OK, I know I know, I have lots to update you with! There’s a lot of things to tell you about, and even more things I should be practicing. But I couldn’t help but work on another MJ tune this weekend. I spent a little more time with this one than the last (i.e. 2 afternoons), but I was happy with the result. My other Jackson 5 tune seems to make a lot of people happy, so I decided to work on this tune. Starting tomorrow I am working on relevant pieces like Rachmaninoff (coming up already in 2 months!).

Anyways, I hope you enjoy it.

The available link will take you to my recital from Forte de Copacabana in Rio, last August. Of particular note is the performance of “Aquarelo do Brasil”, which I had so much fun preparing. The Brazilian audience was very appreciative of it, and I remember these ladies asking me all week to play it again for them. The program as you can see was almost all Chopin, in my preparation for the eventual Warsaw trip. Hope you enjoy!

http://www.pianestival.org/video/index.php?l=0&idf=3

Just click on artists to choose from a selection of pianists...including me!

Sorry for the delay in keeping up with my blog. I have been so busy (see the upcoming post in a few days). There was so much craziness happening from the end of August to September, with the concert in Rio de Janeiro (as part of Pianestival), and then home for 5 days before leaving for Warsaw (for the International Chopin Competition for Amateurs). I’ll briefly recap the events, as it as been a while since it all happened.

The trip to Rio was my first time in South America. I went with a few of my closest friends, but unfortunately one of them was not able to get a travel visa in time. Apparently it’s very strict now so if you do go, make sure to plan well in advance! The concerts were held in the Forte de Copacabana, which was located right between the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana. It was almost surreal when we first walked around the area...beaches, mountains and beautiful people. What a great combination for passioniate music!

I admit I spent lots of time on the beach, more than practicing. I figured that by immersing myself in the ocean waves I would be connecting with nature so in a sense it would almost be like practicing! You would have done the same...and I would like to think that my performances were better because of it. I performed a solo recital, and my encore was a Kapustin transcription of “Aquarelo do Brasil” which went off really well. I’ll try to see if I can post this recording soon. It was a pleasure playing some samba for the packed Brazilian audience.

I know it seems like everyone is caught up in the Michael Jackson craze, including myself. I am a fan of his music, and think that some of his bass lines are the best ever written. Anyways after a brief moment of wondering how I could express my tribute to MJ, I decided one afternoon to transcribe an old Jackson Five tune. Then I recorded it in my parent’s living room (on my favorite piano, though she is a bit out of tune). I’m not sure how long I will keep this video up, because I think it has a “cheese” potential. But if people like it, I’ll post more because I had fun doing it. Of course, anything to procrastinate from rehearsing all that Chopin is reason enough for me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoXfeDXqjdI

As I prepare for the Pianestival (once called the IPAF) in Rio, I came across this video of the most recent festival in Nice, France. I really wish I could have gone to this one (I think in terms of timing it would have worked out perfectly but I’ve never been to Rio). I have to congratulate Julien Kurtz and Dominique Xardel, who have overcome the great obstacle of starting an idea and putting it into action. They have gone ahead and now produce two festivals around the world each year. I hear the future includes concerts in Asia, which gets me really excited.

Henri Delbeau (Internist from NYC) is in this video. Nice work!
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=113542537520&h=xcP7a&u=_IziW&ref=nf

I spent a lazy morning today finally updating my biography and watching videos of previous amateur piano competitions. One common topic that comes up is the debate of what defines an amateur versus a professional musician? People claim that if amateur competitors have ever studied at a music school they should be disqualified from such competitions. Others claim that some amateur musicians are just as good and sometimes better than the professionals out there. People even go out of their way to tally how many competitors in these amateur competitions come from music school training.

Since I did not ever receive formal music training, I think I can make a fair assessment on the situation. I believe that the term “amateur” implies a financial designation. From what I recall, all these competitions state that if you do not receive the majority of your income from performing, then you qualify as an amateur. Whether or not you have a previous music degree doesn’t really garner a professional status. If you obtain more than half of your income as a musician, that’s another story.

Someone once mentioned that the term “amateur” means “to love”, and that it is not a designation of the skill-set of the musician. While this is true, I also tend not to use this explanation either. I believe everyone who plays music loves it, regardless of their title. One person once wrote on my You Tube video, that professionals love music more than amateurs because they are the ones who have decided to continue with it, through good times and bad. I tend to agree in some respects to this comment, because I do know how much dedication it takes to become a professional musician. I understand my own limitations in becoming a professional, and I wouldn’t enjoy the lifestyle that a concert pianist lives anyways. This is why I have the utmost respect for my peers who are making it in this business. It touches my heart to see when someone develops their musical career, because it is the dream for so many of us. We amateurs are lucky in the sense that although we may not possess the same talent or sheer volume of repertoire, at the end of the day we go back to our careers. So let’s all assume that every musician loves to play...isn’t that why we all do it in the first place?

I’m sure most of us can agree that to have a degree in music doesn’t put you into a professional status either. It takes a lot of perseverance, detemination and luck. Furthermore, like any craft, if you so much as take three weeks off from playing the piano it sets you back both physically and mentally. So why make a fuss if someone studied music at Julliard ten years ago? Some people may still huff and puff about this debate, but let’s go back and reclaim the definition as merely a financial designation. It’s not a definition of talent (as I have heard some amateurs play better than professionals), nor is being an amateur pianist just a state loving piano.

I’m going to re-read this blog at a later date, to see if I still agree with my own thoughts. Maybe it’s not even an issue. But I certainly think about it a lot, as I do many other aspects of music. Now, back to my beautiful piano in Saskatoon that I have missed so much.

ps. more photos to be posted as they come in

For those of you interested, I will be trying my best to update my experience in Vienna. I am leaving tomorrow and quite excited about it. Life for an amateur pianist is different than your typical musician. I am just one example of 24 other competitors, but my life these days has been hectic. I just returned from a week in Saskatoon, accompanying concerti for students in the music festival. I was so proud to play with these kids, some as young as 16 (playing the Chopin E minor). It was a lot of fun, but also quite demanding accompaniments to learn. I have also been working fairly full time when in Toronto. The work schedule has been packed with patients because of the other life event happening...I am preparing to move to Calgary in 3 weeks. This is my first public announcement of the news and I am really looking forward to going back to Western Canada. More details on that after the competition!

All things considered, I have still been practicing diligently for the Bosendorfer. It will be the first year for the competition so I am not sure what to expect. All I know is that we will have pristine Bosendorfer pianos to practice on daily. My repertoire is a mix of old and new but it will be full of demanding pieces. I am confident I have reached my preparation goals and hope to get the chance to play through all rounds.

I will try to update you as the rounds progress. The preliminary round will be on Monday May 11, semifinals Wednesday May 13 and finals Friday May 15. I am reminded of my first blog entry on this site (http://www.thomasyu.ca/page/blog-post/17th_international_competition_for_outstanding_piano_amateurs/) which was the last time I have competed. Three years is a long time to be away from the scene so there will be some definite butterflies (I’m nervous just thinking about it). Back in Paris I was a nobody who just showed up without anyone knowing who I was. Now I feel a lot more personal pressure to do well. I’ll be looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and meeting new pianists from around the world. I know it will be a positive experience. So stay tuned and I maybe I’ll be able to give you good news.

May 10, 2009

I arrived in Vienna to wonderfully hot weather, and overflowing culture. My schedule was tight, as I had to go straight to Bosendorfer Hall for my official rehearsal. The Bosendorfer facility is something pretty spectacular. All practice studios had new Bosendorfer pianos to play. I have played a few in my lifetime, all of which have not impressed me. The ones in Vienna have been my first experience to well-regulated Bosendorfers. One of the staff told me to head up to the top floor, where I was treated to a room filled with about 20 grand pianos totalling over one million dollars!  I was like a kid in a candy store. There were a few of the 10.5 foot concert grands with the full 8 octaves, . Maybe I’ll use some of those notes in the Liszt sonata…

May 11, 2009

Today was the preliminary round of the competition. I went a little early to hear some people play to get a feel of the acoustics. The hall is unique in that the ceiling is comprised of many archways, and although they look beautiful, they tend to shoot the sound in all different directions. I’m not so sure how the sound projected where the jury sat. I went and chilled with friend and fellow competitor, Louis Dalaveris (an ophthalmologist from New York) in the Belvedere gardens. We traded off technical and musical ideas, which (if you are a musician) is one of the greatest things to talk about. My performance was at 4:20pm, and I felt quite good about it. My Bach went really well, as did my Marc Durand prelude. The Dutilleux was a test of my endurance. I seemed to tire a bit as the piece evolved, but I gave it all I had. I figured the jury will either love or hate the risks I was taking, but it seemed to go well. The results went on later in the evening, very quick and deliberate. The jury left in a rush and that was that! The good news is I did qualify for the semifinals. Louis made it too, as did Dr. Daniel Kandelman, my new friend from Montreal (he is a dentist and faculty member at Universite de Montreal!). There was one surprise where one candidate did not qualify. Everyone seemed puzzled by it, but it is a competition. It was a reminder to me that stranger things can happen in competitions. You have to play for yourself and your audience. If you are happy with how it goes, that should be the priority. We cannot predict how the jury will react. A good lesson going into round 2! I perform at 10am, ET sharp. Any well-wishers are greatly appreciated!

May 12, 2009

I had a free day to spend preparing for tomorrow’s semifinal round. We had another opportunity to try the Bosendorfer on stage, and it seems like the technician has fixed a few kinks in the action and tone. I shouldn’t have to work so hard with the piano tomorrow. You can see the Bosendorfer I practiced on today. I’m sure this design is to draw a bit of attention one way or another. For me, I like the styling but I doubt I would ever buy one that looks like this. I do however prefer the wood finish.

This evening we went to Beethoven’s house, and in this next photo you can see where Beethoven wrote his Eroica Symphony. Here I am with my two Canadian friends, Claire and Ariel. I felt Beethoven’s presence and energy, which will surely help me when I play the last movement of the Appassionata.

I spent some more time with the other competitors, like Ronald Potts, who was a emergency room physician and now coordinates organ transplants in the US. Also there is Atsutaka Manabe, a hilarious and charming man who lives in Germany...he is the head of the laboratory that makes LCD’s! He told me he is inside my iPhone, ha. During the evening we went to a “heuriger” which is a very Viennese activity. It is a wine drinking establishment usually in the outskirts of the city for Austrian locals where the wine is locally-made. If this blog entry makes little sense, it’s the wine typing. I had a blast meeting the other competitors, and once again talking about music-related stuff. Dr. Kandelman, my fellow Canadian, is good guy to have around and hopefully we’ll get a chance to perform together some day.

But as for “days”, I am looking forward mostly to tomorrow’s big day. I play at 4pm (which is 10am ET). Let’s go Canada. Or you know what? The Canadian government declined my application for a travel grant to this competition, stating that my event was “amateur”. So it takes away some national pride for me to represent our country. Why don’t I just represent all of us and those who have supported me along the way? Canadian or not!

May 13, 2009

Today I woke up and made an important decision with regards to my preparation. I chose not to practice at all today, and instead decided to go for a walk in the Schonbrunn Palace gardens. The air was a little more crisp today, and the sun was not out. In hindsight, I am not sure that it was the best idea to skip practice. The hall was a little more full, but definitely not to capacity (which is not a lot to begin with). Jury members sat individually in their own section of the hall, while the audience sat well behind them. It must be hard for the jury to sit for hours each day listening, let alone having the audience watch their every move and expression.

So I arrived only with 20 minutes before my performance. I didn’t have my usual routine of stretching and focusing, but it wasn’t a big deal to me. My focus today was to create beautiful colors and show them why I deserved to be in the final. The first piece was the Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise. I had some difficulty achieving the lighter texture, as the piano wanted to create more sound. It didn’t help that I was completely nervous and somewhat tense as well. The polonaise went well, and I achieved my goal of keeping it as a dance rather than a race. When I finished there was the usual silence between pieces...seems a bit strange after giving so much for 15 minutes! The next piece was Hommage a Rameau by Debussy. I was much more relaxed playing this piece and it worked really well. OK, I thought, let’s try to push with some fire in the Beethoven (Appasionata, mov’t 3). The piece again went fairly well, though I slipped a bit in the coda chords. All in all, it was a surviving program. I was fortunate to have a call-back for another bow, which was nice.

All I could think was “Man, I can play better than that. If they let me through, I won’t let them down”. The results came fairly quickly after the last competitor. The jury said it was a tough decision but proceeded to announce the list:

John Gardecki (USA)
Louis Dalaveris (USA)
Jonathan Hanks (USA)
Thomas Maurice (Canada)
Ronald Potts (USA)
Thomas Yu (Canada)
Rebecca Davis (USA)

I didn’t react much to the results, I was actually more happy that Louis made it! Thomas Maurice is an excellent pianist, also from Canada. He has performed numerous times at Carnegie Hall and will be also playing the Liszt sonata (as will I) on Friday. I admire and respect Rebecca, and she really nailed her semifinal round. As a former Julliard teacher, she will also be a driving force to do well. In fact, all the finalists will surely put their best feet forward, including myself. It’s unfortunate that none of the Europeans or Asians made it, now that I look at that list. I am satisfied that I qualified, but my priority will be for the finals. In my opinion I have not yet showed anyone my best playing, so I hope to save it for the right time. I do worry about my health, as this week has been draining and stressful. But this is who I am and I couldn’t have it any other way.

Tomorrow I will practice and rest. The other day I ran into Peter Longworth at the Glenn Gould School in Toronto, and we spoke of my competition. I told him “Well if I don’t qualify I’ll have a nice holiday, so it will be a win-win for me”. To which he responded “Would you rather have a holiday?”. I said no, haha.

Thank you to all who have been keeping up with this crazy adventure. Stay tuned for more news coming soon! I play on Friday, but I’m not sure when yet. Thank you for the prayers!

May 15, 2009

Yesterday was a day of rest. It was raining most of the day so my friend Annemarie took me to see some Viennese attractions. We went to the Spanish riding school to see the horses train. Next was the National Archives...it was gorgeous inside. I felt a lot of energy there, as many of the great composer’s original manuscripts are housed there. Annemarie told me she had the opportunity to touch the original score of Mozart ‘s Requiem. Can you believe that?

Today I slept in, having a very nice sleep. It was hard to control my nerves in the morning, so I watched a movie on my computer ("Step Brothers” - hilarious). In order not to make the same mistake as in the semifinals, I arrived with two hours before my performance. I spent time practicing my pieces and stretched for like one hour. For some reason I was feeling very relaxed and ready for action. 3:00pm...time for my 45-minute program. I was ready for some action. I began with Ravel’s Pavane, which I thought went extremely well. Next was Jeux d’eau, which did not go entirely perfect. However it was still a great performance. I decided to leave the stage afterward because I wanted to prepare myself for the Liszt sonata. From the lighter texture of Ravel I needed to drop down to the depths of Liszt.

What happened next was a moment I will never forget. It was as if Liszt himself was guiding me throughout the piece. The energy was high, the emotion was overwhelming. As a pianist, you dream for those moments where you connect with the piano and the music. This was one of those moments. If I think about it, it ranks up there with one of my best efforts, along with:

- Canadian Music Competition finals in Quebec city
- Saskatchewan Music Festival Grand Awards Competition
- Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3 in Paris
- Finals of the Canadian Chopin Competition
- Finals of the Bosendorfer Competition

So I was very pleased with my performance. It was a moment where I didn’t care what the results were, so it was very special. Next came a long waiting period. I spent some time going back to the practice studios, to play some of the Bosendorfers. I came across a concert grand which was absolutely incredible. It was better than the one in the hall! It was nice to play some pieces without being crazy and nervous.

The hall was packed for the presentation of the results. When the chairman of the jury (Krassimira Jordan) said “Here are the results. Are you nervous? I’m nervous!”...the tension began.

Third place was a tie between Thomas Maurice and Ronald Potts....here I am with Dr. Potts

I just wanted to announce the exciting news that I will be performing back in my home province next season. I am very eager to play in both cities. Saskatoon will be special as always for me, as it is my home city. I will also get to play my favorite concerto. Regina was the first orchestra I had performed with, and the experience changed my life. I was 19 and I played the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2. From there I remember meeting the young and talented violinist, Erika Raum. She asked me if I wanted to study with Marek Jablonski in Banff that summer. I ended up going to the Banff Summer Arts Festival a total of 7 times.

So the tickets will not be on sale for a while, but check the respective websites for updates. I am sure to want to sell both concert halls out...it is the Saskatchewan way!