When I received a message from Julien Kurtz, co-organizer of Pianestival, there was an invitation to play at the prestigious Theatre du Chatelet in Paris. What an incredible opportunity! I immediately agreed. So if you are in Paris in June, check this site out. It even has a picture of my hands (I think it was taken years ago in another concert in Paris). While I am deeply touched that they would include my hands on the website, I can’t help but critique my technique. My left hand bridge is collapsed, my right hand has curved fingers. I can barely look at it! There are other photos on the site; you just have to scroll over the image and another pops up. Otherwise, I copied the photos below!

At any rate, I suppose this makes me a hand model!
http://www.chatelet-theatre.com/chatelet1011/concerts/Amateurs%20au%20Châtelet,546

I would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. I spent most of my holidays relaxing with family and snowboarding with friends. I know what some of you are thinking...that I should be watching those hands and wrists of mine! Well, I am certainly not a hero on the mountain! There’s something so special and humbling about being on a mountain. It’s hard to explain, but the connection between an artist and nature is what fuels us.

With memories in 2011 including Carnegie Hall and Nice, I am excited to look forward to a promising new year. Thank you for checking in everyone!

Enjoy! It is a very flattering article from today’s Calgary Herald.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Molar+maestro/3916417/story.html

I finally put together a video taken last summer during the 2010 Pianestival in Nice. This is a performance of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Dukas with Christopher Shih. A few months earlier in Baltimore we had a weekend to rehearse, but that was it. At the festival we had just the morning of the concert to practice together. To complicate things, I ended up being late for our morning rehearsal due to transportation issues! It was a hurried preparation but the end result was still a great performance and a really fun time. I always enjoy the chance to play with Chris, who is one of the best amateur pianists I know. The video is edited primarily for YouTube editing purposes.

Enjoy!

This weekend I had the opportunity to compare my hand to a model of Chopin’s. I remember my previous piano teacher telling me I had a hand like Chopin’s, but I didn’t realize how strange the similarity was until I saw the model. While I realize that this has little to do with how one plays Chopin, I thought the comparison was pretty cool.

This past month I had the opportunity to travel to China for the second leg (and 6th edition) of Pianestival. This was my first trip to China so I was anticipating this visit for quite some time. I have sometimes wondered who I would have been had my parents not decided to leave Asia. Would I still have played piano? I know I would never want to change my life in Canada, but now and then it is interesting to ponder life.

Shanghai was once described to me as New York meets Las Vegas, and the comparison was not that far off. But think of New York with a population density 4 times greater. Skyscrapers dominated the skyline and the city was filled with ex-pats and Western influence. I was a bit surprised to see so much Western culture in an Asian city. Shanghai was full of great French bistros and cafes, Spanish tapas bars, and Western-run rooftop patios. Who would ever need to travel outside of Shanghai? Good food was plentiful in China, I was in hot-pot and dumpling heaven!

I had the time to see the World Expo on a particularly hot day. The temperature was 36C with humidity. Thankfully there was free water there so we were able to keep hydrated. The pavilions were all massive and incredible in stature. There was no evidence of a global recession there! The Canadian pavillion was nice although it did not compare to other more beautiful pavillions like Italy and China.

The piano hall was a very small theater located at the Yamaha Music Center. A very intimate setting, this cramped environment proved to be one of the most unique venues. On one hand, the connection of performer to audience was intimate like a salon-type setting. On the other hand, the great CF Yamaha concert grand was very powerful and could saturate the hall with too much sound. I took the care as best I could to control the sound, and thankfully I am not a very powerful player to begin with.

My program consisted solely of French music, including Dutilleux, Debussy, Ravel and Alkan. The concert was one I will always remember, but for more unique reasons. The audience was a mixed bag of people who were very serious about music versus those who had no idea. The latter proved to be too overwhelming for my concentration. Minutes into the Dutilleux, kids were running around playing with paper bags and adults were talking on their cell phones. The noise was so deafening and the movement so eye-catching I actually broke concentration on stage for the first time in my life. I recall turning my head directly at the audience in the middle of my playing to look for the source of noise. After the Debussy I got off the stage to search for someone outside who could arrange to make an announcement about being quiet. I couldn’t find anyone, and the audience was still clapping at this time, so I headed back into the battlefield. I tried to enjoy the Ravel and Alkan as best I could. I’d have to say that my performance overall went really well, all things considered. Most people could not tell I was so easily thrown-off. What followed was a barrage of photographs and autographs. I was surprised by this response as I thought nobody was even paying attention. I certainly understand that this crowd was not representative of all music-lovers there, but since this experience I have heard of similar stories from other musicians. Perhaps this Western culture and etiquette has yet to be fully adapted.

I spent the rest of the trip as a visitor in China and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. Beijing is one of the top 5 cities I have visited. There is culture there both young and very old. I can’t wait to get the opportunity to return. I just might have to keep my piano books at home, though!

This past July was the fifith edition of Pianestival, an organization created by Julien Kurtz and Dominique Xardel of France, to promote prizewinners of amateur piano competitions from around the world. There is not a shortage of incredible musicians who, at some point in their life, made a difficult decision to pursue a career outside of music. As a member of this group I am fortunate enough to live out my musical dreams without sacrificing my professional life. Below is a photo with the organizers after the first edition of the festival in Paris.

The pianists in this group are all friends too, which makes for a nice reunion each summer. I had the privilege to invite two of my closest friends from Saskatoon to play in a trio with me. Carman Rabuka is a dentist who plays the cello and Luke Hnenny is a violinist now completing his residency in neurosurgery. We had thought of forming a trio for years but only now did the dream come to fruition. After little deliberation, the trio’s name became “The Hemostatics”. We had one preparatory concert in Marysburg, Saskatchewan before making our official debut. Besides being class musicians, these guys are great buddies and were a blast to travel with. In good Saskatchewan-fashion, they quickly befriended everyone in the festival and were great ambassadors.

Nice was beautiful in so many ways. The weather was consistently perfect both day and night. In fact, most nights we would head to the Mediterranean Sea for a dip. It became apparent to me why so many of the greatest artists would live in the French Riviera.

The conservatory where the festival was taking place was also a great venue. My first concert day involved a 2-piano event. I played Lutoslawski’s Paganini Variations with Ronal Potts from Portland, USA. We basically started working on the piece as a duo only one day before the performance. It was almost like a professional-like atmosphere with last-minute rehearsals and changes. In the end it was an energy-packed performance and well-received. I also had a chance to reunite with my duo partner, Christopher Shih from Ellicott City, USA. We had last played the Poulenc Double Concerto in Boston two years ago. This time it was the Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Dukas. Both performances went well and the audience was very appreciative. I have admired Chris in so many ways. He is a successful gastroenterologist with a loving family and musical talent to boot. It is always a special moment when we get to play together. If you haven’t heard this guy, check him out below.

The trio followed a few days later, with Schumann’s Phantasiestucke Op. 88 and the Shostakovich Piano Trio. It was an honour to share the stage with such wonderful musicians and friends from my hometown. We were so excited to represent Saskatoon in France. For the Schumann piece we were very nervous, partly due to the fact that we had not performed together before. The nervous energy was a positive type and so I was extremely happy with our performance, and the audience felt the energy throughout. The Shostakovich was simply a treat to play. If you have time be sure to check this piece out. Luke told me he still felt the adrenaline rushing hours after the performance. 

(Wikipedia): A venerable story has become part of the folklore of the hall: A New Yorker (or in some versions Arthur Rubinstein) is approached in the street near Carnegie Hall, and asked, “Pardon me sir, how do I get to Carnegie Hall?” He replies, “Practice, practice, practice.”

I recently entered a competition called the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition (http://www.bbpiano.com/winners.html). At first, it seemed a little odd to me, with the application process being only a CD or DVD and no audition rounds. I didn’t even know who or if there was a jury, but I did notice a friend of mine, Rupert Egerton Smith (http://www.rupertegertonsmith.com/) who placed second in 2009. After a brief chat with him, I decided to enter because the prize was a trip to NYC. To my delight, some very good news came my way via email: I won First Prize in the Amateur Adult division, and was invited to play at Carnegie Hall!

It sounded all too unreal. I remember jokingly saying to my friends that I would retire after I get the opportunity to play at Carnegie Hall, because the thought of getting there was next to impossible. I mean...a periodontist living in Calgary? I thought the dream was to remain just that...a dream. I had now 2 weeks to prepare for the performance, which was to be just 10 minutes on the stage of Weill Hall. So I began to practice, every night after work, in my office. Putting the last bits of energy I had in the day towards those crazy 10 minutes to come soon.

I recently played with both orchestras in my home province of Saskatchewan. The Saskatoon show was my second performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 (the first being in Paris, which you can read from an earlier blog). It had been a while since that memorable moment playing the Rach 3, so many of the notes had to be relearned. Trying to do so can be challenging, as your last memory of a piece is one that is performance-ready. Your mind wants to hear something your body cannot yet produce. Thankfully, Maestro Earl Stafford was helpful in holding everything together. I felt like it was a good performance, and there were some really special moments. It’s always nerve-wracking to play at home, but it’s only because I care that much more.

Next was the performance of Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F with the Regina Symphony Orchestra. This piece was new to me, so the approach here was different compared to the Rachmaninoff. Because my teachers don’t live in Calgary, I had the help of a few key coachings and good recordings to guide me. I have to say that Regina really knows how to treat a musician! I was taken around by limousine, had a great hotel room and again was treated to a packed house. The performance went really well, thanks to the great baton of Maestro Victor Sawa. I never followed anyone’s baton as closely as his...it was so easy to feel connected with the orchestra under him. I appreciated the standing ovation from the audience so much, partly because I felt like this was one of the first performances I have done without the constant guidance of a teacher. I remember thinking how lucky we are as musicians to receive praise after a performance. What the audience didn’t know was that after intermission I was back in the green room practicing already for my next concert. Not that glamorous of a life, ha! I have also included the preview from this concert below. I thought both articles were so well-written and very complimentary. Hope you enjoy!

“For those about to Rach, we salute Yu”

BY SHANNON BOKLASCHUK FEBRUARY 15, 2010


Saturday night’s Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra (SSO) concert had it all – excitement, drama and romance.

The sold-out performance at TCU Place – suitably called Love Across an Ocean, as it took place one day before Valentine’s Day – kicked off with an announcement that the Frank & Ellen Remai Foundation will participate in a matching challenge to raise funds for the city’s orchestra.

“A community that makes music is a healthier cultural community compared to one that does not,” said local music icon David Kaplan, whose speech was followed by enthusiastic applause from the crowd.

Following the announcement, the concert began with a pleasing performance of Edward Elgar’s Serenade for Strings in E Minor. As the name of the piece suggests, the music highlights the beauty of the stringed instruments, and the SSO did a fabulous job of playing it, thus setting the romantic tone for the evening.

For the second piece, Johannes Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Haydn, additional musicians joined the string players on stage. The SSO played the majestic-sounding music with intensity, and the dramatic ending was appropriately powerful.

Following a brief intermission, the string players were front and centre again, with a performance of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings. The pretty, and relatively short, piece was the perfect appetizer for the evening’s main course: The highly anticipated performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, by guest artist Thomas Yu.

Colloquially called the Rach 3, the piece is both revered and feared; it is famous for the technical and physical demands on the pianists who attempt to play it.

On Saturday night, 32-year-old Yu – a former Saskatoon resident who now runs a periodontal practice in Calgary – was certainly up for the challenge. His performance was, in a word, amazing.

Members of the audience could sense the excitement in the air as Yu calmly stepped onto the stage and took his place at the piano. From the first note to the last, as Yu’s fingers furiously moved up and down the keys, the crowd was spellbound. Yu was in complete control of the music and the piano, the mark of a true virtuoso.

You could say he really rocked the Rach.

As soon as Yu’s performance ended, TCU Place was filled with explosive applause, as audience members jumped to their feet for a lengthy standing ovation. Cheering and shouts of “bravo” could be heard throughout the auditorium.

After the clapping subsided and two little girls brought Yu flowers, the pianist returned to the stage for a brief encore, which he played in celebration of Chinese New Year.

“Thank you so much for making my dreams come true,” Yu said to the crowd.

Thank you so much for the absolutely incredible performance.

It was certainly a night to remember.

sboklaschuk@sp.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The StarPhoenix

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“Yu, RSO to play Gershwin”

BY JOE COUTURE, LEADER-POST APRIL 8, 2010

RSO: MUSIC OF THE AMERICAS

At the age of 32, Saskatchewan-product Thomas Yu has achieved success that many individuals only dream about—and he has done so in not one, but two, arenas of pursuit.

Yu, born and raised in Saskatoon, has won piano competitions at the national and international levels; has studied with top music teachers; and has performed for audiences around the world. At the same time, he has completed a degree in dentistry at the University of Saskatchewan and specialized in the field of periodontics, completing a masters degree at the University of Toronto. He is now back west, pursuing both his passions from Calgary.

“I’ve been very fortunate to be able to achieve goals I set when I was a little kid,” a humble and down-to-earth Yu said. “One of the first biggest goals was to play with an orchestra. The first orchestra I ever played with was the Regina Symphony, when I was 19. ... I’ve always needed to set new goals. I guess it’s an inner drive mixed with a little bit of insanity and the reluctance to say ‘no’ that has forged this life that I’ve had so far ... I have certainly had very few regrets.”

That’s not to say there haven’t been challenges and sacrifices. Balancing “two heavyweights”—music and dentistry—has often caused people to worry that he would not be able to do both, he said. “(But) You’re never too busy to do the things you love. I’m fortunate to have two passions. “Contrary to assumptions, I’m definitely lazy,” Yu added, with a laugh, noting people would be worried if they knew how much knowledge he had about television programming. (Though that really speaks to his incredible level of balance.)

Yu will be back in Saskatchewan on Saturday, performing as a guest artist for the Regina Symphony Orchestra’s “Music of the Americas” Mosaic Masterworks series concert, a goal of which is to illustrate that not all great composers come from overseas. Yu will be playing George Gershwin’s “Piano Concerto in F,” which he described as “a ton of fun to play.”

“It’s full of just that tap-your-feet, snap-your-fingers, sort of jazzy rhythms. It’s going to take you back to a sort of 1920s New York City feel,” he continued. “Whenever I hear this piece I think of that era and the new skyscrapers being built.”

Yu stated that the orchestra is the highlight in the dynamic work and he’s eagerly anticipating enjoying the collaboration. Playing for a home-based audience does not come without some nerves—even for a musician as accomplished as Yu.

“I’m always more nervous when I come home to Saskatchewan, because I’ve tried so hard, and I’m very, very proud to represent Saskatchewan,” he said. “It makes me so proud to be able to say where I’m from. I get a little bit extra nervous for shows back home—I just care that much more.”

That is especially true of Regina, he said. He recalled sitting with his parents at a VIP dinner for a concert he was playing in Paris, France—the family all acknowledged they would never have imagined being in such a position, but also noted that it was not as exciting as the first time he played with an orchestra, the RSO, when he was 19.

© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post