WEBVTT 00:00:00.590 --> 00:00:26.679 Thank you. That was the Montagues and Capulets 00:00:26.679 --> 00:00:29.820 from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet Suite and it 00:00:29.820 --> 00:00:33.240 was performed by Isetta Canamason. I'm Erica 00:00:33.240 --> 00:00:36.359 Worth and welcome to this Pianist Podcast. Today 00:00:36.359 --> 00:00:39.359 I am speaking with Isetta about her life in music 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:42.460 with a particular emphasis on her new Prokofiev 00:00:42.460 --> 00:00:46.520 recording on the Decca label. Isetta, it's great 00:00:46.520 --> 00:00:49.700 to have you on the Pianist Podcast today. It's 00:00:49.700 --> 00:00:53.380 really exciting to be here. Oh, thank you. Anyway, 00:00:53.479 --> 00:00:56.000 we're here to discuss your new album, released 00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:58.240 on the 10th of April, which is called Prokofiev. 00:00:58.500 --> 00:01:00.600 Now, that's a bit of a surprise to me, as I usually 00:01:00.600 --> 00:01:03.039 think of you as a real romantic player in terms 00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:07.319 of repertoire. So why Prokofiev? Yeah, it's interesting 00:01:07.319 --> 00:01:09.700 you say that. I mean, I do love the Romantic 00:01:09.700 --> 00:01:11.780 repertoire and the Romantic composers, of course, 00:01:11.799 --> 00:01:14.900 but Prokofiev is one of the most special composers 00:01:14.900 --> 00:01:18.760 for me and has been for most of my life, I would 00:01:18.760 --> 00:01:20.859 say. And I think that's also why I felt it was 00:01:20.859 --> 00:01:23.900 so important to release a Prokofiev album, because 00:01:23.900 --> 00:01:26.700 as you were saying, you don't necessarily associate 00:01:26.700 --> 00:01:30.230 with... associate me with Prokofiev, but I associate 00:01:30.230 --> 00:01:32.969 myself with Prokofiev. And so I felt like I wanted 00:01:32.969 --> 00:01:34.870 to kind of share it with the world. You know, 00:01:34.870 --> 00:01:37.310 this is like another part of my identity that 00:01:37.310 --> 00:01:39.549 I feel close to. Wow, that's interesting. Do 00:01:39.549 --> 00:01:41.390 you grow up learning a lot of Prokofiev when 00:01:41.390 --> 00:01:44.189 you were young? I grew up learning some. I would 00:01:44.189 --> 00:01:46.069 say it's been a big thing for me from about age 00:01:46.069 --> 00:01:48.709 18. And I would say especially the concerto as 00:01:48.709 --> 00:01:51.109 well. It's one of my, in my top five favourite 00:01:51.109 --> 00:01:52.930 piano concertos. And so obviously I wanted to 00:01:52.930 --> 00:01:55.900 record it. Oh, it is. It's exhilarating, isn't 00:01:55.900 --> 00:01:59.280 it? Yes. Yeah. And I mean, have you did you listen? 00:01:59.319 --> 00:02:00.980 Have you listened to lots of others recording? 00:02:01.019 --> 00:02:03.560 I know Martha Argerich is one who's who's played 00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:06.519 it, recorded it. Yes. Or did you think, you know 00:02:06.519 --> 00:02:08.800 what, I'm going to create my own interpretation? 00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:12.719 Well, a mixture of. Both. I mean, of course, 00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:14.819 you never want to be copying, but Marta Argoch 00:02:14.819 --> 00:02:17.599 is one of my biggest inspirations. She holds 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:19.740 my favourite recording. But I was actually introduced 00:02:19.740 --> 00:02:22.659 to the piece by a YouTube performance from Yuja 00:02:22.659 --> 00:02:24.840 Wang. And that's what made me fall in love with 00:02:24.840 --> 00:02:27.319 the piece. And also when I discovered her as 00:02:27.319 --> 00:02:29.419 well, kind of all in one go. Oh, my goodness. 00:02:29.500 --> 00:02:31.500 She is amazing as well, isn't she? Yes. Yeah. 00:02:31.979 --> 00:02:36.039 Two amazing women pianists. So the album centrepiece 00:02:36.039 --> 00:02:39.439 is his Concerto No. 3, which you performed at 00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:42.500 the BBC Proms as your debut in 2023. How was 00:02:42.500 --> 00:02:45.379 that experience? Yeah, that was an incredible 00:02:45.379 --> 00:02:48.539 experience. I mean, it was definitely one of 00:02:48.539 --> 00:02:51.479 the most nervous feelings I've had before a concert 00:02:51.479 --> 00:02:53.680 because it just felt like such a big thing. But 00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:55.580 then because of that, the adrenaline kind of 00:02:55.580 --> 00:02:58.259 carried me through the performance. My goodness. 00:02:59.200 --> 00:03:02.840 I don't know how you do it. So so when you're 00:03:02.840 --> 00:03:06.020 in the performance, you it just lets you go, 00:03:06.139 --> 00:03:09.659 basically. It's kind of like entering another 00:03:09.659 --> 00:03:13.300 world or another zone. I can't say that in that 00:03:13.300 --> 00:03:16.520 concert I stopped fully feeling nervous at any 00:03:16.520 --> 00:03:19.099 point, but it's kind of nerves mixed with adrenaline 00:03:19.099 --> 00:03:22.080 and excitement as well. And so you kind of enter 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:24.400 kind of a hyper state is the best way I can describe 00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:26.919 it. Oh, my goodness. And who was the which orchestra 00:03:26.919 --> 00:03:30.439 was it? It was BBC Now and it was with Brian 00:03:30.439 --> 00:03:33.159 Bancroft, which was he's he's one of my favourite 00:03:33.159 --> 00:03:35.879 conductors and he was on the recording. Oh, yes, 00:03:35.939 --> 00:03:38.520 of course. Absolutely. Now on the recording, 00:03:38.819 --> 00:03:42.719 the concerto is accompanied by solo works, Prokofiev 00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:45.000 solo works. If you can tell listeners about the 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:49.330 pieces you've chosen. Yes. So there's. His third 00:03:49.330 --> 00:03:51.830 piano sonata, that finishes the album, actually. 00:03:52.110 --> 00:03:54.370 And the start of the album has the Prokofiev 00:03:54.370 --> 00:03:58.590 Toccata. There's also a prelude in C major, nicknamed 00:03:58.590 --> 00:04:00.930 the Heart Prelude, not very well known, but I 00:04:00.930 --> 00:04:02.469 played that one when I was younger, actually, 00:04:02.629 --> 00:04:05.389 so came back to it. And then some excerpts from 00:04:05.389 --> 00:04:08.550 his ballets, so Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella 00:04:08.550 --> 00:04:11.590 and The Love for Three Oranges as well. Oh, how 00:04:11.590 --> 00:04:13.409 wonderful. I mean, the prelude, I don't think 00:04:13.409 --> 00:04:15.409 I'd heard before. That's just magical, isn't 00:04:15.409 --> 00:04:17.959 it? Yeah, yeah. It's for some reason not. I mean, 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:20.120 it's quite an early work and people just don't 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:22.000 tend to know it. But I think it's a very charming 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:24.220 piece and I think it shows a different side of 00:04:24.220 --> 00:04:25.800 Prokofiev, which I wanted to do on the album 00:04:25.800 --> 00:04:28.600 as well. OK, so that could be really good repertoire 00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:31.480 for somebody who's maybe not too advanced, technically. 00:04:32.519 --> 00:04:34.860 Yeah, I mean, I actually learnt that piece as 00:04:34.860 --> 00:04:36.800 an 11 year old. So it was one of my childhood 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:39.420 pieces. So it's not a technically demanding piece. 00:04:39.720 --> 00:04:43.050 It's a piece that... Yeah, it's just very charming, 00:04:43.069 --> 00:04:45.689 very playful and has moments that sound like 00:04:45.689 --> 00:04:47.410 a harp, which is why it's often called the harp 00:04:47.410 --> 00:04:50.589 prelude. Oh, OK. And then, of course, you've 00:04:50.589 --> 00:04:52.850 got the famous Romeo and Juliet suite, which 00:04:52.850 --> 00:04:55.629 everybody loves. The Montagues and the Capulets. 00:04:55.709 --> 00:04:58.069 Yes. Nice to have some famous stuff on there 00:04:58.069 --> 00:05:01.790 as well. Absolutely. No, it sounds amazing. I've 00:05:01.790 --> 00:05:06.480 listened to it. This being is your latest album, 00:05:06.579 --> 00:05:09.120 but it reminds me very much of your recent Mendelssohn 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:13.040 album in that the main work is Felix's Concerto 00:05:13.040 --> 00:05:16.019 No. 1 and then the solo works by him and his 00:05:16.019 --> 00:05:19.740 sister Fanny. I mean, that's a lovely idea for 00:05:19.740 --> 00:05:22.399 a programme, isn't it? Yeah, it was really nice 00:05:22.399 --> 00:05:25.100 combining those two composers together on that 00:05:25.100 --> 00:05:27.500 album. And then on this one, I enjoyed kind of 00:05:27.500 --> 00:05:29.660 just exploring Prokofiev, but exploring different 00:05:29.660 --> 00:05:33.709 moods of Prokofiev in one album. Absolutely. 00:05:34.129 --> 00:05:37.329 I mean, Fanny Mendelssohn, she was great, wasn't 00:05:37.329 --> 00:05:38.790 she? I mean, some of her compositions are beautiful, 00:05:38.949 --> 00:05:41.389 aren't they? Yeah, definitely. I think especially 00:05:41.389 --> 00:05:44.370 for me, her songs and her string quartet is my 00:05:44.370 --> 00:05:47.230 favourite of her music. Yeah, the C minor. Okay, 00:05:47.509 --> 00:05:50.550 interesting. And I'm just trying to think, you 00:05:50.550 --> 00:05:53.149 appeared on the cover of Pianist magazine in 00:05:53.149 --> 00:05:57.750 2019 when you'd made your debut album for Decca 00:05:57.750 --> 00:06:01.290 with an album focusing on the Schumanns called 00:06:01.290 --> 00:06:05.339 Romance. And that's a lovely programme idea as 00:06:05.339 --> 00:06:07.980 well. And that was your first album. What made 00:06:07.980 --> 00:06:11.660 you decide on that choice of repertoire? Well, 00:06:11.740 --> 00:06:13.980 I first heard of Clara Schumann, I heard her 00:06:13.980 --> 00:06:16.480 piano concerto first, which I thought was a very 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:18.800 impressive and beautiful piece. And also her 00:06:18.800 --> 00:06:20.740 scherzo number two. I think those were the two 00:06:20.740 --> 00:06:23.199 works that drew me into her music. And so the 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:25.800 thought of doing kind of a composer profile. 00:06:26.759 --> 00:06:29.139 on her just felt very important I didn't know 00:06:29.139 --> 00:06:32.480 that many recordings of her works and actually 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:35.040 that's the last time I did a whole album on one 00:06:35.040 --> 00:06:37.160 composer so this for Coffee F is the second time 00:06:37.160 --> 00:06:39.740 that I've done a whole album on just one composer 00:06:39.740 --> 00:06:43.220 oh wait a minute but Robert and Clara they were 00:06:43.220 --> 00:06:45.959 both on the album weren't they I thought it was 00:06:45.959 --> 00:06:49.740 just Clara Schumer but maybe maybe it is I think 00:06:49.740 --> 00:06:53.110 it's just Clara Schumer All right. Apologies 00:06:53.110 --> 00:06:57.509 there. But Clara somehow had, she's kind of like 00:06:57.509 --> 00:07:00.410 surfaced, hasn't she? People realise now what 00:07:00.410 --> 00:07:03.930 a great composer she was. Yes, yes, exactly. 00:07:04.129 --> 00:07:06.250 And I think she's really exploded and there's 00:07:06.250 --> 00:07:08.350 more recordings of the piano concerto. And I 00:07:08.350 --> 00:07:09.709 mean, there were, of course, recordings before. 00:07:09.790 --> 00:07:11.709 I'm not saying mine was the first one or anything. 00:07:11.850 --> 00:07:14.189 No. I do feel like there's been an even greater 00:07:14.189 --> 00:07:16.610 boom in the last few years of her music. Yes. 00:07:16.649 --> 00:07:20.329 And women composers in general, right? Yes, yes, 00:07:20.350 --> 00:07:25.750 exactly, exactly. That's good. So now I'm going 00:07:25.750 --> 00:07:27.629 back to your cover interview again that you did 00:07:27.629 --> 00:07:30.850 with us. My goodness, that's seven years ago 00:07:30.850 --> 00:07:35.689 now, Isata. And I remember you saying that you 00:07:35.689 --> 00:07:38.209 were quite glad you didn't win BBC Young Musician 00:07:38.209 --> 00:07:40.269 at the time, even if you got through to the finals. 00:07:40.509 --> 00:07:42.870 You said you felt you needed more time to develop. 00:07:43.069 --> 00:07:46.459 Was that true in the end? It was true in the 00:07:46.459 --> 00:07:50.300 end, but it wasn't true at the time. It was true 00:07:50.300 --> 00:07:52.759 in retrospect, I would say. At the time, it felt 00:07:52.759 --> 00:07:54.779 like the biggest failure of my life. But I was 00:07:54.779 --> 00:07:58.779 also a 16, 17 year old who had only thought of 00:07:58.779 --> 00:08:01.980 one method of kind of building a career. And 00:08:01.980 --> 00:08:03.620 then, of course, years went by and I realised 00:08:03.620 --> 00:08:07.040 I was grateful for how things turned out. Oh, 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:09.439 and at that point, were you at the junior academy, 00:08:09.740 --> 00:08:12.160 the Royal Academy? Were you in the junior department? 00:08:12.259 --> 00:08:15.100 Junior department, still living at home. still 00:08:15.100 --> 00:08:18.079 at school yeah yes going backwards and forwards 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:22.379 um how interesting so when did it all obviously 00:08:22.379 --> 00:08:24.360 you didn't win and you were disappointed and 00:08:24.360 --> 00:08:26.860 then you worked super hard when did it all come 00:08:26.860 --> 00:08:29.379 together for you then you know you've secured 00:08:29.379 --> 00:08:32.379 one of the world's top agents and you've got 00:08:32.379 --> 00:08:34.220 this recording contract with deca how did that 00:08:34.220 --> 00:08:37.700 all come about well that actually started with 00:08:37.700 --> 00:08:39.279 the class human that we were discussing before 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:44.039 so that project um kind of solidified things. 00:08:44.100 --> 00:08:45.840 And that's when I started working with DECO and 00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:48.220 with my agency. And I was performing with my 00:08:48.220 --> 00:08:50.679 brother Sheikhu for a few years before that. 00:08:50.779 --> 00:08:52.820 So that was also the start of performing more 00:08:52.820 --> 00:08:55.500 internationally. But I would say as a soloist, 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:57.620 it was with the Clara Schumann. Oh, yes. OK, 00:08:57.759 --> 00:08:59.620 of course you were performing with Sheikhu, weren't 00:08:59.620 --> 00:09:04.779 you? Yes. Oh, and I mean, you know, you've got 00:09:04.779 --> 00:09:07.940 an amazing agent, Catherine Enticott. Yeah, she's 00:09:07.940 --> 00:09:10.500 really, really wonderful. Yeah. And does she 00:09:10.500 --> 00:09:12.659 helps you with your career choices, with your 00:09:12.659 --> 00:09:17.419 repertoire choices? I think I get suggestions 00:09:17.419 --> 00:09:20.480 from her and also from Jo, who's on the team. 00:09:21.259 --> 00:09:24.000 But also it largely comes from me, I would say, 00:09:24.039 --> 00:09:26.120 which is really lovely. I kind of say, oh, I'd 00:09:26.120 --> 00:09:28.000 love to learn this. I'd love to learn that. And 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:29.860 we have a discussion, kind of a back and forth 00:09:29.860 --> 00:09:32.799 discussion. Oh, interesting. And of course, do 00:09:32.799 --> 00:09:36.279 your parents get involved with any of this? No, 00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:40.019 not at all. I think, well, they might. they might 00:09:40.019 --> 00:09:42.539 be i don't think they get involved in the sense 00:09:42.539 --> 00:09:44.519 that they'll come to all of our concerts that 00:09:44.519 --> 00:09:47.059 they can and whenever i'm learning something 00:09:47.059 --> 00:09:49.539 new particularly my dad will get so invested 00:09:49.539 --> 00:09:52.100 in the piece that i'm learning and kind of get 00:09:52.100 --> 00:09:53.960 to know it back to front so that he can kind 00:09:53.960 --> 00:09:55.899 of give me lessons on it which is so so helpful 00:09:55.899 --> 00:09:58.799 but they definitely don't have a say in in the 00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:01.059 repertoire choices that's amazing but you're 00:10:01.059 --> 00:10:04.059 far mother he's not um he's not a musician though 00:10:04.059 --> 00:10:06.960 is he or is he he's not a musician but he played 00:10:06.960 --> 00:10:09.759 the piano to quite a high standard um into his 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:12.080 adult life and he's always been very musical 00:10:12.080 --> 00:10:14.299 he's just never done it professionally but he 00:10:14.299 --> 00:10:16.919 definitely has an ear that you know he can sit 00:10:16.919 --> 00:10:19.259 and listen to a concerto I'm performing and pick 00:10:19.259 --> 00:10:21.620 out very very detailed things that I'm missing 00:10:21.620 --> 00:10:24.360 so it's very useful that's interesting and your 00:10:24.360 --> 00:10:27.509 mother she was your first teacher Was she your 00:10:27.509 --> 00:10:29.610 first pianist? Yes, she, I mean, I think my dad 00:10:29.610 --> 00:10:31.309 helped me as well, but yeah, she really sat with 00:10:31.309 --> 00:10:35.370 me in the early stages and kind of, yes, I remember 00:10:35.370 --> 00:10:37.190 her really kind of listening to everything I 00:10:37.190 --> 00:10:38.809 was doing and helping me because she played the 00:10:38.809 --> 00:10:42.990 piano as well. Yeah, amazing, amazing. And I 00:10:42.990 --> 00:10:45.470 have to ask you, and I'm sure you've been asked 00:10:45.470 --> 00:10:47.690 this before, what's it like to be, you know, 00:10:47.690 --> 00:10:52.039 one of seven siblings? Yeah. I got it right. 00:10:52.460 --> 00:10:55.759 You got it right. One of seven siblings in a 00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:59.519 very famous musical family. Do you learn from 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:03.000 each other? We do learn from each other. Yeah, 00:11:03.080 --> 00:11:05.759 we support each other. We play to each other. 00:11:05.779 --> 00:11:08.059 We give each other lessons. We go to each other's 00:11:08.059 --> 00:11:10.179 concerts. And I think we also keep each other 00:11:10.179 --> 00:11:13.399 grounded because our household was always just 00:11:13.399 --> 00:11:16.399 very chaotic and noisy and full of games and 00:11:16.399 --> 00:11:18.519 fun. And whenever we're back together, that energy. 00:11:19.039 --> 00:11:21.980 comes back out and so yeah kind of grounds us 00:11:21.980 --> 00:11:24.519 that's fantastic I mean you grew up in Nottingham 00:11:24.519 --> 00:11:27.899 which is my hometown as well um yeah I know it's 00:11:27.899 --> 00:11:29.919 great what were your studies like there I mean 00:11:29.919 --> 00:11:33.600 back then I mean I was extremely lucky with my 00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:36.059 schools I went to Walter Hall's primary school 00:11:36.059 --> 00:11:38.679 and Trinity secondary school and they both had 00:11:38.679 --> 00:11:41.440 head teachers that loved music so the music departments 00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:44.799 were amazing and so I had a really great state 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:48.470 education there and yeah I always Love going 00:11:48.470 --> 00:11:50.009 back to Nottingham. I love when I get to play 00:11:50.009 --> 00:11:51.990 at the concert hall. I think it's one of the 00:11:51.990 --> 00:11:55.129 best ones in the UK there. Really? I remember 00:11:55.129 --> 00:11:57.610 that concert hall. Wow. Do you think the education 00:11:57.610 --> 00:12:00.090 is the same there today? Have things changed? 00:12:00.710 --> 00:12:03.309 Things have sadly changed. I mean, at Trinity, 00:12:03.450 --> 00:12:05.590 my secondary school, the music teachers there 00:12:05.590 --> 00:12:08.389 are working so hard to keep the music education 00:12:08.389 --> 00:12:12.169 alive. They've lost so much funding. And so it's... 00:12:12.360 --> 00:12:14.740 definitely not as easy as it was back in the 00:12:14.740 --> 00:12:16.860 day but I think there are still very dedicated 00:12:16.860 --> 00:12:19.059 and loyal people there who kind of keep things 00:12:19.059 --> 00:12:21.759 going and so they still have concerts and music 00:12:21.759 --> 00:12:25.059 groups but it's it's definitely got harder. I'm 00:12:25.059 --> 00:12:27.940 sure and you have since moved to London you're 00:12:27.940 --> 00:12:31.799 living in London full -time yes and your siblings 00:12:31.799 --> 00:12:34.299 are they all over the place or mainly in London 00:12:34.299 --> 00:12:37.169 or still in Nottingham? Actually, mainly in London. 00:12:37.289 --> 00:12:39.730 There's five of us in London now, just two left 00:12:39.730 --> 00:12:41.690 in Nottingham. And one of them is about to leave 00:12:41.690 --> 00:12:44.090 home to come to London in September. So it's 00:12:44.090 --> 00:12:48.009 dwindling in Nottingham. Oh, your parents are 00:12:48.009 --> 00:12:50.370 still there, of course. Yeah, they have to still 00:12:50.370 --> 00:12:53.190 be there. Well, they don't have to. Oh, it's 00:12:53.190 --> 00:12:57.850 a great it's a great city. So from Nottingham, 00:12:57.929 --> 00:12:59.509 you went to the junior department at the Royal 00:12:59.509 --> 00:13:02.850 Academy in London. And you've had some wonderful 00:13:02.850 --> 00:13:05.639 teachers there. I know you then did your. Were 00:13:05.639 --> 00:13:07.899 you postgrad there as well? Your undergrad and 00:13:07.899 --> 00:13:10.539 postgrad? Yeah, I did both. Yeah, yeah. And you 00:13:10.539 --> 00:13:13.039 studied with the late Hamish Milne, who was a 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:16.440 wonderful pianist. He was so incredible. I had 00:13:16.440 --> 00:13:18.480 an amazing three years. I was lucky to have the 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:21.220 last three years that he was teaching, actually. 00:13:21.340 --> 00:13:24.200 So I'm so glad I got to study with him. Oh, how 00:13:24.200 --> 00:13:27.139 wonderful. What do you think he taught you? The 00:13:27.139 --> 00:13:31.519 unique things he taught you? He really taught 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:35.009 me to... I think he really opened me up. I think 00:13:35.009 --> 00:13:38.370 when I came to the academy, I had quite a shyness 00:13:38.370 --> 00:13:40.929 about my playing. And so I held back a lot of 00:13:40.929 --> 00:13:43.269 my expressiveness and he would just help me to 00:13:43.269 --> 00:13:46.009 see music in a different way. And he would kind 00:13:46.009 --> 00:13:48.129 of say, you know, what's the point of this phrase? 00:13:48.309 --> 00:13:51.669 Why? Why this? Why that? And really made me kind 00:13:51.669 --> 00:13:53.830 of look at things in a much deeper way, which 00:13:53.830 --> 00:13:56.450 is the young person I really needed. And you 00:13:56.450 --> 00:13:59.110 say you had a shyness. Is that just in your personality? 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:02.519 Or maybe, yeah, it is your personality. Yeah, 00:14:02.519 --> 00:14:05.159 which has got less with age. But I think particularly 00:14:05.159 --> 00:14:07.899 as a teenager, I think I went into my shell kind 00:14:07.899 --> 00:14:10.019 of throughout my teenage years. And then it kind 00:14:10.019 --> 00:14:13.399 of took my 20s to kind of come out of that shell, 00:14:13.500 --> 00:14:15.860 which I think is common for many people. But 00:14:15.860 --> 00:14:17.919 that's definitely something that kind of how 00:14:17.919 --> 00:14:19.799 you are personally can affect how you play, I 00:14:19.799 --> 00:14:23.620 think. How interesting. And I guess your siblings, 00:14:23.700 --> 00:14:25.639 that you're all different characters, some extroverts, 00:14:25.700 --> 00:14:29.039 some introverts. Yes. Yeah, and it's interesting 00:14:29.039 --> 00:14:31.759 because some of us, present as quite introverted 00:14:31.759 --> 00:14:35.580 publicly, but at home would be considered extroverts. 00:14:36.100 --> 00:14:38.679 That's quite normal. I think you're right. Yeah, 00:14:38.700 --> 00:14:43.899 yeah, exactly. How interesting. Your mother, 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:47.019 she was raised in Sierra Leone and Wales, right? 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:49.639 And then your father, though, born in the UK, 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:53.279 is of Antiguan descent. So there's a real melting 00:14:53.279 --> 00:14:57.220 pot of cultures there. I love that phrase. I 00:14:57.220 --> 00:15:00.210 know. Really? Melting pot? Yes, melting pot of 00:15:00.210 --> 00:15:04.570 cultures. Yeah, but that's so exciting. Obviously, 00:15:04.570 --> 00:15:08.649 it's important to you, this heritage. Yeah, it's 00:15:08.649 --> 00:15:11.730 really important because I think you feel like 00:15:11.730 --> 00:15:14.750 you're fully all of those things. So I think 00:15:14.750 --> 00:15:16.629 growing up, sometimes it's like, oh, am I split 00:15:16.629 --> 00:15:19.269 between all of these heritages? And you're confused 00:15:19.269 --> 00:15:22.019 about your identity. And now I feel like. it 00:15:22.019 --> 00:15:25.440 creates a richness in my life and in the cultures 00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:27.960 that I have and the way I can approach music 00:15:27.960 --> 00:15:30.440 because I feel like I have kind of thought I 00:15:30.440 --> 00:15:32.980 have, you know, Britishness and Antiguan, Sierra 00:15:32.980 --> 00:15:35.360 Leone, Welsh, like all of that feels like it 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:38.559 feeds my identity, which feels like such a gift. 00:15:39.080 --> 00:15:42.500 That's absolutely incredible. I mean, how did 00:15:42.500 --> 00:15:44.240 you end up in Nottingham? How did your parents 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:48.210 end up in Nottingham? I think it was through 00:15:48.210 --> 00:15:50.409 work. I mean, they met at Southampton University 00:15:50.409 --> 00:15:53.850 and they lived in various places. And then my 00:15:53.850 --> 00:15:56.450 dad had a job, you know, at East Midlands Airport 00:15:56.450 --> 00:15:58.590 and they moved to Nottingham. And then they say 00:15:58.590 --> 00:16:00.429 you never know where you're going to settle. 00:16:00.789 --> 00:16:02.409 So they didn't know they were going to stay in 00:16:02.409 --> 00:16:05.070 Nottingham, but they just have. Oh, that's amazing. 00:16:05.529 --> 00:16:09.029 I remember also being in Antigua some years back 00:16:09.029 --> 00:16:11.309 when you and your family were there. It was great 00:16:11.309 --> 00:16:14.049 following you around, seeing you perform. being 00:16:14.049 --> 00:16:16.309 part of the community. I believe you're involved 00:16:16.309 --> 00:16:21.190 in a programme there? Yeah, it's the Antigua 00:16:21.190 --> 00:16:24.710 and Barbuda Youth Symphony Orchestra. And it 00:16:24.710 --> 00:16:27.429 started in kind of 2017. And because there wasn't 00:16:27.429 --> 00:16:29.610 much classical music on the island. And in the 00:16:29.610 --> 00:16:32.389 last nearly 10 years, they've built up this youth 00:16:32.389 --> 00:16:34.470 orchestra and we go every year and help out. 00:16:34.629 --> 00:16:37.009 And there's loads of young, talented musicians 00:16:37.009 --> 00:16:39.730 in Antigua that kind of just waiting for this 00:16:39.730 --> 00:16:41.990 opportunity, I think. Isn't that amazing? You 00:16:41.990 --> 00:16:44.539 go every year. Every year. Yeah, it'll be the 00:16:44.539 --> 00:16:47.960 10 year anniversary next year, I think. Fantastic. 00:16:48.379 --> 00:16:51.200 Oh, that's wonderful. Gosh, so maybe there'll 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:53.659 be some great talent coming out of that or already 00:16:53.659 --> 00:16:56.419 is coming out of that. Yeah, already is. And 00:16:56.419 --> 00:16:58.700 I hope if they have, you know, enough long term 00:16:58.700 --> 00:17:02.419 infrastructure, then it can continue. Yeah. Wow. 00:17:02.519 --> 00:17:05.200 I mean, you seem to be really busy, Isata. I 00:17:05.200 --> 00:17:07.819 mean, just that alone, you know, putting that 00:17:07.819 --> 00:17:10.900 aside in your calendar, in your diary. Are you 00:17:10.900 --> 00:17:14.059 busy? Do you have to structure your time? How 00:17:14.059 --> 00:17:15.720 much time do you practice every day? Are you 00:17:15.720 --> 00:17:19.920 quite organised? Yeah, I think I am. I think 00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:23.140 I am organised. I think I see myself as chaotic, 00:17:23.140 --> 00:17:25.059 but everyone around me, like my siblings and 00:17:25.059 --> 00:17:27.079 friends say that I'm organised. So I've had to 00:17:27.079 --> 00:17:30.099 accept that. But I think I have the help of... 00:17:30.440 --> 00:17:32.920 people I mean you know Catherine and people in 00:17:32.920 --> 00:17:35.140 the agency we sit down and have meetings and 00:17:35.140 --> 00:17:37.240 really map out the schedule and so that's all 00:17:37.240 --> 00:17:40.359 kind of mapped out and done very meticulously 00:17:40.359 --> 00:17:43.140 and then I I just always have a day plan I suppose 00:17:43.140 --> 00:17:45.180 I find it very difficult to not have a day plan 00:17:45.180 --> 00:17:47.799 so I know when I'm practicing and when I'm relaxing 00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:50.720 that's how I do it how many hours what's a good 00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:53.740 practice day for you like how many hours good 00:17:53.740 --> 00:17:58.480 is five intense is six um and then medium is 00:17:58.480 --> 00:18:04.269 four And then chilling is too big. But it's fine. 00:18:04.410 --> 00:18:06.470 That's a good number of hours. That sounds quite 00:18:06.470 --> 00:18:08.309 good, actually. And do you prefer the morning 00:18:08.309 --> 00:18:10.849 or the evening or it really doesn't matter? I 00:18:10.849 --> 00:18:12.910 actually prefer the morning because I wake up 00:18:12.910 --> 00:18:15.849 with kind of a fresh brain, it feels like, with 00:18:15.849 --> 00:18:18.150 more clarity. And then throughout the day, distractions 00:18:18.150 --> 00:18:21.289 come in and I become more drained. And I get 00:18:21.289 --> 00:18:23.309 bursts of inspiration in the evening as well. 00:18:23.349 --> 00:18:25.750 But morning, I always try to get as much done 00:18:25.750 --> 00:18:27.829 before lunch so that it takes the pressure off 00:18:27.829 --> 00:18:31.619 the rest of the day. Wow. OK. And do you where 00:18:31.619 --> 00:18:35.420 you live, you don't bother the neighbours? Well, 00:18:35.539 --> 00:18:38.460 I have a piano that it's an acoustic piano, but 00:18:38.460 --> 00:18:41.599 I got a silent system fitted. I don't know if 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:43.559 you know one of those where you kind of move 00:18:43.559 --> 00:18:46.900 a lever. And so I can I go back and forth a couple 00:18:46.900 --> 00:18:49.180 of hours out loud, a couple of hours with headphones. 00:18:49.559 --> 00:18:52.559 Oh, my goodness. That's clever. That's clever. 00:18:52.740 --> 00:18:55.900 But when you play out loud, do you do you get 00:18:55.900 --> 00:18:58.519 it? for example my neighbours love it when I 00:18:58.519 --> 00:19:01.099 play I don't know why but do you get neighbours 00:19:01.099 --> 00:19:03.259 saying oh that was wonderful or do you know your 00:19:03.259 --> 00:19:05.799 neighbours yeah I do know my neighbours and the 00:19:05.799 --> 00:19:07.980 only comment I've ever had is oh is there a piano 00:19:07.980 --> 00:19:11.400 in your house please play more oh yes isn't that 00:19:11.400 --> 00:19:14.819 lovely yeah which is so nice so really lucky 00:19:14.819 --> 00:19:18.599 oh that's great so I mean this year where are 00:19:18.599 --> 00:19:23.349 we now we're still in the 25 26 season didn't 00:19:23.349 --> 00:19:26.069 know where we were I know oh my goodness what 00:19:26.069 --> 00:19:29.029 are you up to anything exciting coming up or 00:19:29.029 --> 00:19:31.829 you're just you've got loads of concerts or I 00:19:31.829 --> 00:19:35.470 don't know fill us in yeah I mean a few things 00:19:35.470 --> 00:19:38.029 coming up my next thing I'm going to Prague for 00:19:38.029 --> 00:19:40.829 the first time doing rack three with the Czech 00:19:40.829 --> 00:19:43.529 radio orchestra so I'm really excited about that 00:19:43.529 --> 00:19:45.869 because it's like a first time going there and 00:19:45.869 --> 00:19:48.609 one of my favorite concertos as well And then 00:19:48.609 --> 00:19:51.650 just more solo recitals and chamber music going 00:19:51.650 --> 00:19:53.910 into the summer, some with my siblings and some 00:19:53.910 --> 00:19:57.049 by myself. Lovely. Oh, that sounds great. So 00:19:57.049 --> 00:20:01.410 any new repertoire on the cards, recording wise? 00:20:03.109 --> 00:20:05.930 Recording wise, I don't fully know yet. I know 00:20:05.930 --> 00:20:08.990 that I am working on certain pieces for the next 00:20:08.990 --> 00:20:10.890 couple of years. In terms of new pieces, I'm 00:20:10.890 --> 00:20:14.029 going to... learn the Gershwin in F for next 00:20:14.029 --> 00:20:16.730 year that will be the next that and Mozart 27 00:20:16.730 --> 00:20:19.049 are the next new concertos to kind of add to 00:20:19.049 --> 00:20:22.869 the bank so I'm excited about those lovely well 00:20:22.869 --> 00:20:29.789 you sound very organized you do oh gosh you really 00:20:29.789 --> 00:20:33.089 do um anyway what I'm going to do as we're nearing 00:20:33.089 --> 00:20:34.990 the end of our lovely conversation is I'm going 00:20:34.990 --> 00:20:36.690 to ask you some really light -hearted questions 00:20:36.690 --> 00:20:38.970 and if you could just answer me out of the blue 00:20:39.519 --> 00:20:42.640 What comes out, that would be great. Okay, the 00:20:42.640 --> 00:20:45.960 first question. If you could play only one composer 00:20:45.960 --> 00:20:51.599 from now on, who would it be? Beethoven. And 00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:54.740 why might that be? I mean, my favourite composer 00:20:54.740 --> 00:20:57.160 is Rachmaninoff, but I just think for the rest 00:20:57.160 --> 00:20:59.500 of my life, I have all the Beethoven sonatas, 00:20:59.559 --> 00:21:02.200 concertos, chamber music. I just think that would 00:21:02.200 --> 00:21:04.460 be more satisfying if I could only play him lifelong. 00:21:05.019 --> 00:21:06.980 Of course, and it's a hard question, isn't it? 00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:12.799 Yeah. That's a good answer. Yes. One pianist, 00:21:12.859 --> 00:21:15.119 dead or alive, you would travel long and far 00:21:15.119 --> 00:21:22.440 to hear? Rachmaninoff. Oh, yeah. It's to hear 00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:23.960 him live, because he's not alive. I mean, alive, 00:21:24.279 --> 00:21:27.000 Marta Argerich, but dead, Rachmaninoff. Yes, 00:21:27.019 --> 00:21:31.359 okay. I can understand that too. What makes you 00:21:31.359 --> 00:21:35.960 love his playing so much? It's just so, it's 00:21:35.960 --> 00:21:39.640 so alive. It's so spontaneous and crisp and clear. 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:43.539 And I just find that fascinating. Yes. And I 00:21:43.539 --> 00:21:45.119 guess that's the same with Martha Argerich, isn't 00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:47.500 it? She's also alive and crystal clear. Yeah. 00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:51.200 So actually that's clearly what I like. Very 00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:56.359 exciting. Yes. Yes. Oh, one person dead or alive 00:21:56.359 --> 00:22:01.339 you would like to play for? Probably Chopin. 00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:04.220 He was meant to be a fantastic teacher. He could 00:22:04.220 --> 00:22:08.200 help me with any technical thing, I think. Really? 00:22:08.859 --> 00:22:11.059 Excellent. Well, my next question was, do you 00:22:11.059 --> 00:22:17.000 have any technical struggles? I would say everything 00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:18.559 is a challenge if you don't have enough time. 00:22:19.259 --> 00:22:22.619 That's a very good answer. But if you have enough 00:22:22.619 --> 00:22:25.440 time, I think everything can be worked out. Really? 00:22:25.720 --> 00:22:29.329 Yeah, that's my answer to that. Wow. Even double 00:22:29.329 --> 00:22:32.890 thirds in prestissimo tempo. Yeah, if you've 00:22:32.890 --> 00:22:34.750 got enough time to practice the passage. But 00:22:34.750 --> 00:22:36.829 if you've got to cram it in a month, then it's 00:22:36.829 --> 00:22:40.890 stressful. Very interesting. OK. And what would 00:22:40.890 --> 00:22:43.210 be your advice to an amateur pianist about how 00:22:43.210 --> 00:22:47.710 to improve? Record yourself and listen back. 00:22:48.109 --> 00:22:52.089 So revealing. That's so true. Yeah. You're not 00:22:52.089 --> 00:22:55.980 the first person that said that. Okay, and if 00:22:55.980 --> 00:22:59.599 you weren't a pianist, what would you be? Ooh, 00:23:00.059 --> 00:23:07.200 hip hop dancer. Assuming I can start my life 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:10.299 again or train for 10 years from now. I'm not 00:23:10.299 --> 00:23:12.500 saying I can do it to a professional level. Oh, 00:23:12.519 --> 00:23:16.640 can you not? No, I thought you meant in a parallel 00:23:16.640 --> 00:23:20.619 universe. Well, no, no, you're right. If you 00:23:20.619 --> 00:23:22.460 could, yeah, no, I think that sounds good. If 00:23:22.460 --> 00:23:24.359 I can have the time to train, hip hop dancer. 00:23:24.809 --> 00:23:28.430 But I bet you dance a little, don't you? A little. 00:23:28.710 --> 00:23:32.210 You look quite balletic, you do. I was never 00:23:32.210 --> 00:23:34.430 good at ballet, but I do like hip hop. Okay, 00:23:34.789 --> 00:23:38.269 okay. And finally, the last question. One composer 00:23:38.269 --> 00:23:43.609 you're not quite ready to tackle? Publicly? Bach. 00:23:47.390 --> 00:23:54.839 Why? No, no, no. publicly i think just because 00:23:54.839 --> 00:24:00.980 i don't know if i have my voice in bark yet okay 00:24:00.980 --> 00:24:04.059 that's that's why i think i need to discover 00:24:04.059 --> 00:24:07.359 that before performing him yes well you've got 00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:12.640 a long time yes and anything is possible with 00:24:12.640 --> 00:24:14.539 enough time therefore of course you can pace 00:24:14.539 --> 00:24:16.960 it you're still very young you're still how old 00:24:16.960 --> 00:24:22.880 are you now 29 okay yeah when are you 30 two 00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:26.160 months time so i'm grasping on to my last two 00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:29.319 months of my 20s oh i will make the most to make 00:24:29.319 --> 00:24:31.839 the most but listen it's been a pleasure speaking 00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:35.359 to you yes you too it really has thank you oh 00:24:35.359 --> 00:24:37.900 time has flown by and thank you for joining me 00:24:37.900 --> 00:24:40.779 today thank you thank you for having me you're 00:24:40.779 --> 00:25:16.549 welcome bye -bye bye That was Prokofiev's Prelude, 00:25:16.670 --> 00:25:19.730 Op. 12, No. 7, and it was performed by Isetta 00:25:19.730 --> 00:25:23.289 Canamason. Pianist podcasts are free, and a really 00:25:23.289 --> 00:25:25.670 good way to support what we do is by subscribing 00:25:25.670 --> 00:25:29.529 to Pianist. Visit our website at pianistmagazine 00:25:29.529 --> 00:25:32.670 .com and listen to us on YouTube by searching 00:25:32.670 --> 00:25:35.910 Pianist Magazine. And don't forget to sign up 00:25:35.910 --> 00:25:38.710 to our newsletter, which is full of extra playing 00:25:38.710 --> 00:25:42.430 tips and useful information. Go to pianistmagazine 00:25:42.430 --> 00:25:44.890 .com. to find out how to sign up