Diana Cooper, pianist

Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in music and who or what have been the most important influences on your musical life and career?

There were no professional musicians in my family, however music was always very appreciated at home. We had an upright piano, a large discography, and often listened to major classical works during long car journeys. I began learning the piano at the age of seven and became passionate about it immediately. I remember passion went right away together with discipline and strong motivation to practice. The dream to pursue a musical career was already set at a very early stage!

I believe my first piano teacher – Jean-Paul Cristille – had a major impact on the transmission of his passion for music and on my musical growth. I studied with him for nine years until the age of 16 when I left to study at the Paris Conservatoire. Not only was he my first teacher, but he also believed in me deeply and showed great dedication, for which I remain profoundly grateful. We still share a strong bond today, and he continues to be an important figure in my musical journey.

In 2021, I met another pianist who has played a similar significant role: Philippe Giusiano, winner of the 1995 Chopin Competition. He doesn’t usually label himself as a professor as he prefers to consider everyone as his equal and to break down any form of hierarchy with students. Nevertheless, he has been such a powerful guide to me through online lessons, masterclasses and conversations, sharing his experience, artistry and perspectives on music and life. He has been – and still is – a major source of inspiration in my artistic and spiritual growth.

Finally, there are of course all the professors who taught me from my first years in Paris to my final year of academic studies in London, notably Rena Shereshevskaya and Norma Fisher – both are charismatic artists who taught me hugely at different stages of my musical education and contributed immensely to my development.

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

Preparing for the 19th International Chopin Competition has certainly been one of the greatest challenges I have faced so far – as demanding as it was exhilarating. Preparing for such an event requires great structure and consistency in one’s work, as well as total dedication to one’s craft. It takes all the space in one’s life, yet it is so rewarding.

The intensity of the preparation was deeply exciting. The level of pressure was just as high as the level of excitement, and the passion and love I invested in my work served as my main source of energy. This fuel allowed me to push my limits every day and constantly surpass myself. Within the same repertoire I worked on for months, there were always new things to explore, both in the music and in my own abilities. I felt intensely alive!

Preparing for such an important and prestigious event also requires strong nerves. I devoted a lot of work to the mental preparation, exploring my own fears, subconscious mechanisms and mind limitations. It was such a big accelerator to self growth, to the point that I quickly realised how much the journey to the competition felt even more meaningful than the destination itself. I strongly believe that results are never the ultimate goal: whatever the outcome, the most valuable step in the experience lies in the path itself, representing such an extraordinary opportunity to develop and fulfil oneself on both artistic and personal levels.

Which performances/recordings are you most proud of?

I don’t have any specific in mind, and I don’t tend to look back too much on past performances or recordings. Generally speaking, the performances I feel most satisfied with are those in which the music takes over me as a performer, speaking by itself through me. The more I forget about myself on stage, the more alive the music becomes.

I love to think of a performer as a messenger, simply passing on a universal message through the filter of their own uniqueness and soul colour.

When I perform, I crave this sensation of freedom when inspiration from the present moment flows within me, surprises me and guides me. I believe that for both performer and listener, these are moments of pure alignment, when everything seems at its right place.

Another great source of fulfilment is when the audience leaves happy, quite simply. Nothing is more rewarding than reaching the audience, regardless of how many moments of frustration or disappointment the performer may have encountered throughout the recital.

Which particular works/composers do you think you perform best?

I don’t think there is any fixed answer. It all depends on the day, the performance, and the different elements on which a work is built. I believe that the closer a work is to my heart, the more convincing my rendition will be. That being said, some styles suit my technique and personality more naturally than others. Technically speaking, works that require digital clarity and light articulation, for example, usually fit me quite naturally and are better suited to my small hands!

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

It is a fine balance between my heart choices and certain external requirements.

I am usually open to a wide range of styles, from Bach or Scarlatti to Ravel, and even later music. At the moment, I am exploring the piano works of a young Croatian composer who is already very well known in his country: Šimun-Čarli Botica.

I like this sense of diversity, but I also enjoy delving deeply into a single type of repertoire or aesthetic.

For about a year preceding the Chopin Competition, my repertoire and all my concert projects were almost exclusively focused on Chopin, which I felt actually happy about, considering how profoundly rich and close to my heart this music is. There is so much to explore in the many different facets of his personality and style: between calm nostalgia and boiling passion, dark torment and glimmers of light, refined dignity and emotional outbursts, singing lyricism and polyphonic writing, all sublimed by exquisite harmonies… an infinite spectrum of wonders to explore!

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

Any venue with good acoustics, an inspiring piano and a receptive audience. Whether the venue is large or small, I like to think of the audience as one big soul, so the exact number of people doesn’t make much difference.

What do you do off stage that provides inspiration on stage?

Anything that connects me to emotion, beauty, and the deep, powerful vital force inside of us, brings me a great sense of inspiration. Seeing life not only on the surface but through all its dimensions makes me feel fully alive and deeply connected to this inner strength that unifies, empowers, and uplifts. This state can be experienced through a simple walk in nature, reading an insightful book, talking for hours with a good friend, spending time with loved ones, or simply sitting in meditation.

What is your most memorable concert experience?

Performing in Chopin’s birthplace in Żelazowa Wola was a very special moment. Not only is it a symbolic and meaningful place, imbued with Chopin’s soul, but it is also filled with beauty – surrounded by a charming garden and radiating a deeply peaceful, bucolic energy.

My concert in Split’s Hrvatski Dom remains an inspiring and beautiful memory. It was my first time in Croatia – I didn’t know anyone, yet I felt a very warm and positive energy coming from the audience. I feel deeply grateful for the experience I lived there as a whole.

Finally, every concert I give close to my roots in France feels especially heart-warming, with a sense of genuine and uplifting support coming from the audience.

As a musician, what is your definition of success?

Real success, to me, is a state of alignment between what you do and who you are. If what you do is fully aligned with your soul’s calling, then no matter what the external results may suggest, the path is the right one.

There can be external successes and internal ones. Sometimes, the audience enjoys better a concert than the performer does. From the audience’s point of view – which, again, is what matters most – it is a successful concert.

Other times, you play only for yourself, in the comfort of your home when suddenly great inspiration strikes and flows naturally within the music, bringing your potential to its peak without it being calculated nor anticipated. In those moments, you have the feeling of expressing exactly what you want to say in the most effortless way. This, too, is a form of success – a moment of high and deep connection between you and the music.

I don’t see success as an ego accomplishment.

Being successful is being true to yourself, sincere in everything you do, and putting your whole soul into your craft.

What do you feel needs to be done to grow classical music’s audiences?

Perhaps it is essential to question certain stereotypes and the widespread belief that classical music is accessible only to a narrow group of people. The language of music could not be more universal. Anyone can be deeply moved by music, regardless of age, social status, background, or education.

A non-musical person may not perceive every subtlety in the writing, but this does not prevent the overall flow of emotion and beauty from striking right through and reaching the heart. In fact, one can sometimes enjoy a concert even more when discovering a piece for the first time, free from prior references or expectations.

I believe one should always go to a concert with an empty mind and an open heart.

Democratising classical music is essential, especially given how healing and powerful this art can be. Music is one way to bring peace and open hearts. Introducing music to children at home and in schools, developing organisations that provide free access to music for families in need, performing concerts in places accessible to everyone… all these initiatives, already launched and supported by many, deserve to expand and increase even more.

What advice would you give to young or aspiring musicians?

Always listen to your heart, your intuition — whether it concerns professional decisions, the choice of a professor, a project, or an artistic idea.

We can learn immensely from all external sources, whether through teachers or life experiences. Yet it is essential to remember that these sources only reflect what already exists within us, helping to bring it to light.

The answer your heart gives is always the right one for you ; it should never be ignored or betrayed. Keeping faith in this inner voice — and in life itself — is one of the strongest foundations we can rely on, especially in moments of difficulty or challenge. There are often many paths that lead to the same goal. If your goal resonates deeply within you, it is the right one — only the way to reach it may differ from what your mind initially imagined. There is not such thing as failure ; only an invitation to grow, to reflect, and to explore new directions.

What’s next? Where would you like to be in 10 years?

My upcoming projects for 2026 include a CD recording devoted to a complete Chopin programme. The recording will explore a journey into different facets of Frederic Chopin through contrasting works that place darkness and light in mirror. The recording will feature for example the First and Fourth Scherzo, the Barcarolle, the Polonaise-Fantasy, the Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise brillante, among other works.

My deepest desire for the future is to continue serving what resonates most strongly within me, while sharing it with audiences in the most authentic and meaningful way.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

I believe happiness is a state of being that can exist independently of our actions – it arises when stepping back into this inner space of consciousness filled with love, joy and peace, present at all times, and accessible simply by being aware.

That said, I do think that happiness is sublimed when what we do is in harmony with who we are.

diana-cooper.com