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
…..be true to yourself and become the composer you need to be rather than the composer that you think you ought to be. Write to please yourself – never others – and be your own harshest critic, making sure that your critical reflection drives you forward. And work hard – you can’t rely on favours or lucky breaks because ultimately there is only you who can take full control of your composing.
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.
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