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To coincide with the release of her new album ‘Chopin: Voyage’, Russian pianist Yulianna Avdeeva talks about her life in music, balancing one’s artistic needs with the external pressures of a professional career, and how inspiration “can be found anywhere”.….

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?

In my childhood I was surrounded by music. Although my parents are not professional musicians, they were great music lovers and had an upright piano at home, as well as a solid LP collection. At some point they realized that I was trying to play a melody that I had just heard with one finger on the piano, and took me to the Gnessin Special Music School. When I was 5 years old I entered the piano class of Elena Ivanova, with whom I studied for 13 years, until my graduation, and who became a family member for me. Thanks to her amazing admiration and approach to music, I was able to discover this magical world for me as well. However, the moment I remember so well, which was crucial to me, was my first public performance, when I was 6. I was supposed to play 2 Tchaikowsky pieces from his Children‘s album, and my parents and teacher were explaining that I shouldn‘t be scared by the light and people and the audience and should be concentrating on the music I’d play for them. I was not scared at all; on the contrary, I enjoyed very much communicating with the audience through the language of music! And I wished to perform again. So the solution for how to stay motivated for practice was found! I keep that feeling until today and am so grateful to be able to speak this universal language with people all over the world.  

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

I think the greatest challenge is to find out what your mental and physical needs are in order to achieve the most satisfying artistic result. This result depends on many factors, which I had to recognize and acknowledge in my preparation work as well as in my stage performance. Time management is one of the most essential elements; it means that I must know how I should organize my practice, so that I give each piece I perform enough space not only in my daily practice but also in my soul, since I need to “live” with a piece for a while so that it becomes, in a way, my co-creation. On the other hand, I have to know my limits — for instance, if I have a very tight schedule, how many programmes can I really handle? And does it make sense, artistically? My personal goal is to be in the best shape when I walk onstage, and it is probably a never-ending process to understand myself.

Which performances/recordings are you most proud of? 

It is always very difficult for me to listen to my own recordings or the recordings of my own concerts. I almost always think, “Oh, now I would play that completely differently!”. This is the charm and challenge of music — it exists only in the moment when it is being performed, and it is not easy to capture this moment on any recording. So I very rarely listen to my own performances — with some exceptions, of course. For example, it is an amazing inspiration and joy to work with Bernhard Guettler, the sound producer I have worked with for my latest two recordings — Resilience, and Voyage, my new Chopin album, on the Pentatone label, featuring his late works, which has just been released. This particular recording experience was absolutely unique for me for two essential reasons: the location and the instrument. I was so lucky to make this recording at the one and only Tippet Rise Arts Center, in Fishtail, Montana, surrounded by nature and a wonderful team. And on top of that, I played the music on Vladimir Horowitz’s personal piano, which has an exceptionally long and warm sound that opens up like a flower.

When I first touched this piano in September 2022 at the TIppet Rise Arts Center, my first thought was, “This piano is my dream partner for Chopin’s music!”. So I am very thankful to Peter and Cathy Halstead and the entire team at Tippet Rise Arts Center for their most kind support; Mike Toya for his amazing care of the piano; Bernhard Guettler for his patience and his unlimited desire to explore the sound worlds; and the Pentatone team for bringing this recording to life.

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

The moment I decide to play any piece, it becomes “the best and dearest piece” for me, otherwise I will not be able to find an authentic approach to it. Nevertheless, of course there are composers I admire so much, since they have an enormous emotional impact on me, such as Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Mahler, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and Bartok, to name just a few. A great discovery for me was Bernstein’s Second Symphony, “Age of anxiety,” in which the piano has a very important solo-like part. It was an exciting process to prepare this unique work, based on Auden’s poem, and I am so lucky to have performed it a couple of times in Spain and Italy and finally to play it in the United States with the Minnesota Orchestra and Robert Trevino on October 18th and 19th, 2024!

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

The piano repertoire is just limitless, which is the pianist’s curse and blessing! My personal list of pieces I would love to play is getting longer every year, so I have to make decisions about what I would like to play next. Sometimes it takes a long while to decide on a recital programme; for me it is important that there is a certain concept, or at least a connecting idea between the pieces. The programme I am performing at Carnegie Hall on October 22, 2024 is a Chopin and Liszt recital. They were the two giants of the Romantic era, both unique performers, and both were trying out the most extreme ways of expression on the piano, even if they were moving on very different paths.

Next year I will be performing Shostakovich’s 24 Preludes and Fugues, op 87, which for me is one the greatest cycles for piano of all time. It was inspired by Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, which I will be playing in 2027. These cycles require my entire concentration in the preparation. At the same time, for next year I also prepared a programme that connects two composers you wouldn’t expect to see together — Chopin and Shostakovich. But Shostakovich was a participant at the first Chopin Competition, in 1927, in Warsaw, and he played Chopin a lot in his younger years. So it is always kind of a work of investigation to create a recital programme.

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

There are many; I could not pick only one. Some of the halls are very inspiring because of their history and the musicians who have performed there — like Carnegie Hall, or the Musikverein in Vienna, but also some modern halls are amazing because of their acoustics and atmosphere — for example, Disney Hall in Los Angeles, or Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. 

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

I am convinced that inspiration can be found anywhere — it can be a color from the sky or of the leaves on a tree; it can be a conversation, or a great book, or even a smell — like the smell of the air in the autumn, or the aroma of a fantastic meal. I just have to be very open to be able to absorb it.

What is your most memorable concert experience?

It is difficult to say. In every concert I share a part of my soul, and my soul in turn keeps the memories of each single concert. And, as I mentioned, the music exists only in a moment when it is being performed and cannot be repeated — that is why each concert experience, even with the same repertoire, is always different.

As a musician, what is your definition of success?

Artistic success for me is probably when I am able to present an interpretation of a piece which on the one hand comes as close as possible to the composer’s will — though this criteria is very subjective — so, on the other hand, it is about my personal feelings about the music, which should be very strong and authentic. And the message of the music I perform should be acceptable for the audience, otherwise I have failed to translate the music score into human feelings. 

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

It is essential to give access to music to the youngest. That can be through playing an instrument, singing, dancing, or any other kind of musical activity, because music also helps children to feel and articulate the emotions they experience. This is what makes human beings unique and irreplaceable. Later on, children who have been exposed to these experiences will decide whether they want to play or sing for their family, or go to concerts, or become a professional musician. Maybe they will not have any interest in it at all. But our goal should be to give them a chance to explore this magical world of music.

What advice would you give to young or aspiring musicians?

I would like to encourage young musicians to think, before they go on stage, about how lucky we are to be able to speak the language of music and share our passion with the audience. And it does not matter if their audience is big or small, or if it is a concert, an exam, or a competition — it is only music, which matters for the performer, and we should only focus on it. I am wishing you a long, happy life, full of wonderful sounds! 

Yulianna Avdeeva performs music by Chopin and Liszt at Carnegie Hall, New York, on 22nd October. Find out more here

Yulianna Avdeeva’s new recording ‘Chopin: Voyage’ is available now on the Pentatone label.

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If you haven’t yet discovered the delightful gem that is the 1901 Arts Club, now is the time to do so….

7 Star Arts present a trio of concerts at the 1901 Arts Club this autumn featuring leading musicians, including pianist Viv McLean and up-and-coming soprano Sofia Kirwan-Baez, in a range of imaginative programmes of music from Nadia Boulanger to George Gershwin and Benjamin Britten – and much more besides. These concerts are in support of English National Opera’s Benevolent Fund

Housed in a converted schoolmaster’s house a stone’s throw from Waterloo Station, the 1901 Arts Club is an intimate, convivial chamber music venue whose ethos, ambiance and decor is inspired by Europe’s ninteenth-century Salon culture. It’s the perfect place to enjoy music with friends, and it boasts an elegant upstairs bar for pre- and post-concert socialising. And at these concerts with 7 Star Arts, you’ll have the chance to meet the artists as well.

Tuesday 24 September HIDDEN GEMS OF FRENCH SONG with Sofia Kirwan-Baez

Hotfoot from her recent appearance at Longborough Festival Opera, soprano, pianist and songwriter Sofia Kirwan-Baez takes you on a journey through French song, from Nadia and Lilli Boulanger to Edith Piaf and Barbara. Plus a few surprises along the way…

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Wednesday 30 October ALICE NEARY cello and VIV McLEAN piano

Two of our finest musicians perform much-loved sonatas for cello and piano by Debussy, Britten & Franck.

The pianist Viv McLean seemed exceptional….he astonished us with his musical maturity and extraordinary sonority

Le Monde, Paris

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Wednesday 4 December CLASSIC GERSHWIN with VIV McLEAN piano & SUSAN PORRETT narrator

7 Star Arts most popular words and music production makes its 1901 Arts Club debut. This “glorious celebration of Gershwin’s life and music” weaves the vibrant music of the ever-popular composer with his fascinating life story from birth in the colourful, teeming New York of 1898 to his tragically early death in 1937. Programme includes Gershwin favourites The Man I love and Rhapsody in Blue as well as lesser-known works.

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Following one of those wonderfully serendipitous encounters on the internet, I am delighted to present “Notes from the Keyboard”, a series of articles for adult amateur pianists, by Dakota Gale, chronicling his own experiences of learning the piano as an adult.

Four years ago, my wife surprised me with a digital piano for my birthday. I’d mentioned my desire to learn a few times and, ever the muse, she called my bluff.

I couldn’t read music. Finding middle C was a quest. I was a B-E-G-I-N-N-E-R.

And yet…she was right. At 38 years old, I tumbled rapturously into the world of piano. 

Four years later, the honeymoon phase is over, and yet I remain motivated to play every day and am still loving the journey. (<–understatement: I’m head-over-heels for it.)

I even do stuff like learning to do portraits by drawing musicians! (My wife tells me that’s eccentric…) 

I’m playing pieces by Chopin, Debussy, Beethoven, Liszt, and other famous composers that I thought were a decade off. Even facing the inevitable frustrations of piano study, I’m finding joy in piano every.single.day.

Learning piano transcends fun – I feel like I’ve unearthed a gift, a path to access some of the most beautiful music ever written. Accessing the pieces revealed a fountain of satisfaction that isn’t tied to money or achievement, a much-needed oasis of play as an adult.

In fact, I’ll often drop into a flow state for 30 minutes and be surprised when my timer goes off. Where else do we get that feeling once we’re done playing with Legos or mud pies?

You, mega-savvy adult reader, can do it too!

Adults CAN learn to play piano

I share my achievements not to brag (many pianists young and old far outshine my abilities), but to offer hope to adult learners. If you’re telling yourself, “Oh, I could never learn to play” or “I’m not musical” or “only kids can learn piano,” let me persuade you otherwise.

I’m shocked how many people tell me only children can learn. Well, kids are “naturals” at learning because:

  1. They don’t over-complicate things, focusing on foundational blocks that are small and approachable. (Be it music, language, or other skills.)
  2. Kids are able to practice more undistracted hours because an adult provides housing, food, and does their laundry. Their job is to be curious sponges; our Adult Role is often yawn-tastic Tuesdays, repeated.

Adults lack those luxuries. We put pressure on ourselves, try to play songs that are too hard for us, question if the time investment is worth it, and simply don’t have as much time to practice.

I’m an adult. (It snuck up on me.) On top of all the typical adult stuff, I have far too many hobbies. Sometimes friends do annoying things like interrupt my piano reverie to invite me to dinner or on bike rides. *sigh* The inconsiderate louts, I must practice!

And yet by carving out time each day to study piano, in a few months I reached a deeply satisfying level of proficiency that kept me coming back. After four years, I’m frankly astonished sometimes at what my fingers can do.

As a bonus, it’s beautiful for people to listen to (or so they pretend). A skill I’ll enjoy and develop for a lifetime, long after I’m done taking irresponsible risks on my mountain bike.

Beyond that, I’m fired up! I look forward to enjoying creating music the rest of my life and only wish I’d started earlier.

Dear reader, welcome to “Notes from the Keyboard: Adult Piano Chronicles” on The Cross-Eyed Pianist. This will be an ongoing series about my journey learning piano as an adult. I’ll share my journey (ups and downs!) and headaches with pieces and how I resolve them. I promise to absolutely not take myself too seriously—after all this is a hobby, not a vocation.

If you have ideas for topics you’d like to hear about from a dedicated amateur student of classical piano such as myself, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m looking forward to sharing this journey with you!

Dakota Gale

When he isn’t playing piano, Dakota Gale enjoys learning languages (especially Italian) and drawing. He also writes about reclaiming creativity as an adult and ditching tired personal paradigms in his newsletter, Traipsing About. He can often be spotted camping and exploring mountain bike trails around the Pacific Northwest.

This site is free to access and ad-free, and takes many hours to research, write, and maintain. If you find joy and value in what I do, why not

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Weymouth Lunchtime Chamber Concerts (WLCC), which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022, is undergoing a ‘rebrand’ to reflect exciting expanding plans to bring more high-quality classical music and musicians to the popular Dorset seaside resort.

The series, founded by Weymouth-born pianist Duncan Honeybourne on his return to his hometown at the age of 25, has become well known as a platform for young professionals and established artists, and is now taking its activities up a gear. Last year’s summer concert, featuring chamber musicians coached by Duncan at the Royal Academy of Music Junior Department, was such a success that this year a special summer series of four extra Sunday afternoon concerts is being presented under the organisation’s new name CHAMBER MUSIC WEYMOUTH.

In addition to two Young Artist Showcase events on 9th and 16th July, Chamber Music Weymouth will also present a special concert of sea shanties and music inspired by or evocative of the sea and coastal landscapes with Lyme Bay Moonrakers and Duncan Honeybourne (14th July). The summer series will conclude on 28th July with a song recital given by baritone John Barker and pianist Helen Cawthorne.

Artistic Director Duncan Honeybourne says, “We’ve always made a point of welcoming young musicians, and last year’s young piano trio thoroughly enjoyed their trip to the seaside, eating ice cream on the beach after playing Mendelssohn to a large, supportive and enthusiastic audience. Everyone loved the event, and there were calls for a repeat, so this year we decided to expand the enterprise.”

Frances Wilson, herself a major voice in the piano world through her blog ‘The Cross-Eyed Pianist’, joined Duncan in 2019 as Concerts Manager, and together they plan to put their stretch of the Jurassic Coast firmly on the musical map. Frances says, “We have enjoyed record audiences since we returned to our regular monthly concerts following the challenges of the covid lockdowns, and we look forward to capitalising on this enthusiasm for what we do here with an expanded programme of concerts and other related events as we approach our 25th anniversary in 2027.”

Thanks to a generous donation from the Weymouth Music Club, which closed in 2023 after presenting concerts in the town for almost 80 years, Chamber Music Weymouth will, in addition to the regular monthly lunchtime concert series, offer further opportunities to young musicians at the start of their professional careers. Future plans also include a music festival, piano competition and masterclasses/piano courses.

The first Young Artist Showcase concert, presented by Chamber Music Weymouth, takes place on Sunday 9th June at 3pm at St Mary’s Church in central Weymouth. Students of Duncan Honeybourne from the Royal Academy of Music Junior Department and the University of Southampton will perform music by Mozart, Lalo, Paganini, and Beethoven. Tickets cost just £5, available online or on the door.

Book tickets

Full details of all concerts/events and a detailed history of the series can be found at weymouthchamberconcerts.com

“a really special concert series” – Joseph Tong, pianist

“Weymouth is truly fortunate to have a concert series that benefits both local people and the wider musical community…..this is a valuable initiative that deserves continuing support and celebration.” – James Lisney, pianist

Launched in 2002 by concert pianist and Weymouth resident Duncan Honeybourne, Weymouth Lunchtime Chamber Concerts presents high-quality chamber music in the heart of Weymouth and offers a platform for musical partnerships with friends and colleagues. The concerts also give young musicians, often recent graduates from conservatoire or university, valuable performing experience to a friendly, loyal audience.

Programmes are varied and imaginative, mixing well-known works with lesser-known repertoire and composers, and all concerts take place in the attractive surroundings of St Mary’s Church, an early 19th-century church in central Weymouth, built of Portland stone.

Since its return to normal concert-giving following the covid lockdowns, the series has enjoyed record audience numbers with concerts by, amongst others, pianists Margaret Fingerhut, Joseph Tong, Allan Schiller and John Humphreys, Viv McLean, Penelope Roskell, James Lisney, Matthew Schellhorn and Katharine Lam, cellist Joseph Spooner, bass-baritone Timothy Dickinson, violinists Peter Fisher, Christopher Horner and Leora Cohen, and clarinettist Poppy Beddoe, as well as talented young musicians or recent graduates from conservatoire. Featured contemporary composers include Sadie Harrison, Adam Gorb, Ben Gaunt, Liz Dilnot Johnson and Fazil Say.

The series receives no funding or sponsorship, and all artist fees and other costs are met through ticket sales alone.