WEBVTT 00:00:21.880 --> 00:00:25.420 That was Florence Price's The Goblin and the 00:00:25.420 --> 00:00:28.579 Mosquito and it was performed by Alexandra D 00:00:28.579 --> 00:00:31.500 'Ariescu. I'm Erica Worth and welcome to this 00:00:31.500 --> 00:00:34.859 Pianist Podcast. Today I am catching up with 00:00:34.859 --> 00:00:37.679 a Romanian -British pianist who gives her BBC 00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:41.320 proms debut this August. Alex, it's great to 00:00:41.320 --> 00:00:44.240 have you on the podcast today. Thank you so much 00:00:44.240 --> 00:00:46.759 for having me. It's great to be here. Oh, you're 00:00:46.759 --> 00:00:48.840 very welcome. Well, we are here to talk about 00:00:48.840 --> 00:00:51.979 your proms debut on the 5th of August. So should 00:00:51.979 --> 00:00:54.439 we kick off with that and tell listeners what 00:00:54.439 --> 00:00:58.600 we are going to expect? Yes, well, it's definitely 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:01.500 one of the biggest highlights of my career. And 00:01:01.500 --> 00:01:04.180 it's something that I've been dreaming of for 00:01:04.180 --> 00:01:05.939 a very long time. But, you know, good things 00:01:05.939 --> 00:01:08.620 happen to the people who wait. Of course. And 00:01:08.620 --> 00:01:12.219 this Prom's debut will be incredibly special 00:01:12.219 --> 00:01:14.280 because we're doing a Prom's premiere. I'll be 00:01:14.280 --> 00:01:17.519 performing the Fantasy Varieté by Nadia Boulanger, 00:01:17.819 --> 00:01:21.519 written in 1912. And I'll be collaborating again 00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:23.760 with the Hallé Orchestra and the music director 00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:27.189 with Kachun Wong. And I'm just so excited. You 00:01:27.189 --> 00:01:28.750 know, I've played at the Royal Albert Hall many 00:01:28.750 --> 00:01:32.590 times, but the proms is just such a special atmosphere. 00:01:32.950 --> 00:01:36.010 And of course, you know, I've been going to so 00:01:36.010 --> 00:01:39.370 many concerts and sort of on the way there cycling, 00:01:39.530 --> 00:01:42.090 it was actually the other way thinking, oh my 00:01:42.090 --> 00:01:44.890 goodness, I will be actually performing at the 00:01:44.890 --> 00:01:47.730 prom. So it's really, really cool. Yeah, I'm 00:01:47.730 --> 00:01:50.609 sure as a student, you often, who would have 00:01:50.609 --> 00:01:53.290 dreamt you would be performing there one day 00:01:53.290 --> 00:01:57.250 yourself? I know. It's a beautiful feeling. And 00:01:57.250 --> 00:02:01.010 I think it's just something that inspires the 00:02:01.010 --> 00:02:03.030 younger generation as well. The fact that if 00:02:03.030 --> 00:02:05.290 you persevere and you work really hard and you 00:02:05.290 --> 00:02:06.909 never give up your dream, because the easiest 00:02:06.909 --> 00:02:11.610 thing is to give up. But honestly, in all truth, 00:02:11.770 --> 00:02:15.150 I think. Any young musician will tell you that, 00:02:15.150 --> 00:02:18.370 that sometimes, of course, even if it's challenging, 00:02:18.530 --> 00:02:20.849 you just have to keep going and really believe 00:02:20.849 --> 00:02:23.550 in your dream. And this has always been the dream, 00:02:23.610 --> 00:02:26.050 you know, to travel and to be a concert pianist 00:02:26.050 --> 00:02:28.750 and perform all over the world. And it's such 00:02:28.750 --> 00:02:31.830 a blessing that I get to do what I love every 00:02:31.830 --> 00:02:34.389 single day. That's amazing. I mean, you have 00:02:34.389 --> 00:02:37.330 undergone an extraordinary journey to get here. 00:02:37.530 --> 00:02:39.750 I mean, you were determined to become a pianist 00:02:39.750 --> 00:02:42.400 whilst growing up in communist Romania. in the 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:48.330 80s. What was that like in the 1980s? 1980s born 00:02:48.330 --> 00:02:53.009 towards the later part of that but um it was 00:02:53.009 --> 00:02:55.849 hard of course any communist country going through 00:02:55.849 --> 00:02:59.849 that regime it was just very difficult and um 00:02:59.849 --> 00:03:03.210 I I remember my mom sacrificed everything basically 00:03:03.210 --> 00:03:05.509 I don't come from a family of musicians so we 00:03:05.509 --> 00:03:10.349 never um had a set path or anything but my first 00:03:10.349 --> 00:03:13.330 encounter with music was through the church choir 00:03:13.330 --> 00:03:18.219 the whole family would singing it and I was brought 00:03:18.219 --> 00:03:20.460 up in the Orthodox Church and it was just the 00:03:20.460 --> 00:03:23.539 most beautiful way to spend summers. I used to 00:03:23.539 --> 00:03:26.599 go with my gran in the mountains to the monasteries 00:03:26.599 --> 00:03:29.680 and the monks chanting was probably one of the 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:33.520 first things I remember to do with music and 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:36.300 singing in the church choir every Sunday and 00:03:36.300 --> 00:03:39.280 every holy day, you know, we had this beautiful 00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:42.439 four -part choir and that was the introduction. 00:03:42.620 --> 00:03:44.560 And for me, music, it was all about bringing 00:03:44.560 --> 00:03:49.939 people together and that beautiful feeling that 00:03:49.939 --> 00:03:54.659 community brings and the joy of singing, of course. 00:03:54.740 --> 00:03:58.319 And I think the singing quality in my playing 00:03:58.319 --> 00:04:01.199 has always been something so, so important to 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:05.060 me. Absolutely. But mum saved a lot of money 00:04:05.060 --> 00:04:08.000 to buy an upright piano and she bought it just 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:12.050 before I turned seven. I went to the specialist 00:04:12.050 --> 00:04:14.710 music school then. I auditioned and I got in 00:04:14.710 --> 00:04:17.009 and I had my debut with an orchestra when I was 00:04:17.009 --> 00:04:20.509 nine. So that was quite an incredible journey 00:04:20.509 --> 00:04:23.930 in two years to step on stage and the whole orchestra 00:04:23.930 --> 00:04:25.689 was full of adults and I was the only child. 00:04:25.889 --> 00:04:30.250 So after doing that debut, which was probably 00:04:30.250 --> 00:04:32.329 one of the biggest things in my life, you know, 00:04:32.350 --> 00:04:34.970 I very, very confidently declared that I'm going 00:04:34.970 --> 00:04:37.430 to be a concert pianist. What did you play? What 00:04:37.430 --> 00:04:40.959 did you play for your nine years old debut? I 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:45.339 played Mozart, Rondo in D major. And I think 00:04:45.339 --> 00:04:47.360 I was one of those children that really knew 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:49.620 what they wanted from a really young age. And 00:04:49.620 --> 00:04:52.660 I never, and I consider myself really blessed 00:04:52.660 --> 00:04:55.259 because especially nowadays, kids want to do 00:04:55.259 --> 00:04:56.959 everything, you know, every week there's something 00:04:56.959 --> 00:05:00.800 different. But it's really a blessing to know 00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:02.819 what you want and to be focused and to be determined. 00:05:03.439 --> 00:05:06.860 And just whatever happens, you keep going. My 00:05:06.860 --> 00:05:09.800 goodness, yes. And I mean, You won your first 00:05:09.800 --> 00:05:12.439 competition in Italy at the age of 10 as well, 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:15.360 didn't you? Yeah, and that's a really funny story 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:17.660 because my mum and dad would always go on a little 00:05:17.660 --> 00:05:21.920 summer holiday to the seaside. And that summer, 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:25.819 I very... strongly declared that I'm not going 00:05:25.819 --> 00:05:27.699 on holiday because I need to practice and I'm 00:05:27.699 --> 00:05:29.759 going to stay home with Gran to practice and 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:31.839 go and take part in this competition and I'm 00:05:31.839 --> 00:05:33.319 not going to lie but there was some friction 00:05:33.319 --> 00:05:36.439 within the family but I did stay home with Gran 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:40.620 this is how determined I was age 10 and I went 00:05:40.620 --> 00:05:42.379 to this competition in Italy and I won first 00:05:42.379 --> 00:05:44.860 prize and I think it was the first time when 00:05:44.860 --> 00:05:47.899 my dad actually looked at me with a bit of pride 00:05:51.180 --> 00:05:54.300 Gosh, age 10, that's amazing. And then you moved 00:05:54.300 --> 00:06:00.300 to London. Age 16, age 17? 17, yes. Well, I did 00:06:00.300 --> 00:06:02.120 lots of competitions when I was younger, and 00:06:02.120 --> 00:06:07.019 one of them was... the Constantine Silvestri 00:06:07.019 --> 00:06:09.959 scholarship. And this is how I moved to Yorkshire, 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:12.680 actually, to Pocklin School, which was a beautiful 00:06:12.680 --> 00:06:15.120 school. And I had an amazing teacher. She was 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:18.079 only nine years older than I was. Very different 00:06:18.079 --> 00:06:22.420 to what I was used to in Romania. After that 00:06:22.420 --> 00:06:25.759 year, which basically gave me so many wings and 00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:30.139 sort of that energy and my first time in contact 00:06:30.139 --> 00:06:33.000 with the UK, I loved it and everyone just welcomed 00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:35.660 me with open arms. And then I had an audition 00:06:35.660 --> 00:06:37.779 at the RNCM and I got a full scholarship for 00:06:37.779 --> 00:06:40.339 four years, which was very unheard of because, 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:42.779 of course, everyone worries so much about the 00:06:42.779 --> 00:06:45.379 financial situation. And I was an overseas student 00:06:45.379 --> 00:06:48.240 as well. And this was the associated board, the 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:52.490 ABRSM scholarship I got for four years. My time 00:06:52.490 --> 00:06:55.490 at the RNCM for my undergrad was really, really 00:06:55.490 --> 00:06:59.769 transformative. It was really great because I 00:06:59.769 --> 00:07:02.910 had fantastic teachers. I studied with Mark Ray 00:07:02.910 --> 00:07:05.689 and with Nelson Goerner and Alexander Melnikoff. 00:07:05.889 --> 00:07:08.250 And it was the first time when I met Sarandra 00:07:08.250 --> 00:07:11.350 Shiv, who invited me to my debut at Carnegie 00:07:11.350 --> 00:07:16.009 Hall. And it was just incredible. And while I 00:07:16.009 --> 00:07:19.870 was at the RNCM, I won YCAT, which was the biggest 00:07:19.870 --> 00:07:22.720 step in any... one's career basically as a young 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:26.199 artist to be selected by such a big organization 00:07:26.199 --> 00:07:28.959 and they were my first agents and they gave me 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:32.160 so many opportunities and just sort of everything 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:36.060 built up little by little um and then I moved 00:07:36.060 --> 00:07:39.600 to to the Guildhall to London for my pride and 00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:43.100 for my fellowship and it was just extraordinary 00:07:43.100 --> 00:07:46.290 I mean moving from Manchester to London it It 00:07:46.290 --> 00:07:48.589 was even bigger than moving from Romania to the 00:07:48.589 --> 00:07:51.990 UK. I can't believe that. Yeah, it just felt 00:07:51.990 --> 00:07:54.389 like that because the RNCM was sort of like the 00:07:54.389 --> 00:07:56.589 centre of the universe, you know, in Manchester. 00:07:57.310 --> 00:07:59.310 And you went to the Bridgewater and you came 00:07:59.310 --> 00:08:01.569 back and that was it, basically. Your whole life 00:08:01.569 --> 00:08:04.189 was around the RNCM, whereas in London, of course, 00:08:04.250 --> 00:08:08.459 you know, it's... such an incredible city and 00:08:08.459 --> 00:08:11.180 there's so much to do and so many orchestras 00:08:11.180 --> 00:08:13.639 and concert halls and everything so and of course 00:08:13.639 --> 00:08:15.959 the distances are a lot bigger than Manchester. 00:08:16.439 --> 00:08:19.019 Did you find it a bit overwhelming at first? 00:08:19.220 --> 00:08:21.879 I did, I did yeah it took me about a year to 00:08:21.879 --> 00:08:26.470 get used to the whole thing and It was a great 00:08:26.470 --> 00:08:28.410 lesson. And I sort of, as soon as I moved to 00:08:28.410 --> 00:08:30.069 London, I said, especially in the first year 00:08:30.069 --> 00:08:31.889 of studying at the Guildhall, I said, every week 00:08:31.889 --> 00:08:34.769 I'm going to do something different. So I visited 00:08:34.769 --> 00:08:38.409 so many museums and I went literally, I learned 00:08:38.409 --> 00:08:40.950 London like the back of my hand. It was brilliant. 00:08:41.490 --> 00:08:44.340 I mean, they say. I mean, I'm from the middle 00:08:44.340 --> 00:08:46.399 of England originally, but they say the northerners 00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:48.919 are much warmer than the southerners. Did you 00:08:48.919 --> 00:08:51.740 find it hard to connect to people or did you 00:08:51.740 --> 00:08:54.460 find it a bit frostier down in London than up 00:08:54.460 --> 00:08:57.299 in Manchester? I think it was the fact that in 00:08:57.299 --> 00:08:59.899 Manchester, everyone was living around the college. 00:09:00.120 --> 00:09:02.700 And if you wanted to make plans for tonight, 00:09:02.860 --> 00:09:04.700 you could. Whereas in London, let's face it, 00:09:04.700 --> 00:09:06.740 you need to make plans at least a week in advance, 00:09:06.879 --> 00:09:08.980 even as students, you know, because distances, 00:09:09.019 --> 00:09:11.059 everyone is living sort of an hour and a half 00:09:11.059 --> 00:09:14.340 away. But of course, you know, London came with 00:09:14.340 --> 00:09:17.240 this incredible energy. And don't they say that 00:09:17.240 --> 00:09:18.860 when you're tired of London, you're tired of 00:09:18.860 --> 00:09:23.059 life. Oh my goodness. Yes, that is so true. And 00:09:23.059 --> 00:09:26.429 it just, to be amongst the best, you know, like 00:09:26.429 --> 00:09:29.789 this is the thing that makes you be a better 00:09:29.789 --> 00:09:32.169 musician and makes you listen differently. And 00:09:32.169 --> 00:09:34.649 this is one thing that I always tell the younger 00:09:34.649 --> 00:09:36.889 generation, my students and everyone else, go 00:09:36.889 --> 00:09:39.549 to as many concerts as you can, because that's 00:09:39.549 --> 00:09:42.110 how you learn. You learn from either being in 00:09:42.110 --> 00:09:44.870 the audience or being next to the performers 00:09:44.870 --> 00:09:46.970 or playing with them on stage, of course. But 00:09:46.970 --> 00:09:49.250 at the beginning, you just go to everything and 00:09:49.250 --> 00:09:52.450 you inhale in stuff. thirst that curiosity that 00:09:52.450 --> 00:09:55.289 you need to have not just for piano recitals 00:09:55.289 --> 00:09:57.970 you know you learn most from orchestral concerts 00:09:57.970 --> 00:10:02.009 from chamber music from from songs so it's you 00:10:02.009 --> 00:10:06.429 need to to love that as much as practicing you're 00:10:06.429 --> 00:10:08.970 a great example I mean makes me think I should 00:10:08.970 --> 00:10:11.470 be going to more concerts but um my goodness 00:10:11.470 --> 00:10:14.750 any memorable ones I mean there must be dozens 00:10:14.750 --> 00:10:18.509 but are there some that you were like they that 00:10:18.509 --> 00:10:23.980 changed you Forever. I don't know. Let's face 00:10:23.980 --> 00:10:27.080 it. We've got the best of the best in London. 00:10:27.460 --> 00:10:32.340 And I think when Enescu's Oedipe was brought 00:10:32.340 --> 00:10:34.659 to the Royal Opera House, for me as a Romanian, 00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:39.460 that was something really incredible. It was 00:10:39.460 --> 00:10:42.139 just fantastic. And I remember Yourofsky brought 00:10:42.139 --> 00:10:44.700 the third symphony of Enescu at the Royal Festival 00:10:44.700 --> 00:10:47.820 Hall. And that was just an extraordinary occasion. 00:10:48.100 --> 00:10:50.220 Well, of course, you know, just every concert 00:10:50.220 --> 00:10:53.330 you go to, you learn so much from it. That's 00:10:53.330 --> 00:10:55.789 amazing. And talking about Romania, you're the 00:10:55.789 --> 00:10:58.149 first female pianist to perform at the proms, 00:10:58.149 --> 00:11:00.730 aren't you? First female Romanian pianist to 00:11:00.730 --> 00:11:03.570 perform at the proms. Yes. I mean, it's so humbling. 00:11:03.570 --> 00:11:10.490 It's so exciting. No pressure. Just to know that 00:11:10.490 --> 00:11:13.809 from very far apart, honestly, I am stepping 00:11:13.809 --> 00:11:17.250 in Radu Lupu's footsteps because he was the only 00:11:17.250 --> 00:11:19.940 other Romanian that performed at the proms. And 00:11:19.940 --> 00:11:22.460 it's really interesting because I was on a panel 00:11:22.460 --> 00:11:24.139 for the Royal Philharmonic Society and we're 00:11:24.139 --> 00:11:27.419 talking about nationality and identity, you know, 00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:29.799 and I've lived in this country for more than 00:11:29.799 --> 00:11:31.820 half of my life. You know, I've been British 00:11:31.820 --> 00:11:35.480 for so long and it's so interesting, you know, 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:38.840 like no one chooses where they're born. That's 00:11:38.840 --> 00:11:41.639 not something that you choose, but it's so important 00:11:41.639 --> 00:11:44.460 when you live in a country, especially like Britain, 00:11:44.519 --> 00:11:47.799 you know, to really get involved in everything. 00:11:47.879 --> 00:11:50.100 And I really feel like. Like I am a Romanian, 00:11:50.200 --> 00:11:53.700 but I am so proud to be British as well. And 00:11:53.700 --> 00:11:56.820 it's an extraordinary combination of the both. 00:11:56.879 --> 00:12:00.100 And I feel so, so lucky really and blessed that 00:12:00.100 --> 00:12:04.379 I've had the best out of both cultures and being 00:12:04.379 --> 00:12:07.559 able to train from the best in both countries 00:12:07.559 --> 00:12:10.840 as well. I know, I agree. Did you ever hear Lupu 00:12:10.840 --> 00:12:15.399 live? I did. And I met him and he took my hands. 00:12:15.460 --> 00:12:17.600 Oh, my goodness. This was the last concert that 00:12:17.600 --> 00:12:21.980 he did. He did Beethoven 4 with Pablo Yerby in 00:12:21.980 --> 00:12:25.820 London. And it was his last performance in London. 00:12:25.899 --> 00:12:29.220 And I went backstage and he took my hands and 00:12:29.220 --> 00:12:35.580 he had the most velvety fingers. And it was sort 00:12:35.580 --> 00:12:37.940 of like he gave me this giant hug and he said, 00:12:37.980 --> 00:12:40.990 I've heard you Tchaikovsky. And I literally teared 00:12:40.990 --> 00:12:42.769 up because I was like, I didn't even know he 00:12:42.769 --> 00:12:47.730 knew of me. And he became ill. Well, he was already 00:12:47.730 --> 00:12:50.389 ill, but he gave me his mobile number and he 00:12:50.389 --> 00:12:53.649 said, just get in touch and I would love to hear 00:12:53.649 --> 00:12:58.029 you. And it was sadly never happened because 00:12:58.029 --> 00:13:01.250 he was so ill and he didn't do that towards the 00:13:01.250 --> 00:13:03.389 end of his life. But it was just the most beautiful 00:13:03.389 --> 00:13:08.039 encounter. What an amazing story. Because he 00:13:08.039 --> 00:13:11.340 wasn't known to be very social either, was he? 00:13:11.379 --> 00:13:14.559 So just to know you would be so... That was a 00:13:14.559 --> 00:13:17.779 surprise. He was so, so sensitive and so generous. 00:13:17.899 --> 00:13:20.639 And I remember there was a very big queue at 00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:22.720 the festival hall, you know, and he just had 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:25.600 time to speak to everyone. And he was incredibly 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:28.820 kind. And I think, you know, any musician... 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:31.700 They're just opening their soul when they perform, 00:13:32.019 --> 00:13:34.960 whether they like to do interviews or not, you 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:37.539 know, like you see their heart and soul when 00:13:37.539 --> 00:13:40.799 they perform. And I think that was his, that 00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:42.960 was such a beautiful thing from his character. 00:13:43.220 --> 00:13:45.980 That's amazing. You're very lucky there. Now, 00:13:46.059 --> 00:13:48.779 moving on more to today, you've become quite 00:13:48.779 --> 00:13:53.720 an authoritative voice on women composers. It's 00:13:53.720 --> 00:13:56.960 an important mission of yours, yes? It really 00:13:56.960 --> 00:14:00.470 is because, you know, So let's put things in 00:14:00.470 --> 00:14:02.789 perspective. Women were not allowed in the Berlin 00:14:02.789 --> 00:14:05.990 Phil until 1982. Well, that was before I was 00:14:05.990 --> 00:14:10.330 born. But Vienna Philharmonic was 1997. So if 00:14:10.330 --> 00:14:12.789 you think about that, it's just unbelievable. 00:14:13.049 --> 00:14:16.870 And I grew up like probably most of us with music 00:14:16.870 --> 00:14:19.169 by Bach, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, 00:14:19.289 --> 00:14:23.210 you name it. All incredible voices and never 00:14:23.210 --> 00:14:27.399 taken away any of their credit or anything. It 00:14:27.399 --> 00:14:29.980 was only when I came to the RNCM that I actually 00:14:29.980 --> 00:14:32.700 met a female composer. And it was Emily Howard 00:14:32.700 --> 00:14:35.720 who actually wrote a concerto for me, Mesmerism, 00:14:35.740 --> 00:14:37.840 that we performed with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:41.440 And we recorded it and it received the British 00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:44.480 Composer Award. And that was the first time when 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:48.480 I thought, whoa, women do write. And that was 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:50.659 the start of my journey. So this is really a 00:14:50.659 --> 00:14:54.519 long time ago. And I've been very fortunate to... 00:14:54.919 --> 00:14:57.340 to be invited to play with different orchestras. 00:14:57.379 --> 00:15:01.480 The BBC Symphony for certain is just such a great 00:15:01.480 --> 00:15:06.360 champion in promoting female composers. And they 00:15:06.360 --> 00:15:10.940 opened up so many new horizons for me. The Nadia 00:15:10.940 --> 00:15:12.840 Boulanger, I performed in London the first time 00:15:12.840 --> 00:15:16.159 with them. It was at the Barbican. And there's 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:18.480 so many concertos like the Doreen Carwiden or 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:22.039 Leukadia Kasperova or Dora Pejacevic, Florence 00:15:22.039 --> 00:15:25.269 Price, of course. There are incredible voices 00:15:25.269 --> 00:15:27.990 that I really feel, especially in this day and 00:15:27.990 --> 00:15:31.590 age when everyone is fighting for equality. It's 00:15:31.590 --> 00:15:34.210 so important for us, especially in classical 00:15:34.210 --> 00:15:37.309 music. We are a lot more behind than, let's say, 00:15:37.350 --> 00:15:42.490 film or any other art industries. To give a voice 00:15:42.490 --> 00:15:47.460 to... to women, to composers of colour, to any 00:15:47.460 --> 00:15:50.019 other minorities that have not had the chance 00:15:50.019 --> 00:15:52.980 to have their voices heard. So for me, it's not 00:15:52.980 --> 00:15:57.580 taking away from the geniuses of male composers 00:15:57.580 --> 00:15:59.960 that we've had in the past, but it's just giving 00:15:59.960 --> 00:16:03.919 an equal voice to the other voices that really 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:06.039 need to be heard. Absolutely. And that's most 00:16:06.039 --> 00:16:11.379 probably why in the 2024, the last Leeds International 00:16:11.379 --> 00:16:14.600 Piano Competition, you... presented the inaugural 00:16:14.600 --> 00:16:18.740 Alexander Dariuscu Award for an outstanding performance 00:16:18.740 --> 00:16:22.919 of a work by a woman composer? I felt that was... 00:16:24.139 --> 00:16:27.399 a really, I don't know, it was high time for 00:16:27.399 --> 00:16:31.419 an award like that to take place. And I found 00:16:31.419 --> 00:16:34.039 an amazing partner in the Leeds competition and 00:16:34.039 --> 00:16:36.860 the team that is just so supportive. And, you 00:16:36.860 --> 00:16:39.000 know, no one makes it on their own. So it's about 00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:42.220 working together and collaborating and making 00:16:42.220 --> 00:16:44.899 change, not just talking about it. And I feel 00:16:44.899 --> 00:16:47.100 we need to start from a really young age with 00:16:47.100 --> 00:16:49.159 this award. Of course, there was a financial 00:16:49.159 --> 00:16:51.299 incentive, but there were performing opportunities 00:16:51.299 --> 00:16:55.669 as well, solo. as well as concertos. And I think 00:16:55.669 --> 00:16:57.789 if you give that incentive to a young artist, 00:16:58.250 --> 00:17:01.210 well, the result was very clear because most 00:17:01.210 --> 00:17:03.990 of them chose to perform a work by a female composer 00:17:03.990 --> 00:17:08.369 in the competition. So that's slowly changing 00:17:08.369 --> 00:17:10.670 the perspective. And I think the younger generation 00:17:10.670 --> 00:17:13.829 nowadays has a different upbringing than we did. 00:17:14.359 --> 00:17:16.259 We didn't know of all of these female composers, 00:17:16.380 --> 00:17:19.480 whereas the Donne Foundation has more than 5 00:17:19.480 --> 00:17:24.420 ,000 female composers on their website. Which 00:17:24.420 --> 00:17:28.380 foundation? Donne Foundation, D -O -N -N -E. 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:33.000 Okay. It's a brilliant foundation that basically 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:36.380 amplifies the voices of female composers. And 00:17:36.380 --> 00:17:39.440 there are so many out there, you know, it's not 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:42.539 that... oh, there's no directory or there's no 00:17:42.539 --> 00:17:45.039 research done into this. No, there is. And it's 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:48.920 a choice. But that's why I feel if we introduce 00:17:48.920 --> 00:17:51.880 that from a young age, then the students learn 00:17:51.880 --> 00:17:54.799 this repertoire, then the orchestras will program 00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:57.299 it, then radio presenters will talk about it, 00:17:57.380 --> 00:17:59.920 then radio orchestras will program it and so 00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:04.220 on and so on. So that's why it's very much... 00:18:06.059 --> 00:18:08.299 this this initiative that i really think it's 00:18:08.299 --> 00:18:10.480 it's it's changing things and we will continue 00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:13.119 with it for sure which was the piece then in 00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:16.480 the leads in the 2024 which was the piece that 00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:19.759 the winner of that award who was the composer 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:23.099 it was it was junian who won the second prize 00:18:23.099 --> 00:18:26.660 and she won my award uh and she performed okay 00:18:26.660 --> 00:18:31.160 that was the piece that she she won with and 00:18:31.160 --> 00:18:34.299 she was a fantastic fantastic performer and i 00:18:34.299 --> 00:18:37.339 think she's got a great career ahead of her absolutely 00:18:37.339 --> 00:18:42.319 absolutely and talking about lead still um anything 00:18:42.319 --> 00:18:45.559 about 2027 that's the next edition isn't there 00:18:45.559 --> 00:18:47.460 anything you'd like to divulge i know you presented 00:18:47.460 --> 00:18:53.619 at the 2024 um competition i know uh yeah 2027 00:18:53.619 --> 00:18:55.599 is happening quite soon anything you'd like to 00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:59.259 say about it Well, I'm thrilled I'll be joining 00:18:59.259 --> 00:19:02.220 Petroc Trelawney again and we will be co -presenting 00:19:02.220 --> 00:19:05.259 together, which will be such. I mean, I adored 00:19:05.259 --> 00:19:07.119 working with him and of course with the whole 00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:09.640 team of the leads. But I've learned so much from 00:19:09.640 --> 00:19:12.380 Petroc and he's just so charismatic and energetic. 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:15.299 And my goodness, so much to learn from him. So 00:19:15.299 --> 00:19:18.299 I'm thrilled they've asked me again. It was my 00:19:18.299 --> 00:19:21.079 first time presenting. So that was a baptism 00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:26.210 by fire. Really? Yes, it was extraordinary. It 00:19:26.210 --> 00:19:28.730 was such a cool experience. I remember the first 00:19:28.730 --> 00:19:32.390 session, it was sort of Petrok leading on all 00:19:32.390 --> 00:19:34.509 the questions. And the second day, they gave 00:19:34.509 --> 00:19:36.670 me a tiny little segment. And the third day, 00:19:36.710 --> 00:19:38.309 they were like, okay, go backstage and do an 00:19:38.309 --> 00:19:40.470 interview on your own. So I felt, well, yes, 00:19:40.569 --> 00:19:43.650 Haram, doing something right. Excellent. But 00:19:43.650 --> 00:19:46.630 no, it was great energy. And of course, the competitors 00:19:46.630 --> 00:19:50.329 were fantastic. And I mean, it's the place to 00:19:50.329 --> 00:19:54.009 be in September, really. Yes, absolutely. And 00:19:54.009 --> 00:19:57.289 it'll come about so quickly now. We're already, 00:19:57.470 --> 00:20:01.089 yeah. Oh, I know. Just time flies. It really 00:20:01.089 --> 00:20:04.710 does. Absolutely, absolutely does. And now onto 00:20:04.710 --> 00:20:07.990 your recordings. I mean... You've come up with 00:20:07.990 --> 00:20:11.210 such lovely, interesting recordings such as The 00:20:11.210 --> 00:20:16.470 Nutcracker and I and A Child's Dream. Which was 00:20:16.470 --> 00:20:18.589 first? It was The Nutcracker and I, wasn't it? 00:20:18.650 --> 00:20:21.109 It was, yes. I mean, The Nutcracker and I is 00:20:21.109 --> 00:20:23.210 a production. It was the first time when I was 00:20:23.210 --> 00:20:25.950 a producer. It was the biggest undertaking of 00:20:25.950 --> 00:20:29.069 my entire life, honestly. And we did the world 00:20:29.069 --> 00:20:31.990 premiere of this production for Piano Ballerina 00:20:31.990 --> 00:20:36.349 in digital animation in 2017, which seems like 00:20:36.349 --> 00:20:41.089 100 years ago. And ever since the premiere, so 00:20:41.089 --> 00:20:43.450 we did this audio book as well with Lindsay Russell, 00:20:43.609 --> 00:20:47.250 who was on Blue Peter. She was the presenter 00:20:47.250 --> 00:20:52.359 on Blue Peter. This incredible show, I mean, 00:20:52.380 --> 00:20:55.859 it's a piano recital really with one ballerina 00:20:55.859 --> 00:20:58.859 that plays Clara and all the other characters, 00:20:59.000 --> 00:21:01.160 they're digitally animated. So we incorporated 00:21:01.160 --> 00:21:05.099 very cool technology in order to attract the 00:21:05.099 --> 00:21:07.240 younger generation in the concert hall and to 00:21:07.240 --> 00:21:09.339 build bridges for those that were perhaps new 00:21:09.339 --> 00:21:13.630 to classical music. And it's been an... Unbelievable 00:21:13.630 --> 00:21:16.410 journey. I mean, I could have never in my wildest 00:21:16.410 --> 00:21:19.430 dreams hoped or dreamt that it would be such 00:21:19.430 --> 00:21:21.769 a huge success. And we've traveled the entire 00:21:21.769 --> 00:21:25.789 world with it. That's amazing. And do you travel 00:21:25.789 --> 00:21:28.690 with the ballet dancer or do you? It's the three 00:21:28.690 --> 00:21:30.470 of us. So it's the nutcracker for three people. 00:21:32.170 --> 00:21:34.509 Myself, the ballerina and the technical producer. 00:21:34.710 --> 00:21:38.329 And we set up and then we normally do two performances 00:21:38.329 --> 00:21:42.690 in a day because the recital is 50 minutes. It's 00:21:42.690 --> 00:21:44.710 the hardest piece of music I've ever played because 00:21:44.710 --> 00:21:47.049 it's all the Pletnev and the Percy Granger arrangements. 00:21:47.210 --> 00:21:51.450 So it's not an easy piece whatsoever. But it's 00:21:51.450 --> 00:21:53.710 incredible. And the most fulfilling thing for 00:21:53.710 --> 00:21:57.029 me was, one, to travel the world with it, but 00:21:57.029 --> 00:21:59.529 second, to see three or even four generations 00:21:59.529 --> 00:22:02.029 from the same family at the same piano recital, 00:22:02.069 --> 00:22:05.529 which, let's face it, it doesn't happen. So it 00:22:05.529 --> 00:22:08.309 shows that when you use technology in a constructive 00:22:08.309 --> 00:22:11.089 way and when music is still at the forefront. 00:22:12.329 --> 00:22:15.190 let's face it, us artists, we are storytellers. 00:22:15.210 --> 00:22:17.549 So if we're actually taking the audience on a 00:22:17.549 --> 00:22:20.789 journey and we're showcasing what we're imagining 00:22:20.789 --> 00:22:24.690 and it's inspiring and beautiful, then you see 00:22:24.690 --> 00:22:27.410 grandparents with their grandchildren coming 00:22:27.410 --> 00:22:32.569 at the same show, essentially. And it's been 00:22:32.569 --> 00:22:35.829 the ride of my life. We celebrated 100... 100th 00:22:35.829 --> 00:22:39.950 performance back at Milton Court at the Barbican 00:22:39.950 --> 00:22:44.250 last December. And we keep on going. It's the 00:22:44.250 --> 00:22:47.130 ninth year that we're touring this Christmas. 00:22:47.450 --> 00:22:50.329 And actually, we're doing it at the Colmar Festival 00:22:50.329 --> 00:22:54.690 in France in July. So it doesn't have to be around 00:22:54.690 --> 00:22:58.910 Christmas time then. I don't know. That's remarkable. 00:22:59.009 --> 00:23:01.450 It seems that every single idea you have just 00:23:01.450 --> 00:23:05.319 becomes a huge success. Isn't that amazing? It 00:23:05.319 --> 00:23:08.859 must be your passion. Your passion. A lot of 00:23:08.859 --> 00:23:11.640 passion. It's relentless work. I'm not going 00:23:11.640 --> 00:23:13.279 to lie. But of course, they say, you know, when 00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:15.420 you do what you love, it's not really work. But 00:23:15.420 --> 00:23:19.359 there is a lot of work. And I'm very blessed 00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:21.559 because I have an incredible team behind me that 00:23:21.559 --> 00:23:26.740 really help. And I just believe so much in teamwork. 00:23:27.240 --> 00:23:31.240 But I think artists nowadays, you know, it's 00:23:31.240 --> 00:23:33.880 all about... creating and coming up with new 00:23:33.880 --> 00:23:37.160 ideas and even with the recordings a child's 00:23:37.160 --> 00:23:41.569 dream this was basically one of my most special 00:23:41.569 --> 00:23:43.930 recordings. And it was recorded with the Academy 00:23:43.930 --> 00:23:45.690 of St. Martin in the Fields, an orchestra that 00:23:45.690 --> 00:23:47.970 I basically grew up listening to. And I never 00:23:47.970 --> 00:23:50.849 imagined I would record with them. But the reason 00:23:50.849 --> 00:23:54.769 why I called this album A Child's Dream is because 00:23:54.769 --> 00:23:56.829 it was 30 years since my debut with the orchestra. 00:23:57.450 --> 00:24:00.230 And that's why we recorded the Mozart Rondo. 00:24:00.289 --> 00:24:02.730 And it was sort of going back in time to the 00:24:02.730 --> 00:24:07.450 very, very beginning and reflecting on my goodness, 00:24:07.509 --> 00:24:10.009 that tiny little child who was nine. And when 00:24:10.009 --> 00:24:12.710 I stepped on stage as a nine -year -old, I tripped 00:24:12.710 --> 00:24:15.490 and I fell and the music stands were on the floor 00:24:15.490 --> 00:24:17.289 and the sheet music was flying and the conductor 00:24:17.289 --> 00:24:19.230 thought that was the end of it and my mum all 00:24:19.230 --> 00:24:22.549 the time. hard to type um but in those situations 00:24:22.549 --> 00:24:25.390 you either start crying and you give up or you 00:24:25.390 --> 00:24:28.309 pick yourself up and that's what i did of course 00:24:28.309 --> 00:24:30.349 and that was the best lesson i could have had 00:24:30.349 --> 00:24:32.869 from the very beginning that if you fall and 00:24:32.869 --> 00:24:36.410 we all do physically or otherwise you have to 00:24:36.410 --> 00:24:40.630 pick yourself up and keep going and um yeah going 00:24:40.630 --> 00:24:45.430 back on this album um a child's dream recording 00:24:45.430 --> 00:24:48.150 most of the encores that have been with me from 00:24:48.150 --> 00:24:52.089 the beginning um a lot of female composers a 00:24:52.089 --> 00:24:54.730 lot of composers of color a lot of we had four 00:24:54.730 --> 00:24:58.509 premieres on this on this disc and it's basically 00:24:58.509 --> 00:25:02.700 a showcase of a concerto and chamber music and 00:25:02.700 --> 00:25:05.500 solo pieces. So it's, it's, it's what I do now. 00:25:05.579 --> 00:25:08.180 So it was a beautiful celebration, you know, 00:25:08.180 --> 00:25:11.359 for number 10. And of course, number 11 is coming 00:25:11.359 --> 00:25:15.779 in September. So quickly. And that's Doreen Carr 00:25:15.779 --> 00:25:20.359 -Whitham. A British composer, Doreen Carr -Whitham, 00:25:20.480 --> 00:25:24.279 who was all only known as the wife of William 00:25:24.279 --> 00:25:28.759 Alwyn. And she wrote a brilliant 30 -minute concerto 00:25:28.759 --> 00:25:31.640 in 1948. We performed it actually at the Barbican 00:25:31.640 --> 00:25:34.720 with the BBC Symphony and with Manchester Camerata. 00:25:34.839 --> 00:25:39.410 And I'm thrilled that... And this disc is happening 00:25:39.410 --> 00:25:43.690 and it's coming out on the 4th of September. 00:25:43.930 --> 00:25:48.869 Yes. So a month after the proms. Brilliant. It's 00:25:48.869 --> 00:25:51.690 an incredible piece. You know, Doreen Carwithin 00:25:51.690 --> 00:25:55.329 was the first composer for film, female composer 00:25:55.329 --> 00:25:58.509 for film. And she actually won so many awards. 00:25:58.569 --> 00:26:00.430 But because she got married, then she thought 00:26:00.430 --> 00:26:02.230 she had to be in the shadows of her husband. 00:26:02.890 --> 00:26:05.990 So it's... It's wonderful to be able to give 00:26:05.990 --> 00:26:08.789 her her voice back and do this recording. And 00:26:08.789 --> 00:26:11.529 it was a brilliant collaboration with Manchester 00:26:11.529 --> 00:26:15.750 Camerata and John Andrews, the conductor. So, 00:26:15.829 --> 00:26:18.710 yeah, I can't wait for this match live. Can't 00:26:18.710 --> 00:26:21.569 wait to hear it. Not long now. You've wrapped 00:26:21.569 --> 00:26:23.670 it up then. You've done the edits and everything. 00:26:23.849 --> 00:26:29.150 It's, yeah. It's almost. receiving life as it 00:26:29.150 --> 00:26:32.569 is I mean you are very busy you're performing 00:26:32.569 --> 00:26:35.750 a lot you're recording a lot but you you obviously 00:26:35.750 --> 00:26:38.509 find the time to take your role as a teacher 00:26:38.509 --> 00:26:41.490 seriously your professor at the Guildhall school 00:26:41.490 --> 00:26:46.390 um you you find it important to teach yeah I 00:26:46.390 --> 00:26:51.920 do yes I started four years ago I had I had the 00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:54.680 job at the RNCM for two years and then the traveling 00:26:54.680 --> 00:26:57.339 was just insane from London to Manchester and 00:26:57.339 --> 00:27:00.299 then going on tour the next day so I am at the 00:27:00.299 --> 00:27:03.940 Guildhall now and it's that's where I did my 00:27:03.940 --> 00:27:06.400 master's so it's actually so nice to come back 00:27:06.400 --> 00:27:09.079 in a different capacity in a different role and 00:27:09.079 --> 00:27:14.099 it's tough I'm not gonna lie because you it's 00:27:14.099 --> 00:27:17.910 one -to -one teaching and I do take mostly post 00:27:17.910 --> 00:27:22.470 -grad students or artist diploma um but and I've 00:27:22.470 --> 00:27:25.609 got a small class I've got four students but 00:27:25.609 --> 00:27:28.190 they require a lot and everyone's so different 00:27:28.190 --> 00:27:30.630 and you have to be tuned in into their psychology 00:27:30.630 --> 00:27:35.490 and I think the younger generation are very different 00:27:35.490 --> 00:27:39.130 than how we were as students you know yeah and 00:27:39.130 --> 00:27:44.099 um in some good ways in in my opinion, not such 00:27:44.099 --> 00:27:47.339 good ways, but it's about tailoring your teaching. 00:27:48.520 --> 00:27:51.599 to each of them and trying, encouraging them 00:27:51.599 --> 00:27:54.440 to be on their unique path because no one can 00:27:54.440 --> 00:27:57.240 imitate someone else's journey and think, oh, 00:27:57.299 --> 00:28:00.259 I want to be exactly like that. It's about them 00:28:00.259 --> 00:28:03.079 finding their own voice. And I think the sooner 00:28:03.079 --> 00:28:05.000 they find their musical identity, the better 00:28:05.000 --> 00:28:08.960 it is. It's becoming increasingly harder and 00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:12.500 harder, I feel, for the young generation. But 00:28:12.500 --> 00:28:15.000 in the same time, you know, Sir Clive Gillinson 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:18.009 from the Carnegie Hall, he said this. no better 00:28:18.009 --> 00:28:21.369 time to be an artist than now and I think we 00:28:21.369 --> 00:28:23.630 need to have that positive outlook as well you 00:28:23.630 --> 00:28:27.230 know and yes the the industry has changed so 00:28:27.230 --> 00:28:30.450 much because 20 30 years ago you did one competition 00:28:30.450 --> 00:28:33.470 or you did one wig more or one concert and you 00:28:33.470 --> 00:28:35.769 got an amazing review in the times and your career 00:28:35.769 --> 00:28:39.269 was set whereas nowadays there's so many competition 00:28:39.269 --> 00:28:42.369 winners you know like they win 10 12 of them 00:28:42.369 --> 00:28:46.569 and they don't actually have a career yes It's 00:28:46.569 --> 00:28:50.450 so important to find whatever you believe in 00:28:50.450 --> 00:28:53.349 and what you're good at as well, because as a 00:28:53.349 --> 00:28:55.710 first year undergrad, everyone wants to play 00:28:55.710 --> 00:28:58.349 the big Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky and everything. 00:28:58.470 --> 00:29:01.740 And you don't even know whether you're. physicality 00:29:01.740 --> 00:29:04.640 will help you yeah you have to think from so 00:29:04.640 --> 00:29:08.099 many different perspectives you know to see what 00:29:08.099 --> 00:29:11.180 actually suits you not just what you love listening 00:29:11.180 --> 00:29:15.240 to so um it's it's a fascinating process and 00:29:15.240 --> 00:29:18.059 i believe i'm learning as much as the students 00:29:18.059 --> 00:29:20.319 as much as i'm learning from the students as 00:29:20.319 --> 00:29:23.380 much as they learn from me and it's It's definitely 00:29:23.380 --> 00:29:28.220 a two -way relationship. And I love the Guildhall, 00:29:28.220 --> 00:29:30.460 I have to say. It's very close to home as well. 00:29:30.480 --> 00:29:32.680 So I just go on my bike. Oh, is it? You live 00:29:32.680 --> 00:29:34.200 in the neighborhood? You live in that neighborhood? 00:29:34.500 --> 00:29:37.000 I live, yeah, very centrally so that I'm close 00:29:37.000 --> 00:29:43.480 to any airports and transport. But no, it's brilliant 00:29:43.480 --> 00:29:47.039 to do that. It takes a lot of energy, but it's 00:29:47.039 --> 00:29:50.410 actually quite humbling and quite... grounding 00:29:50.410 --> 00:29:53.650 especially after so many touring so much touring 00:29:53.650 --> 00:29:57.529 oh wonderful i'm so glad you're enjoying it now 00:29:57.529 --> 00:30:00.230 as we're coming towards the end this is whizzing 00:30:00.230 --> 00:30:02.990 through of course i i'd like to ask you some 00:30:02.990 --> 00:30:05.490 questions to round things off it there's some 00:30:05.490 --> 00:30:08.509 light -hearted questions and if you just answer 00:30:08.509 --> 00:30:13.740 them off the cuff yeah OK, so here we go. Here's 00:30:13.740 --> 00:30:17.160 the first one. If you could play only one composer 00:30:17.160 --> 00:30:26.420 from now on, who would it be? Mozart. Why? Because 00:30:26.420 --> 00:30:28.460 you've got everything in Mozart. And when you're 00:30:28.460 --> 00:30:30.339 a child, you think that's the easiest thing that 00:30:30.339 --> 00:30:32.420 you can play. And when you're an adult, it's 00:30:32.420 --> 00:30:35.849 the most difficult. But you've got joy, which 00:30:35.849 --> 00:30:39.589 I really believe we all need in our lives. You've 00:30:39.589 --> 00:30:42.950 got sorrow. You've got everything in it. So, 00:30:43.009 --> 00:30:48.410 yes. Fantastic. I like that. One pianist, dead 00:30:48.410 --> 00:30:51.309 or alive, you'd travel long and far to hear? 00:30:52.630 --> 00:30:56.569 Dino Lipati. Oh. You'd listen to his recordings, 00:30:56.650 --> 00:30:59.430 obviously. Oh, my goodness, yes. I would. Oh. 00:30:59.849 --> 00:31:02.789 Yes, it would have been amazing to be around 00:31:02.789 --> 00:31:05.029 him. What do you think was so special about his 00:31:05.029 --> 00:31:07.990 interpretation? The sound. I think that was the 00:31:07.990 --> 00:31:10.869 most unique thing. And his way of phrasing, but 00:31:10.869 --> 00:31:12.990 the sound, the voicing. And it's very much like 00:31:12.990 --> 00:31:15.369 Radalupo, you know, when he voiced, when he played 00:31:15.369 --> 00:31:17.710 the chord. I mean, that had meaning. Every single 00:31:17.710 --> 00:31:24.069 note spoke. Yes. Yes. Fantastic. Okay. One person, 00:31:24.150 --> 00:31:28.250 dead or alive, you'd love to play for. Nadia 00:31:28.250 --> 00:31:30.269 Boulanger. She probably would have ripped me 00:31:30.269 --> 00:31:33.990 to bits. I would have loved to play to her for 00:31:33.990 --> 00:31:38.609 sure. I mean, she's known as one of the greatest 00:31:38.609 --> 00:31:42.670 influences on all musicians in the last hundred 00:31:42.670 --> 00:31:46.150 years. I would have loved to be in her presence, 00:31:46.250 --> 00:31:51.069 even from afar. No, she was a very tough cookie. 00:31:51.309 --> 00:31:54.190 Yes. But I think I would have learned a lot from 00:31:54.190 --> 00:31:59.160 her. Yeah. OK, wonderful. Do you have any technical 00:31:59.160 --> 00:32:03.759 struggles? Well, it was interesting in my upbringing, 00:32:03.980 --> 00:32:07.980 I had two brilliant teachers, but we always went 00:32:07.980 --> 00:32:11.559 through the technicality of any piece by working 00:32:11.559 --> 00:32:16.599 on sound. So I was never I was only sent one 00:32:16.599 --> 00:32:19.420 summer away to learn the complete journey, which 00:32:19.420 --> 00:32:25.950 I did. I mean, hell, I'm not going to lie. technique 00:32:25.950 --> 00:32:29.170 for me was never taught separately was always 00:32:29.170 --> 00:32:31.470 part of the piece and part of the storytelling 00:32:31.470 --> 00:32:36.650 and working through yeah very good answer very 00:32:36.650 --> 00:32:39.990 good answer what would be your advice to an amateur 00:32:39.990 --> 00:32:44.630 pianist about how to improve even if you practice 00:32:45.630 --> 00:32:48.150 a very short amount of time, it's perseverance, 00:32:48.589 --> 00:32:53.130 it's consistency. And always start with the most 00:32:53.130 --> 00:32:55.809 difficult passage. I know it's so easy to start 00:32:55.809 --> 00:32:58.109 at the beginning because we know that bit, but 00:32:58.109 --> 00:33:00.710 do start with the most difficult ones. And if 00:33:00.710 --> 00:33:03.289 you do a mistake, don't think that it will automatically 00:33:03.289 --> 00:33:06.509 correct itself. Just spend a bit of time and 00:33:06.509 --> 00:33:08.549 slow practice. And I think this is valid for 00:33:08.549 --> 00:33:10.950 amateur pianists, but also for students and for 00:33:10.950 --> 00:33:15.180 anyone, you know. Any musician, slow practice 00:33:15.180 --> 00:33:19.980 does it. Right. The hardest parts first. It's 00:33:19.980 --> 00:33:24.960 difficult, isn't it? Okay. If you weren't a pianist, 00:33:25.059 --> 00:33:28.539 what would you be? See, we went through COVID. 00:33:28.680 --> 00:33:32.519 We went through so many challenges. And whatever 00:33:32.519 --> 00:33:34.880 the challenges, I could never be anything else. 00:33:35.980 --> 00:33:38.539 I've never, ever thought of becoming anything 00:33:38.539 --> 00:33:42.799 else. Oh, my goodness. It's a calling. I really 00:33:42.799 --> 00:33:45.599 believe that. It's not something that you just 00:33:45.599 --> 00:33:48.299 decide to do. It's something that it's in you. 00:33:48.500 --> 00:33:52.140 And as I said, I felt so blessed from a really 00:33:52.140 --> 00:33:54.680 young age to know what I want to do. But it's 00:33:54.680 --> 00:33:57.000 the same. The feeling is the same and it's the 00:33:57.000 --> 00:34:00.400 same curiosity and energy that I get every morning 00:34:00.400 --> 00:34:03.900 to practice, to live out of a suitcase and everything. 00:34:04.019 --> 00:34:07.000 So I love this lifestyle. It's not a job. It's 00:34:07.000 --> 00:34:08.659 interesting. I wonder what would have happened 00:34:08.659 --> 00:34:11.280 if you hadn't been singing in those choirs when 00:34:11.280 --> 00:34:14.659 you were a little girl. I know. I know. But, 00:34:14.699 --> 00:34:17.059 you know, I never went to become a singer or 00:34:17.059 --> 00:34:18.960 anything. Like even if we started with singing, 00:34:19.179 --> 00:34:22.420 it was the piano. It was like as if it was just 00:34:22.420 --> 00:34:27.219 meant to be. Wow. Yeah. Wonderful. Last question. 00:34:27.480 --> 00:34:30.219 One composer you're not quite ready to tackle. 00:34:32.059 --> 00:34:37.550 I'm still staying away from Schubert. And probably 00:34:37.550 --> 00:34:40.670 there will be lots of time when I'm a bit wiser, 00:34:40.769 --> 00:34:45.369 when I'm a bit older, when, I don't know, it's 00:34:45.369 --> 00:34:47.750 just opening your heart in a completely different 00:34:47.750 --> 00:34:51.190 way when you play Schubert. So I'm still not... 00:34:51.579 --> 00:34:55.139 not tackling it. I've studied a lot of his sonatas 00:34:55.139 --> 00:34:58.039 and impromptus and everything, but I'm not actively 00:34:58.039 --> 00:35:00.619 performing them at the moment. It's a bit scary, 00:35:00.639 --> 00:35:03.579 Schubert, isn't it? Mind you, Mozart really is 00:35:03.579 --> 00:35:06.539 scary, but there's something about Schubert, 00:35:06.539 --> 00:35:11.460 it's that same subtlety and every note matters, 00:35:11.519 --> 00:35:14.579 but it does with every composer, doesn't it? 00:35:15.719 --> 00:35:18.659 Oh, God! Well, listen, it's been wonderful speaking 00:35:18.659 --> 00:35:20.400 to you. I know you're very busy because I think 00:35:20.400 --> 00:35:23.420 you're off on tour shortly, aren't you? Yes, 00:35:23.420 --> 00:35:25.699 it's a really busy time. But, you know, summer 00:35:25.699 --> 00:35:28.340 festivals, they're always happening. And I'm 00:35:28.340 --> 00:35:30.639 doing six different programs in the next six 00:35:30.639 --> 00:35:35.179 weeks, culminating with the proms. But it's... 00:35:35.519 --> 00:35:38.039 It's really cool. I'm very excited. Just before 00:35:38.039 --> 00:35:42.360 the proms, four days before I'm in the US, performing 00:35:42.360 --> 00:35:47.119 James Lee III, an Afro -American composer who 00:35:47.119 --> 00:35:49.380 wrote a concerto for me, which we premiered with 00:35:49.380 --> 00:35:52.880 Detroit and BBC Phil. And because it's the 250th 00:35:52.880 --> 00:35:56.480 US Independence anniversary, we're performing 00:35:56.480 --> 00:35:59.320 this concerto. And it's a mammoth piece. It's 00:35:59.320 --> 00:36:05.769 about 37 minutes and it's a war horse. And I'm 00:36:05.769 --> 00:36:07.989 performing that in Santa Cruz. And then literally, 00:36:08.030 --> 00:36:10.190 as soon as I finish, whizzing to the airport, 00:36:10.369 --> 00:36:12.969 San Francisco, London, and I go straight into 00:36:12.969 --> 00:36:15.809 rehearsals for the proms with a heartache. You 00:36:15.809 --> 00:36:19.530 better get over your jet lag. I think the adrenaline 00:36:19.530 --> 00:36:22.090 and the energy, you know, the excitement of playing 00:36:22.090 --> 00:36:25.550 at the proms will just carry me through. So very 00:36:25.550 --> 00:36:28.989 exciting few weeks coming up. Well, that sounds 00:36:28.989 --> 00:36:30.789 wonderful. I must say this conversation has been 00:36:30.789 --> 00:36:35.250 very exciting. Thank you. I love the questions. 00:36:35.590 --> 00:36:38.289 Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And I'll 00:36:38.289 --> 00:36:42.010 definitely be there on the 5th of August at the 00:36:42.010 --> 00:36:45.090 proms. So, yeah, I really look forward to it. 00:36:45.190 --> 00:36:49.070 Everybody get your tickets now. But thanks so 00:36:49.070 --> 00:36:51.670 much for speaking to me today, Alex. Thank you 00:36:51.670 --> 00:36:54.409 so, so much. Loved it. And good luck with the 00:36:54.409 --> 00:37:33.239 whole of the summer. Thank you. Bye bye. That 00:37:33.239 --> 00:37:36.719 was Germaine Taillefer's Romance and it was performed 00:37:36.719 --> 00:37:40.440 by Alexandra D 'Ariescu. Pianist podcasts are 00:37:40.440 --> 00:37:42.780 free and a really good way to support what we 00:37:42.780 --> 00:37:45.980 do is by subscribing to Pianist. Visit our website 00:37:45.980 --> 00:37:49.880 at pianistmagazine .com and listen to us on YouTube 00:37:49.880 --> 00:37:53.119 by searching Pianist Magazine. And don't forget 00:37:53.119 --> 00:37:55.739 to sign up to our newsletter which is full of 00:37:55.739 --> 00:37:59.019 extra playing tips and useful information. Go 00:37:59.019 --> 00:38:02.320 to pianistmagazine .com to find out how to sign 00:38:02.320 --> 00:38:02.599 up.