Interviews with musicians, composers and conductors
We have to be relevant and people have to be interested in coming to hear us. Also, there is a major difference between venues and audiences. In New York, I would seldom play a complete programme of Beethoven Sonatas; however, when I go back to my native Romania, such a recital would be sold out months in advance… You have to adapt!
Who or what inspired you to take up the piano and pursue a career in music? My grandmother is a pianist and piano professor and
Who or what inspired you to take up the piano, and pursue a career in music? When my older sister began having piano lessons I
One of my greatest challenges is to not compromise yourself as a musician artistically as it’s easy to fall in to a trap of always playing the music that people want to hear. I think that’s easy to do at the early part of your career but I reached a point where I said to myself, ‘why did you become a musician?’ and it was to not just play music which people are used to hearing but also to make people think a little. If it’s a new sound or interpretation, as the saxophone played in a classical way is then the artistic process is quite different to something that you are used to hearing and arouses an emotion or feeling which you weren’t sure was there.
Only pursue a life as a professional musician if you truly love making and/or playing music. When I was young, I tried to quit…many times. The only reason why I didn’t is because I couldn’t think of anything else to do that would make me happier. I guess that’s a good litmus test to see if it’s worth the effort.
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