Sabine Weyer, pianist

Who or what inspired you to take up the piano, and pursue a career in music?

When I was 5 or 6 years old, I heard the sound of the piano on the radio at home and remember telling my mother “That’s what I want “.  From that moment on, there has never been any doubt about it, and everything went its way smoothly.

Who or what have been the most important influences on your musical life and career?

I have two  mentors in mind when reading this question: the first one is the Bulgarian pianist Vassil Guenov with whom I studied for some years, before he very unexpectedley passed away in 2007. And the second is the Serbian pianist Alexandar Madzar, whom I met during my studies at the Koninklijk Conservatorium in Brussels from 2007 to 2012, and who had a huge impact on my vision of music.

What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?

Besides the fact that of course every concert is a challenge in itself, I would say that the biggest challenge for me is to combine my pedagogical activity with the life of a concert pianist. Because of my teaching activities, the time I can dedicate to the preparation of concerts is reduced, meaning that I have to work in a very efficient way and be extremely organised in order to be able to have everything done by the end of the day….

Which performance/recordings are you most proud of?

I think that my best recording so far is the very first one! A CD dedicated to Rameau and Debussy; I have the feeling that the concept of this CD is quite strong and that it reflects best my musical sensitivity (I have 3 more CDs and the 4th on is on its way). I can identify myself a lot with what I did on the first CD, even 5 years after having recorded it.

Which particular works do you think you play best?

I think that Schumann and Bach suit me very well; they have always been my favourite composers (I have 2 of my 4 CDS that are dedicated to Bach). But I feel very much at ease also in the French repertoire (Ravel, Debussy, Saint-Saens, Fauré….)

How do you make your repertoire choices from season to season?

I like to be curious and one of my biggest passions is to explore new (I mean unknown) repertoire, rare works that are not so often performed in the normal concert seasons throughout the world. I am convinced that there are so many pearls waiting to be discovered, but unfortunately most performers and concert programmers prefer to stay in the ‘comfort zone’ of the known, traditional repertoire. That’s a pity and I’d like to change that, starting from my next recording (it will feature sonatas by the Russian composer Nikolai Miaskovsky and by the French composer Nicolas Bacri).

Do you have a favourite concert venue to perform in and why?

Yes, it is the Chamber Music Hall of the Philharmonie in Luxembourg. That acoustic is just one of the best ones worldwide and each time I perform there, I am overwhelmed by a feeling of deep happiness. Then there are of course many good venues throughout the world, and each one has its own story; it would be very hard to list them by priorities.

Who are your favourite musicians?

I have a huge admiration for Grigory Sokolov and Martha Argerich as far as pianists are concerned (besides, of course, the legends from the past, such as Horowitz, Michelangeli etc). As far as other instrumentalists are concerned, I am very fond of the beautiful musical expression of cellist Gary Hoffman, baritone Matthias Goerne, and violonist Alena Baeva…. Of course, I have many musician friends whom I admire a lot, but it’s impossible to list them all! My favourite contemporary composer is Nicolas Bacri; I have a tender fascination for the lyrism of his music.

What is your most memorable concert experience?

A concert in Italy almost 15 years ago. I played some Nocturnes by Chopin and felt such a symbiosis with the music, I was completely into the ‘flow’… it was the first time that happened to me and I still remember the intensity of the feeling, although I had it many times after that first experience.

As a musician, what is your definition of success?

To reach the point where it is possible to handle perfectly the absence of control.

What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians?

Don’t try to run after success; focus on perfection, sincerity and authenticity in what you are doing and the success will come to you….

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

To feel that what I am doing in music is reflecting the best part of me.

What is your present state of mind?

Freedom….try to get rid of everything that impedes me to be exactly the person I would like to be

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Born in Luxembourg in 1988, Sabine Weyer is a pianist that has constantly been praised by the international press over the last few years. Trained at first at her home country (Prix Supérieur at the Conservatory of Esch-sur-Alzette in 2007), then in France (CRR in Metz, prix de perfectionnement à l’unanimité du jury in the class of Bernard Lerouge in 2007) and last but not least in Brussels (Koninklijk Conservatorium, postmaster diploma in the class of Serbian pianist Alexandar Madzar), the pianist started an international career since the end of her studies and keeps surprising by the intensity, richness and clearness of her playing. She produced 4 CDs, all praised by the international press and rewarded with important prices ( « Supersonic Award » for Bach to the future, « Pasticcio prize » from the Austrian radio ORF for « A light in the dark », nominations for « International Classical Music Awards » and « Opus Klassik » in Germany…)

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