fascinating career that moves fluidly
from, you know, being a solo pianist and chamber
musician and especially the world of art song
from the intimacy of Schubert's leader to major
recital stages around the world. nearly struck
by how extensive your recordings are from solo
projects to collaborations with some of today's
leading singers. Your career bridges solo performance
and collaboration, especially in the world of
art songs. So what would you say is the core
passion or mission that ties all these worlds
together? Well, I think as a pianist playing
solo and working with singers, I think the thing
that ties it together is the melody. Just the
beautiful melody, which is something so ancient
and so primal in humanity. You know, sitting
around campfires thousands of years ago, singing
together. That's something that's connected from
our ancestors and from our childhood. And as
a pianist, that's just something that I love.
Of course, as a pianist, we have harmony as well
as melody. And that's also wonderful to have
both worlds. But for me, I just love beautiful
melodies. And especially with Schubert, there's
this great simplicity that, again, is very primal,
I find. Wow, well said. I was actually going
to ask you about that later because that's a
really distinctive feature about Schubert. There's
a simplicity, but then really these beautiful
melodies that he comes up with. It's just incredible,
the vast amount. Yes, not only a simplicity,
but also something folkloric, very connected
to, yeah. childhood melodies, lullabies, folk
music as well. Actually, just by chance, this
behind me is a painting, an Aboriginal painting
by an Australian artist who lives in the outback
and painted this. It's a bushfire. So that's
something that maybe is connected as well to
the folkloric and to the ancestors. Wow, yeah.
Is that where you are? Is your home? Yes, yes.
Okay, so you are currently based in Zurich as
an artist. Yes, I travel between Zurich and Germany,
but yeah, this is one of my bases, which I'm
fortunate to have. Oh, wonderful. So let's continue
our conversation with, speaking of Schubert,
Schubert 200 Project. What an amazing project
that you're working on. And it's a large -scale
lead -focused collaboration with baritone Samuel
Hasselhorn. Am I pronouncing his name correctly?
Yes. Yes, perfect. Great. And that will result
in five albums of Schubert songs from his final
years and building toward the 200th anniversary
of Schubert's death in 2020. Later, that will
be 2028, which is two years from now. By the
time this episode will be out, it's 2026. So
tell us what this project is really about and
where you are in the process right now. Well,
yeah, thanks for asking. Samuel and I have known
each other for many years. And as you say, he's
a wonderful, wonderful baritone and wonderful
lead interpreter. We actually, during COVID,
I jumped in for a concert and that was our first
performance together. And it just went so well
and we enjoyed it so much that we decided to
do a recording project together with the label
Harmonia Mundi, with whom he was already recording.
And we discussed various possibilities and unknown
composers and maybe repertoire that's been neglected.
And in the end, we thought, well, why not Schubert?
Which has been, of course, recorded a lot. But
there's still, as with great works of art, there's
always something new and always new nourishment
and something to discover, new ways to approach
it, new ways to shine different lights, different
lighting on the songs. And we proposed it to
Harmonia Mundi. who, surprisingly for us, agreed
on such a large, long -term project. Because,
as you know, the recording industry today is
going through a sea change. It's a bit difficult
with online platforms and music streaming. So
we are really grateful to Harmonia Mundi for
believing in us and believing in this project.
So, yeah, we're very excited about it. We're
two discs down or two albums. And the third album
is coming out early next year. It's called Hoffnung,
Hope, which we thought is very, yeah, it's very
fitting for this time and the place in which
we find ourselves in the world in general. Yeah.
And also it's 200 years since Schubert wrote
these songs. So for us, it's almost like a journey
together with Schubert during his last years,
which is very special and unique. So for listeners
who may not realize the sheer scale of Schubert's
output, roughly how many art songs did he write?
Do you know? He wrote over 600. So there's a
lot. And the scope of these compositions are
so varying from something like Haydn's Röslein,
which is almost like a folk song. Well, it is
basically a folk song. To songs like Die junge
Nonne or Der Zwerg, which were very influenced
by English neo -Gothic literature and Mary Shelley
and Frankenstein, these kind of Gothic horror
stories. So really... full -blooded romantic
songs and then some songs that are very classical
in style and remind one of maybe Haydn or Mozart.
So really a wide variety. Wow. You know, I need
to study more about Schubert art songs. So do
I. Yes. Wow. That's, yeah, you just don't realize.
But with this 200 project, you're just focusing
on the late songs, right? Like toward the end
of his life? Yes. Well, we're following Schubert
consecutively through the last five years of
his life. So 1823, he wrote Die Schöne Müllerin.
And we brought out the album of that. in 2023.
And so next year will be 2000. Well, this broadcast
will be in 2026 and we will release songs from
1826. So exactly 200 years previously. Oh, wow.
So the album that you released, that's the Licht
und Schatten. Yes, Licht und Schatten, Lights
and Shadows. That's... you know, you released
this album this year, 2025. So, which means you
focused on the songs from 1825? Yes, exactly,
exactly. Well, that was a special album because
we focused on 24 and 25. So we put those together
in one album. And that's why there are also some
solo piano works. in between, interspersed in
the album, because these years were very important
for Schubert as a piano composer, solo piano
composer. He wrote many sonatas and waltzes and
Ländler during those years. I see. Wow, that's
how you group, how, makes sense. Wow. Can you
tell us more about these? you know, from 18,
I guess, 23 to 1828, those years of his writing?
Well, these years were seminal for him because
in 1823, he discovered that he had syphilis.
It was diagnosed with what was most likely syphilis,
which in those days was basically a death sentence.
So he knew that he would not... live a long life.
He didn't know how long he would live, but it
was just a matter of time. And he was diagnosed
at a very young age. So yeah, 25, 26 years old.
So that was something that I think stayed with
him the rest of his short life. He passed away
at the age of 31. But there was this shadow.
of mortality that hung over him during those
years. And I think it definitely influences his
compositional writing and his style. So yeah,
that was, that was very important, but also he
didn't just have drew, you know, doom and dread
in those last years. He had some very happy times,
even some healthy times where, you know, he thought,
well, His health was good and his music was progressing.
Even his reputation in Vienna was slowly progressing.
Another shadow under which he lived was the shadow
of Beethoven, who was, of course, a big celebrity
in Vienna, who was older than him, almost a generation
older than him. Not quite, but Beethoven's reputation
was... huge in Vienna. He was a celebrity. He
was recognized while walking on the streets,
whereas Schubert was very unknown, struggling
financially. In one of his last letters, he wrote
to his mother, asking her to knit him a few pairs
of socks. It was very touching and moving. Are
there any few songs or pieces in this particular
of those two uh maybe this light and shadow album
that really stand out what you're maybe describing
you know to explain his mindset or his maybe
even spiritual well -being that really showcase
oh this song shows or is there any particular
piece that stands out for you well i think the
The combination of pieces are so astounding.
And that's why we decided to call it Light and
Shadows. Because, of course, in painting, you
have the style from Rembrandt and Caravaggio,
Chiaroscuro, the style of the light and shadows.
And this contrast between the very dark and the
very light just makes things so dramatic. And
for us... This album was about this chiaroscuro
in Schubert's music, not only in the music itself,
but also in his life and the juxtaposition of
the mortality and the good health that was oscillating
throughout his life, especially during those
years. So a song like Auflösung or... A song
like Die junge Nonne that I mentioned earlier,
it actually mentions a lot of light and shadow.
It mentions a storm coming and the thunder, but
peace inside the heart at the same time. So,
of course, for the romantics, nature was very
important and often symbolized inner feelings
as well. So, for example, in nature, a natural
storm. would be something that can be echoed
in the human condition. And I think it's a very
special song in Schubert's oeuvre. And I think
that's something that is in a way biographical
also for him, could be considered biographical,
this tension between the highly dramatic and
the almost thunderous emotion. and something
very calm and simple I've been listening to this
album and plus your piano solo albums too so
I have to revisit again after listening what
you just explained it really gives you different
perspectives right yeah wonderful now I know
you mentioned a little bit about the singer Samuel
Hasselhorn and how you met him and so on but
maybe can you tell us more about the collaboration
and also how did you both of you just to come
up with this idea of Schubert 200 obviously the
you know year 2028 really marks that 200th year
anniversary but can you tell us the story well
of course as as a lead pianist as a song pianist
Schubert is the the summit it's the mount everest
of of the the great composers and uh i i love
you know other composers that's mozart bach beethoven
chopin but in terms of elite as we spoke about
schubert is really something very special and
um i think both of us samuel and i We thought
at first that we should at all costs avoid Schubert
because he's so well -known and because his songs
have been recorded so many times by such great
performers, we thought we're not worthy to even
touch these songs. But then we decided... We
have the possibility of contributing something
fresh and something new to these songs, a new
style of interpretation, which is very personal
and in a way almost daring in some ways, as some
critics have also mentioned. So we thought we'll
approach these songs not in a conservative way,
but taking risks and pushing them. to their limits
in terms of interpretation and seeing where that
brings it. Yeah, so it's a kind of a love it
or hate it project. That is, yeah, that's our
goal, not to shy away from being adventurous
and daring in the interpretation. Oh, that's
amazing. That's wonderful. But can you maybe
explore a little bit with this daring part of
your interpretation? As musicians, we learn a
lot to make dynamic changes, you know, to say,
okay, well, we'll go really pianissimo, really
fortissimo. And there's a lot of contrast in
dynamic. But in terms of metrum and time, we
stick to the bar lines and we learn that, okay,
you can't change tempo unless it's indicated.
And you can't change many things unless the composer
writes it. But we feel like a composer, there's
a lot more than what's written on the score.
He or she wants a feeling in the end. And the
feeling is more important than obeying every
mark on the score meticulously and almost academically.
So we took great liberties, especially in terms
of timing. So we would slow down and accelerate
where we felt that the text needed that. And
we would often sit with the scores and just discuss
them. without performing them, without singing
or playing them, just looking at the score itself
and trying to find out what is behind the notation,
what is behind the lines and the dots. And yeah,
so I think mostly in terms of trying new things,
that the recordings are hopefully special. So,
Emil, like, you know, from what I've read, Sherbert
200 is aimed at a new generation of Sherbert
and lead enthusiasts very directly asking why
this music still matters in the 21st century
and so on. So why do you think Sherbert's music
continues to speak so strongly to modern listeners?
Well, there's two great quotes about Schubert's
music from his own time, from contemporaries.
And the one is negative and the one is positive,
but they both apply still today. So the one is
from a music critic from the Wiener Allgemeine
Zeitung, which was a big newspaper in Vienna
at the time. And he said that Schubert modulates
like no other composer on the whole globe. And
it's just modulation, modulation the whole time.
And one can't settle down in any key before he
modulates again. That's right. Yeah. And that,
I think, a composer like, you know, the French
school, César Franck, who was telling his students,
modulate, modulate all the time. But that was
100 years, well, not 100 years, but 80 years
later. But at the time of Schubert, it was considered
negative to modulate so often. And the second
quote is from Schumann, who was a huge admirer
of Schubert, even at a time when Schubert wasn't
known. And Schumann spoke about Schubert's himmlische
Länge, the heavenly lengths of his sonata. you
know, the sonata movements and the sections in
his works. So you would have a huge movement
of maybe 10 minutes, and then Schubert would
write repeat, and then it would be repeated.
And many early recordings and early performers
left out the repetitions. Also in, for example,
the final sonata, the D960 sonata, these really
long sections that are just exploring different
worlds. And then one thinks, okay, well, he's
going to go on, but he writes repeat. And these
are the heavenly length, which for me is almost
like a bit like Zen, Zen Buddhism, something
that's very minimalistic and repetitive that
continues without trying to entertain and trying
to impress. It's just something very, very spiritual.
And like I said, minimalistic, which... which
was very special for that time. Because if one
compares it to Beethoven, Haydn, there's a lot
of inventiveness in Haydn, especially making
certain humorous turns in the music. And with
Beethoven trying out new, what would I say? How
would I put it? new directions in the music,
but there's always something to entertain and
to never to bore a person, never to dull the
listener. But I think Schubert doesn't care about
that. It's just something that just flows from
his soul. And sometimes it repeats and sometimes
it just goes on and on. And there's something
very special and unique to that. You are absolutely
right. And there's like a really continuous meditative
element to it too. You know? Yeah. Oh, wow. Now,
when you talk about, you know, a new generation,
are you thinking about cultivating new audiences,
you know, by education or about speaking or maybe
to listen, you know, maybe just hold on to the
current listeners to maybe cultivate their love?
Yes. Well, that's a good question. It's very
important to ask that Schubert. remains um uh
you know important in the in these times where
things go so fast you know with social media
and um and everything's going so quickly instagram
reels of 10 seconds and you know we want to be
entertained all the time and i think it's It's
very rare to sit down and have time to read a
novel like War and Peace or Anna Karenina that's
just so long and needs so much time and dedication
because the modern world is just so full of distractions.
So for us, it's important to work with the young
generation and to make a place for enjoying.
the time and the peace that's in Schubert, not
to rush on to a new challenge, a new distraction.
And we have different ways to do this. We have
recorded, for example, a series of podcasts with
the SVR, which is a southwestern radio of Germany,
where we not only speak about Schubert, but also
demonstrate things on the piano. that we're talking
about, which is sometimes very useful. And we're
planning to publish a children's book on Schubert,
which is a heart project of Samuel's that has
been for many years on his heart and mind. So
that will be coming out. And yeah, we're teaching
as well, different masterclasses and workshops
for young singers. So, yeah, that's our way of
contributing to the younger generation. Oh, that
sounds amazing, especially the children's book.
Yeah. Are you going to talk about his life or
music or maybe all together in the book? Well,
that's a good question. The plan, I won't give
away too much, but the plan is to make something
more abstract about... A story that a child can
relate to and maybe is about something, you know,
connecting the world to the stars and to the
night, to these themes that are so important
to Schubert. Life and the universe and the night
sky, things like that, that are not only to Schubert,
but also to the romantics in general. So it won't
be specifically about Schubert's life, but it
will be kind of an introduction to his world.
Wow, what a beautiful way to connect to a young
audience. I hope so. Yes, definitely. Wow, beautiful.
So now, alongside this lead project, you're also
embarking on a separate... Long -term undertaking.
Whoa, blows my mind. Recording of Schubert's
complete piano works, right? Yes. Do you have
like 48 hours in a day? I don't know how you
do it, but wonderful. I've been listening to
Schubert piano works volume three, you know,
and which includes the sonata number 15. I believe,
and then also Moments Musical, very famous cycle.
So what struck me was the clarity of your storytelling
and how emotion emerges without being forced,
you know, and Sherbert left us such an expansive
body of piano work and sonatas impromptu. But
where are you now in this journey and how many
volumes do you imagine still lie ahead? Well,
yes, it is a huge undertaking. And on the one
side, I'm very honored and excited to be part
of this project and to have this entrusted to
me. But on the other hand, as you say, it's daunting
and it's a lot of work, especially because I
feel that these pieces are so great and so magnificent
that they need... the dedication to them. They
don't, they, they don't, it doesn't do them service
to just learn them and record them and move on.
One has to really immerse oneself in the, in
the world that is behind them. And that takes
time and, and just, yeah, a time and space to
just, like I said, this heavenly length, which
is in Schubert, it cannot be rushed. Yeah, the
project will be nine albums in total. Wow. And
the plan is to finish the project by 2028, which
is the big anniversary, the 200 -year anniversary
of Schubert's death. And yeah, I just, as you
mentioned, the volume three is the final works,
the final sonata and the Momo Musico. And the
moment music are very special to me because they're
they're like little improvisations almost that
Schubert wrote separately. He didn't really plan
them to be part of a sonata or a larger work.
And then I think he just put them together in
a set. In a way, like the Drei Klavierstücke,
the three piano pieces, which are also very late.
And also very special late works, in a way, foreshadowing
the works of Schumann and Brahms, the small miniatures
that Schumann wrote throughout his life. And
the Brahms, you know, the Intermezzi, the late
piano works, the Rhapsodies, the smaller miniatures
that he wrote as well. Yes, and the next album,
which is coming out in June 2026, will be Schubert's
early piano sonatas. So the first four piano
sonatas that he wrote. And these are also very
interesting because he... would sometimes start
a sonata and give up, which is something that
he kept his entire life. I think he didn't feel
very confident as a composer. Like I mentioned,
being in the shadow of Beethoven, very late in
his life, in his short life, he started actually...
taking counterpoint lessons because he felt that
he couldn't write counterpoint, fugues, canons,
as well as other composers. So for me, it's very
touching to imagine Schubert going to, you know,
compositional lessons in Vienna. It's very moving
to know that this great composer considered himself
unworthy of writing fugues and canons. Yes, but
the early works are interesting because they're
just so full of inventiveness. It's mind -boggling.
I never really paid attention to them. I think
many pianists are not confronted with the early
sonatas of Schubert. We focus on the middle and
the later works, but it's just incredible and
virtuosic as well. I had to really sit down.
play a bit of piano there. So I really look forward
to that. But, you know, as you mentioned, he
lived such a short life, you know, in his 30s.
Despite of that, do you feel like the huge difference
in early, his early works and then late works?
Yes, I think he, at some point he found, I wouldn't
say he found his voice, but he allowed himself.
to sing his own song, to let out what he felt
in his heart. I think the early sonatas, he's
very self -conscious and what we call the weight
of history on his shoulders. So when one studies
music and studies composition, you go through
all the older composers and... the development
of music theory and music history and compositions.
And you feel like, what can I contribute now?
And I get that feeling with his early works.
He felt that he had to, you know, in a way build
on what was already there and pay homage to the
great Viennese composers of the time of, of Beethoven
and Haydn and to fit into this piano sonata genre.
And that's something that he took a long time
to break free from because Schubert has a very
different voice to Haydn and Beethoven, a lot
more fantasy, I think, and experimental in many
ways. So many of his middle and later sonatas
are difficult to analyze, in fact, because they
just take such different routes. and pathways
one would start with a melody and develop that
melody and then have another melody and it would
just flow from one place like a stream of consciousness
in a way whereas Haydn and Beethoven are like
architects they have everything constructed perfectly
and it's like a cathedral in a way if you look
at Beethoven's late piano sonatas or the middle
piano sonatas especially The architecture is
astounding. And then he would, you know, bridge
the subject to the dominant and then return to
this key and everything would have architectural
meaning. Whereas Schubert floats along, you know,
very naively compared to Beethoven, but I think
very honestly. And yeah, so that is something
that's very special with Schubert. Yeah, I think
also pianistically, it's interesting to note
that Schubert was not a great pianist. He struggled
even to play his own works. And he was in bad
luck because nobody else played his pieces. So
in order for someone to perform his piano sonatas,
he would have to play them himself. And sometimes
he would just... stop in the middle and say,
I just can't do this. The famous story is of
the Wanderer fantasy where he threw his hands
up in the air and started cursing and said, let
the devil play this. Yeah. So many of his works,
I think the large majority of his piano sonatas,
symphonies, string quartets, he never heard.
They were just never performed. And, yeah, it's
just, it moves me almost to tears to think that
this great, great music, the person who wrote
them down on paper never heard them, which is,
yeah, it's very moving to me. recording the entire
piano solo pieces. So I'm curious, especially
like, you know, people love Schubert's impromptus.
They're very famous. So are you recording them
later or you have already recorded in the previous
volumes? So the first set of impromptus I've
recorded the D899. And the second set will be,
in fact, the volume five. So that I will, I decided,
as you mentioned, the impromptus are so famous
and so beloved and have been recorded so many
times by such great pianists that I'm very respectful
for them. I mean, I'm respectful of the rest
as well, but I take special precaution with especially
the second set of impromptus. So I will be doing
some solo piano tours with them before I record
them, just to let them ripen a bit and mature
before running to the studio. Yeah, the second
set of impromptus is to me just heavenly, because
Schubert... Like I mentioned earlier, he's not
confined by sonata form because they're impromptus.
So even though they have vague sonata forms and,
you know, different sections that return and
modulations that are consistent to the key, they
still are not confined to the sonata form of
Haydn and Beethoven. And I think that gives Schubert
a lot of liberty. Returning to his songs, I think
that is one of the reasons why he's such a great
song composer, because he was the first to really
specialize in the German art song. Of course,
there were wonderful songs by Haydn and Beethoven
and Mozart, of course. But Schubert was the one
who made it unique and made it a great genre.
who added importance to the genre. Because I
think a composer like Haydn wrote songs on the
sideline, that it wasn't his main focus. And
of course, as a young composer, a string quartet
or a symphony would be something that you pour
your soul inside. But a song would be something
that you write for entertainment, maybe, or just
on the sideline. And Schubert, I think, was the
first who realized that there's this great literature
that needs a voice and that gets an added life
through the music. A poet like Wilhelm Müller
would maybe not be known today if it wasn't for
Schubert, who just felt a kindred spirit and
notated the... the feelings that he felt through
the words. Yeah. So getting back to your question
about the impromptus, they're just, they're just
such, such special works. And, and so yeah, pure
Schubert, like coming from his heart, not coming
from his head as the early sonatas do. So yeah,
that's, that's something that I'm, that I'm looking
forward to. And that is a big, big project for
me. I'm looking forward to the next two albums
for sure. I mean, the rest of the albums. So
for our audience, where can they find your music?
Available on all streaming services? Yes, I think
on most streaming services and on disc as well,
on compact disc that one can buy. I myself don't
even own a CD player, but I think... Yes, on
all major platforms, Amazon, iTunes, Apple Music,
Spotify, of course, Deezer, Tidal. But if they
want to purchase the hard copy, where is a good
place to go? Well, I think Amazon has availability
and the label itself, which is Hensler Classics,
they do sell. as well. And of course, anyone
who can't access a disc is welcome to write to
me on my website, and I'll be happy to arrange
that. Your website is your last name, right?
Yes, poshakovics .com. Buschkewitz .com. Okay,
I'll make sure to list that link in the show
notes. So I encourage all my listeners to go
ahead and either buy the purchased album, purchased
expansive albums, actually, or listen to them
on your favorite streaming services. I kind of
want to go back to the song part, like art songs,
especially as a pianist, like functioning as
a collaborative pianist. You've spoken about
the pianist role as both a partner and then kind
of a conductor and leading and following at the
same time. So what are some of the challenges
you encountered as a pianist over the course
of your career as a collaborative pianist? Here
in the United States, we say it, collaborative
pianist, but I think there's a German word, lead,
begleiter? Yes. I'm trying. Yes. I'm actually
torn between two worlds because I understand
collaborative pianist is very respectful. But
for me, I have nothing. I personally have no
problem with the term accompanist because I think
it's very beautiful to accompany someone on a
journey, you know, to accompany someone hand
in hand is very, very special and very, very
helpful to that person. It's not degrading, I
think. um and that's the word begleiter in german
is is accompanist so uh yeah but uh and a collaborator
of course in in french and uh in french and german
it has slightly negative connotations related
to the war collaborators during the war um but
in english it doesn't have that so it's just
it's it's an interesting It's an interesting
term. And I'm fine with both. Yes. So to your
question, there's the famous book by Gerald Moore,
who was the legend of collaborative pianists
with singers. Of course, a great accompanist
of Fischer Disko, of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, of
Victoria de Los Angeles, and many others. And
he... His famous autobiography is called Am I
Too Loud? And I often think about that because
often audience members comment on the fact that
I'm not too loud or that the balance was good
and things like that. And I find that very interesting
because it's very seldom that that's, you know.
Take, for example, the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto.
It ends with this frantic violin playing, I think,
in octaves, and the orchestra is playing forte
or fortissimo at the same time. And one can't
really hear the violin because the orchestra
is so loud. And I think Tchaikovsky meant it
exactly like that, that one sees the violin going
crazy on stage. And one just hears the orchestra.
And that's such a wonderful impression visually
to see that. It's just a moment of pure magic
for me. And I think that there are moments in
art song as well where the piano is louder than
the voice. And they're also very special. Maybe
just little moments and short moments because
one wants to hear the text and the lyrics, of
course. But I think there's a wonderful balance
when the piano is a partner of the voice and
not submissive to the voice. So yeah, for me,
it's a great challenge to bring out the singer's
voice as much as possible so that I can play
maybe a bit more bass or a bit more treble, a
bit more melody and have a dialogue. with the
singer. And that's for me a great, not only a
challenge, but a lot of fun as well to see how
far I can push it and challenge the singer as
well to take maybe musical risks and be more
adventurous and just have fun. Because I think
when that happens, the audience enjoys it as
well. And it's just, yeah. a lot of excitement
i feel like you know as a why we think about
collaborative pianist or accompanist is that
we're not just there to providing the background
music like a machine but there's an element of
really putting the music together no so doesn't
it take a while the process not about learning
notes that's something that you do as a homework
but you know come together and negotiate the
space not just the loudness or softness but about
the pace and how the melody and then the counter
melody all the good things just go together with
lyrics right does it take it takes a while no
right Yes, it does. And it's so much fun to just
approach it every time from a fresh start point.
And especially to discuss it without the music,
I think. You know, to go for a walk and talk
about the poem or to talk about the music and
the interpretation. One of my favorite recordings
of all time is Glenn Gould playing Brahms' Intermezzi.
Wow. Do you know that recording? No, I don't.
Yeah. I highly recommend it because it's not
what one expects of Glenn Gould. And he writes
in the program notes that he didn't play the
pieces at all before recording them. For two
weeks, he just read the score sitting on a couch.
at a table and just looking at the score without
touching the piano. And then he just went to
the recording studio and recorded them without
ever having practiced them. It might be a bit
of a Glenn Gould story. And yeah, he liked the
controversy, of course, and things like that.
But I think there's something special to that.
And I can imagine him doing that because he was
such a great mind and such a wonderful pianist
that he could do something like that. And so
I take inspiration from that story to think that
it's also very rewarding to discuss a score and
to discuss an interpretation without performing
it. Before one even touches the piano or sings
the music, that one just reads the score like
a book and discusses it. There's another great
story, if I may mention an anecdote about Brahms,
who said that the most perfect work of music
was Don Giovanni of Mozart. And the perfection
was in the score. So he said any performance
of Don Giovanni is bound to be imperfect. Because
as soon as it is sung and performed, there's
some horn that plays a false note or a singer
sings maybe with bad intonation or the orchestra
is too loud, something like that. There's always
something that goes wrong in a live performance.
But on paper, it's perfection. So he said he
never wants to hear Don Giovanni. It's a work
that he wants to read. In winter at the fireplace.
But he went against his own words and he did
hear Mahler conduct it and he loved it. So, yeah.
I suppose a mixture of both is good. Yes, definitely.
Well, that's interesting. So, you know, this
idea of Salon music was very, you know, Schubert
idea, right? The famous Schubert Tieden, small
gatherings among friends filled with poetry,
song and conversation. I feel like it's coming
back in this post -COVID era. I'm seeing a lot
of Salon type music in New York City, like, for
example, that music held at someone's homes,
private homes, immersive spaces, or even at someone
like lofts. For example, do you feel that return
of this Sherpa Tia Din tradition in 2026? I do.
I think I do. And it's for me very special to
be part of that because, of course, one tends
to give concerts sometimes for big audiences,
big halls, and then at other times for smaller
venues. And for me, the lead is such a personal
and intimate genre that it does very well in
small settings. Of course, many organizers prefer
concerts for many people and it brings in more
revenue. But for me, some of the most beautiful...
And intimate moments I've had have been with
smaller audiences in settings in a way similar
to what Schubert himself experienced at his own
Schubertiades, which were very special. If I
might give a bit of a historic background. At
the time of Schubert, during the years he lived
in Vienna, The ruler was Metternich, who ruled
with an iron fist and was very worried that Austria
would follow the path of France into revolution.
So he kind of imposed very strict rules about
gatherings. One had to get permission to have
gatherings of more than six or seven people.
And there were curfews at night. One had to return
home before a certain hour. So many of the Schubert
Theaters that Schubert organized and took part
of at friends' houses were, in fact, illegal.
So I think that made them very special. And today,
of course, it's not illegal to meet them together
in most parts of the world, fortunately. But
we've grown accustomed to live a large portion
of our lives online, virtually. And I think it's
become almost special to meet and to gather in
small groups in someone's house or in small venues,
have a glass of wine maybe. I think it's something
very special. And for me as a pianist, it's always
wonderful to have small concerts because I often
play in halls that are bigger and I perform and
I go home. Or I go back to the hotel and that's
it. And for me, it's much more special to have
a smaller concert in a smaller intimate venue
or at someone's home and to meet the audience,
to talk with them, to hear feedback. It's very
special and I enjoy it very much. Wow. And I
really love hearing that. Yeah, that you enjoy.
you know, salon sort of setting concerts as well
as big venues. Like you have so many extensive
experiences as a concert pianist. So now I want
to talk about where you came from. So how you
discover the taste of this whole musical journey,
right? So I think you were born in Israel, but
you moved to South Africa. at such a young age
with your family, correct? Yes, that's right.
I moved when I was quite young, and the music,
especially classical music, was very much part
of my family. I got it, I think, from my grandmother,
who loved especially Beethoven very much. And
that's the reason why she named my mother Leonora,
who is the main female character of Beethoven.
Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, of course. And
yeah, I grew up with a lot of music around me.
My sister's an incredible violinist and my brother's
a classical guitarist and composer. And yeah,
there was a lot of music around home all the
time. Wow. Fantastic. And then you were surrounded
by music and literally your siblings are... including
you, accomplished musicians. Yeah. Then you studied
in Leipzig and also Paris as well, right? Yes,
yes. Tell me more. Well, my first inspiration
to this path that I chose or that chose me as
a song pianist, as a collaborative pianist, was
through a wonderful professor in South Africa,
Heinrich van der Mest. who studied in Hanover
with Carl Engel, who's one of the great interpreters
of art song and of Mozart, especially. Wonderful
Mozart concerto recordings from him. And yeah,
that inspired me in the journey of the art song.
And then I also was fortunate to have a wonderful
mentor and teacher in Leipzig, Philip Moll. who
is still a wonderful mentor to me. He's retired
now and lives in Berlin and has just a huge amount
of experience as a pianist in many different
genres, worked with great instrumentalists, with
great singers, and just has a huge knowledge
of the repertoire and of the life. That one lives
as a traveling troubadour. Wow. Then, you know,
you obviously traveled a lot and, you know, throughout
continents, right? And so how has this mix of
cultures, which I'm so jealous of, you know,
because I love different cultures and being able
to really experience as... As an artist, you
know, that's incredible. But how this mix of
cultures shaped your artistry, the way you hear
music, for example, the way you make music? That's
a great question. And that's something that's
very important to me is, you know, learning from
different cultures and paying my respects to
them and to, you know, it's just. incredible
it's an incredible privilege to be able to travel
and to see so many wonderful places meet wonderful
people and hopefully bring them some some joy
and some um some you know musical satisfaction
i come from a family that's very kind of has
has many different roots and I have citizenships
on four different continents, which is also...
Wow. Yeah. So I think I'm very honored to combine
the two passions that I have, music and traveling,
into one career. And it's just every time I have
to pinch myself and say, well, what's... It's
incredible to, you know, other people pay to
travel to certain places and I get paid to travel
to them, which is something that I don't take
lightly. And I always try and remember it and
be thankful and to enjoy it while I can. Wow,
that's fantastic. But how many languages do you
speak? Not enough. Actually, yeah, I'm becoming
a father very soon, which is very exciting. And
this will be something that I'll be thinking
of a lot. What language will the child be learning
and what language is? And of course, there's
a temptation to teach many languages, as many
as possible to the child. But one has to be careful
not to overdo things, of course, not to be too
zealous. But there are two, three languages which
I would still love to learn. As an art song pianist,
as a collaborative pianist, one is exposed to
German a lot, of course, German -English. French
and Spanish, I'd say. Of course, they're wonderful
Russian art songs as well. And then there's,
you know, any language, you name it, there's
the great art songs. So there's just, it's an
endless path of discovery. And that is another
privilege as a pianist to not only work with
wonderful music, but also with literature. and
great literature from great composers you know
the great settings of pushkin in russian the
goethe in in in german of course heiner eichendorff
murica and wonderful english poetry from across
the atlantic you know from both sides from england
from australian art song american art song which
has its own long tradition uh so yeah it's it's
it's a lot of discovery and always something
new and fresh so well almost congratulations
being a father yeah thank you that's exciting
that's so life -changing moment it is yes yeah
and then with all the projects you do you are
giving birth to music too you know what i mean
like so that's that's exciting yeah yes that
is true that is true full of you know birth to
something new it's always always especially live
in a time like this these kind of moments are
so precious right that's true that's true i think
it's it's interesting what you say because i
think as a performer i mean you're a pianist
as well it's so um it's it's strange because
a lot of what we do is abstract performing in
a concert And one prepares for so long for this
performance. And afterwards, it's all in the
air. It's maybe in people's minds and hopefully
in their hearts as well. But it's very abstract.
Whereas an artist who paints a painting, the
painting is there and stays there for hundreds
of years. So for me... Like you say, the albums,
it's almost like giving birth in a way, creating
something that's hopefully a contribution to
culture that's something concrete that can stay
for hopefully a few years. Thank you for sharing
all your wisdom and knowledge. I'm learning a
lot by speaking with you. Thank you. That's kind
of you. Yeah, and you're such a good teacher
too. Now, speaking of that, you teach and give
masterclasses around the world, working with
young pianists, preparing to collaborate with
singers, also maybe teaching them about being
a soloist as well. So from a technical standpoint,
what are some of the most common challenges these
young artists face? Well, I think one example
is a wonderful young pianist I taught in China.
who played La Campanella of Liszt, which is,
you know, legendarily difficult, technically.
And it was just played, you know, perfectly.
It was just so perfect. But he didn't know really
what the title was or who the composer was. And
that creates an interesting question to think.
How much does one need to know of the history
and the concept behind the work? And I think
it does help on the long term, even though it's
really impressive what one can do technically.
I think being involved in the history and the
culture and the story of the composer's life
is also so important in interpreting it. So for
me, I often try to bring these aspects in and
not just to focus on the technical, because I
often teach someone just once. I have one hour
and then that's it. And I think if I focus on
technical things, it will maybe just confuse
them or, you know, it will maybe give them a
little bit of help for some technical problem
or technical issue. but I'm not sure if it will
inspire them for the long term. And I think it's
more important to me. The inspiration is so important
because then one really has the discipline to
focus on learning something. A sonata, let's
say, let's take Rachmaninoff's second piano sonata,
which is a huge piece. The willpower it takes
to sit down for hours and learn this work. is
so immense that one has to have some reason to
do it. And I think for a young pianist, it's
so inspiring to think, okay, I can achieve something
one day if I sit down and work consequently and
carefully as a pianist. One day I can be able
to travel, to earn my living, to, you know, make.
bring people joy through these uh through these
performances i think that is that is the most
important to me for for as a as a teacher to
try and find something that can motivate and
inspire a young young person beautifully said
now you've also offered you know benefit concerts
and master classes for humanitarian causes in
places like ethiopia and brazil and so on so
tell us more about them Well, this is an aspect
of my career that I really enjoy. As I mentioned,
I love traveling, but classical music doesn't
always tend to bring one to developing countries
and places like, as I mentioned, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia,
parts of Africa, parts of South America, which
are... which don't have the infrastructure to
have regular classical concert series or big
performances of great artists. So for me, just
being able to visit these countries and perform
for communities there to try and, I mean, I wouldn't
say that, it sounds arrogant to say that I'm
contributing in a big way, but even if I just
managed to inspire one or two, young young people
it's for me it's it's worth it um yeah one one
story i have is from a a school in a rural area
of of zimbabwe near the border of of mozambique
where i i performed at the school and they had
a small grand piano and uh i i played the the
concert played a lot of Liszt, I remember, in
the concert. And I kind of, the poor piano suffered
a lot. And afterwards, the music teacher of the
school told me that the piano had, in fact, it
was an old piano that had ivory keys. And over
the years, the ivory had been taken off and probably
sold or had disappeared. So it was just the wooden
keys on the piano. And he took... old ice cream
containers and pieces of plastic and cut out
piano keys and stuck them on the wood so that
it would be playable. And it was so moving because
the piano was in a great condition because of
that. He had himself taken the effort to spend
hours to repair this piano so that I could play
on it. And yeah, that was just, it was very moving
to me. That is special. And how was it to play
on that keys? They were fine. I wouldn't have
even noticed it if he had not mentioned it because
they were so, so perfectly done to the millimeter.
He had filed them and sanded them. That's incredible.
That's an incredible story. Wow. And how were
the reactions playing all that list pieces? They
loved it. There was a standing ovation. And I
think. most of the children there and maybe the
adults as well had never heard a full piano recital
before. So that was a great moment for me and
far more special to me than many of the bigger
concerts I've given, which of course good for
my ego and that, but in terms of contribution,
I'm not sure how much I contributed to the audience.
Yeah, and together with my wife, Leticia Grimaldi,
we created a non -profit organization called
Voices of All Fears, Les Voix d 'Orphée in French,
during COVID, because we had the time, many concerts.
She's a wonderful soprano, and many of our concerts
were canceled, of course. So we had the time,
and it was a project that she had been wanting
to do for a long time. And yeah, so together
with the nonprofit association and partners such
as the Goethe Institute and the Alliance Francaise,
Institut Francais, which are worldwide organizations
bringing especially German and French culture
to the rest of the world. We've collaborated
with them very often. Yeah, so that's something
very special to me. And some of the most unforgettable
musical moments I've experienced have been in
such places. Ethiopia, for example, it's such
a beautiful country and such generous, warm people.
Just, that's a wonderful experience. Thank you.
And your work really involves with such love
and empathy and then it really shows through
your playing as well. Yeah. I hope so. Yeah.
And so what do you think audiences most need
from music today? Well, I think that, as I was
mentioning earlier, just to take the time. to
find a place of refuge, to find somewhere where
one can just be quiet and be comforted and find
some healing from the stress and the turmoil
of everyday life. As I said earlier, life has
become so quick. Everything is very fast and
very regulated. It has to be, we need to do this
and this and this in a day. And I think music
is a space to escape from that and to find, as
I said, a place of refuge and almost a place
where one can meditate and let things from life
sink in or maybe leave them behind. I think that
is... It's almost escapism for me, for me and
hopefully for the audience as well. Absolutely.
And healing as well. Yeah, you're right. Yes.
Your podcast is, of course, focused on creativity.
And I think that's something very, very special
because as classical music performers, we are
vessels. something that has already been composed
and we have this enormous privilege and responsibility
of kind of exposing it in a fresh new light and
that's such a great experience because it's creative
and it's in a way like being a curator of an
art gallery you know to to create a new concert
program is in a way curating an exposition and
uh and i think that's that's that's a great privilege
it is and wow what a wonderful conversation it's
been like you are such a perfect guest for this
season of creativity and connection and uh You
know, although Schubert is the pieces, Pian solo
pieces, traditional classical pieces, however,
the way you approach to interpretation, to the
way you approach to spreading this wonderful
music of Schubert to the rest of the world is
just so unique and innovative. Not just limited
to Schubert, but, you know, so I appreciate you
for being here. And we're really coming to the
end of our conversation. But is there anything
else you want to really, I need to talk about
this? No, I think, as you mentioned, this creativity
is, for me, the embodiment of Schubert. his music
is so, as I mentioned earlier, he was criticized
a lot during his time for almost being too creative
and not obeying the formal rules of composition,
which were of his time. And I think that's why
I love him so much because he has this freedom
that just, he follows his soul and not his brain,
not his, his mind. And that is for me, the essence
of, of Schubert is just the, the love, And sharing
the love. And sharing the pain as well. Because
for me Schubert is pain and love mixed together.
And he wrote about that as well. How love and
pain are so connected. And in life we have ups
and downs. And that's what makes life so special.
Being on top of a mountain. Seeing a wonderful
view. it takes a lot of pain and effort to climb
that mountain. And yeah, so I think for me, Schubert
is an expression of what life is. And yeah, so.
Oh, thank you. Well, thank you for really sharing
this special moment together, because I think
it's really wonderful. Like you're almost becoming
a parent, you know, it's such a really special
moment right now. I'm capturing you. Yeah, it's
really wonderful. So how can my audience get
in touch with you? So we talked about your website,
bushkowitz .com, to learn more about your work.
And also, I know there are a lot of exciting
recordings coming up. So would you like to maybe
promote yourself? Well, yes, there's the new
solo recording coming out in June 2026. Schubert
1826 songs in 2026, which is called Hoffnung,
as I mentioned, Hope, together with Samuel Hasselhorn.
That's coming out in April 2026. And there's
a wonderful recording with baritone Konstantin
Krimmel. of songs by Brahms and Mandyshevsky,
which is also coming out later in 2026. This
is a special project because it's songs in German
and Romanian, and it includes a lot of world
premiere recordings of the songs of Mandyshevsky,
who was a contemporary of Brahms and a great
friend and colleague of Brahms in Vienna. So
these are three projects which are very dear
to me. And other than that, yeah, I'll be traveling
a lot and be recording, being a father and hopefully,
yeah. Sharing this one, this beautiful world
with other fellow humans. Wonderful. Thank you.
Thank you really for being here and sharing your
beautiful stories and expertise. But before I
let you go, we have one more thing to do. It's
called the PianoPod Rapid Fire Questions. And
I take this segment very seriously. You shared
your stories today, but these next questions
will give you, our listeners, a glimpse into
who you truly are. So let's do this. Each question
is really short. I want you to answer them as
the shortest response as possible. So let's start
with number one. What's your comfort food? Salad,
in fact. Salad? Oh, your salad? Yeah. Well, I
love different kinds of crazy salads, everything
mixed together. It's crunchy and healthy. Great.
How do you like your coffee in the morning? I
say black and bitter like my soul. Great. Cats
or dogs? Dogs. Although I love cats as well,
but yeah, dogs are to me almost like people.
Sunrise or sunset? Sunset. I'm too lazy for sunrise.
Summer or winter? Oh, that's a hard one. I'll
have to say winter, but in the desert. So that's
a compromise. That's a good one. Yes. Yeah. What
skill have you always wanted to learn but haven't
had a chance to? Woodwork. I find wood very beautiful.
And as a pianist, you know, the piano is... It's
made out of wood, essentially. And wood is what
resonates and what creates these beautiful vibrations
and sounds. So yeah, woodwork. Wow. Yeah, that's
great. What is your word or words to live by?
Hope is very special for me. Love, light, and
longing. Oh, longing. Beautiful. Favorite venue
you've ever performed in? That would have to
be a place called, a venue called Eukarya in
Australia. It's in the Adelaide Hills, which
are beautiful. It's a wine region of Australia
and it's covered in glass. So one sees the sunset
while one is performing. It's just unbelievable.
Wow. What is the most important quality you look
for in other people? Honesty. I think, yeah.
Even if it's direct and brutal, just honesty.
Honestly, great. Name a composer you wish more
people knew about. Well, that would be Mandyshevsky,
whom I mentioned, which whom I, I must admit,
didn't even know about. But yeah, as I mentioned,
the contemporary of Brahms, beautiful Slavic
romantic music, very special. I need to check
him out. Yeah. Name one piece in your current
playlist. Any genre. Whoa. At the moment, it's
the Elijah of Metason, the oratorio. Just for
me, incredible music. The last question. Fill
in the blank. Music is blank. Music is light,
I would say. Thank you so much for joining us
today, for sharing your story, artistry and journey
throughout. Thank you so much, Yukimi. Oh, it's
a great pleasure to have been here. Thank you.
So for our audience, if you would like to explore
more of Emil's incredible work, please visit
Buschkewitz. and listen to his acclaimed recordings
available wherever you listen to music. And of
course, a huge thank you to all of you for tuning
in today. And if you enjoyed today's episode,
please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to the
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on Substack, TikTok and LinkedIn. We'll see you
in the next episode of the Pianapod. Thank you,
Emil, once again. Thank you, Yukimi. All the
best to you. Yeah, same to you. Thank you.