August 22, 2010
I am looking at the pictures, I think I've memorized their order, maybe not. I am listening to the music and then playing. Days go by. Sometimes I don't feel like playing for long hours and I just don't. Suddenly I sit at the piano and play for a long time. Today I didn't play until 3, but from 3 I pretty much practiced until 10. Once in a while it seems to me that I understood something in the music. Later this feeling disappears. Maybe it becomes part of me, maybe it just vanishes. Tomorrow I am playing a fundraise recital. My mind is soaked in with the new program, but Ill have to switch it for tomorrow.
- A. M.
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August 17, 2010
Last night I could not fall asleep and was reading about Brahms. I was so touched with an excerpt from one of his letters to Clara Schumann...
"...I wish I could write to you as tenderly as I love you and tell you all the good things that I wish you. You are so infinitely dear to me, dearer than I can say... If things go on much longer as they are at present I shall have sometimes to put you under glass or to have you set in gold. Do write me a nice letter soon. Your letters are like kisses..."
- A.M.
August 12, 2010
It's August and I find myself in Texas. It has been over 100 degrees everyday since I arrived on Tuesday. I am playing an opening concert for the anniversary 25th season of Chamber Music International and benefit concerts for both CMI and Fort Worth CMS. I am very excited about having some time to concentrate and practice between the concerts. I am staying here with my dearest friends Doris and Joe Manci. A big house, two grand pianos, a lot of recordings and books; I'll be here until mid September and hope it will be a very productive time for me - working on a lot of different repertoire. Plus, everyone says I need to update my pictures and Doris is taking me for a photo shoot next week. Lets see how that turns out.
-AM
July 10, 2010
My dear friends and collegues. I am playing a recital in NY at theInternational Keyboard Institute and Festivalat Mannes College of Music on July 26 at 6 pm. It's a Monday night and I would be so happy, if some of you would be able to come. This is my only recital in NY in 2010 and it would be awesome to be able to share this moment with you. Hope to catch up with those of you I haven't seen in a while.
July 3, 2010
Hello everyone. It has been quite a while since I've updated my blog. The weather in NY turned quite hot, so did the performance schedule. I played with wonderful musicians. Saeka Matsuyama kept saying that she'd give me a cat for my birthday, by the way I turned 30 in June! I have nothing against cats but I just really dont want one right now. So, I kept saying to her that if she'll buy me a cat I'd buy her a tractor. In the end she thinks I have an unhealthy obsession with tractors. Harrison Hollingsworth and I played "tico-tico" among many other things. That was fun.
I played in the Naumburg Competition and got Second Place. I had to give up on watching a lot of Soccer World Cup games in order to get ready for that. Now I am thinking...what would have happen if I'd give up on watching World Cup at all...would I get the First Prize?
-A.M.
May 10, 2010
...
I have been a great admirer of Piotr Anderszewski ever since I've heard his recording of Bach's French Suite No. 5 from the Miami Piano Festival. On Friday night I saw Bruno Monsaingeon's "Voyageur intranquille". Next day, as I was playing one of Mozart's violin sonatas, I realized how inspired I was by Anderszewski. What a talent!
May 9 is Victory Day in Russia; the end of the Second World War. Since there is probably no single family throughout the entire post Soviet Union that didnt lose someone in that war, people remember this day, remember those who didnt come back, and thank those who did. My mom just told me that my great grandfather survived the war, but he lost three of his sons, two grandsons, and two sons-in-law. Both of my grandparents on my fathers side went through the whole war and came back.
I had a chance to listen to Gergievs rehearsal of Stravinskys Symphony in Three Movements with the NY Phil. I was so impressed with NY Philharmonic! It was the first rehearsal for the piece and orchestra was playing so well together! Gergiev kept pushing for more intensity. It was quite a combination of conductor and orchestra.
At this point I need to complete my first draft of an arrangement of Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite". When I started the transcription I didn't realize how much work it was going to be but again, its better to have too much work than too little.
April 27, 2010
Its better to be busy rather than have nothing to do.
I am exhausted from constantly learning new repertoire and playing lots of different programs with lots of different musicians, but at the same time I am very exited about the concerts this upcoming weekend. Four concerts with Ben Beilman and a concert with Benito Meza and then a two-week break before summer concerts start.
I am so proud to get my first paycheck from The Lincoln Center. I am going to make a copy and frame it!
I met an incredibly talented animator, Micah Chambers-Goldberg, with whom we are going to work on a project that will be premiered on April 9, 2011 at Kimmel Center in Philadelphia
April 12, 2010
Sunday in New York.
Very tight schedule. A plane at 6:30 in the morning to NY. Quick haircut, a bowl of cereal and at 3 pm I was already rehearsing with the Jaspers and Rob Kapilow. Rob is absolutely exceptional. He is one of the few people... you know exactly what's going to happen, but every time he does it you are sitting on the edge of your seat and just can't get enough of it. The Jaspers were exceptional too. I don't know what I was doing in that company, but I surely enjoyed it. It was worth all the traveling hustle. The next morning, I took the first flight back to New Orleans and at 3 pm I was playing with Igor in Lafayette.
Special thanks to my friend Cara McCool. She is letting me practice on her piano every time I need it. I don't know how I would be learning Dvorak's Dumky Trio and Chopin's Concerto otherwise. Both performances happening next week.
April 10, 2010
Louisiana.
I and Igor Begelman are hopping from New Orleans to New Iberia, to Baton Rouge, to Covington and so on. Cajun country is such a charming place.
Some very exiting news for me: I received confirmation of my participation in a very exciting project in the spring of 2011 at thePhiladelphia International Festival of the Arts.
Meanwhile, I am flying out early tomorrow morning to play with the Jaspers at Lincoln Center's Kaplan Penthouse.
March 31, 2010
Chamber Music Madness.
In the past week I have been playing with wonderful Colombian clarinetist Benito Meza. On Saturday there was a very elegant Galaevent organized by Astral Artists in Philadelphia where I also met and played a couple pieces with Kristin Lee - an amazing violinist who just had a birthday on Sunday. Happy Birthday, Kristin!
Monday. I was supposed to rehearse with the Jasper String Quartet in New Haven and this was our only scheduled rehearsal because they were leaving for Japan the next day. By the time they are back, I'll be gone playing with Igor Begelman in Louisiana. We reserved two hours for the rehearsal but there was a crazy accident on I-95 and the highway closed for a while. I ended up being an hour and a half late!!!! (Sorry guys.) Luckily, they were so nice about the delay! We only rehearsed 30 minutes but it was sufficient and a very productive rehearsal. What an amazing group of radiant musicians!
Jasmine Choi posted couple of funny pictures from our concert a while ago. I look funny but if you'd like to see it, it's right here (...)
March 20, 2010
New York updates.
Last night I went to the New York Theater Workshop to see Peter Strauss in a play that, as I learned, is directed by John Rubenstein, son of the great Arthur Rubenstein. The story is presented as a radio play and the main tool of expression becomes not the stage acting or visual effects, but the human voice. It's absolutely mesmerizing to hear what actors can do with their voices. I'd never realize I am listening to Peter Strauss if I wasnt staring right at him. Great example of Heinrich Neuhaus' advise to pianists which was to always learn from the human voice.
I am very excited to say that I will be playing with the Jasper String Quartet on April 11 at Lincoln Center's Kaplan Penthouse alongside Rob Kapilow whose book launch I coincidentally attended with a friend. "All You Have To Do Is Listen" was presented in the same hall last year and Rob was absolutely stunning!
March 16, 2010
Germany.
I am in Hannover again. Very nostalgic feeling. Its been raining day and night since I arrived in Germany. Two days ago we had our concert in Berlin. What a great feeling to play at the Berlin Philharmonic! The public is seating all around you, so much light and space. I am feeling so lucky to have had a chance to play there.
I went to two music schools in Berlin and a Steinway store trying to find a piano to practice and I was so surprised to learn that if you'd like to practice in Berlin and you don't belong to a music school there, you have to pay!
Tonight I am meeting up with my best friends and now back to practicing for the upcoming concerts next week back in the US.
March 2, 2010
Spring.
The first days of spring. I am back to NY's slowly melting snow. We've had a very nice concert in Dallas. I have to say every single musician I played with was absolutely exceptional! Very nice review from Scott Cantrell in Dallas Morning News (...).
I will be in NY for a week rehearsing with Benito Meza, playing at a concert at Steinway Gallery in Melville, NY dedicated to 20th anniversary of Long Island Institute of Music, where I used to teach and then off to Berlin to play Brahms First Concerto next week.
February 21, 2010
I love Brahms. There is actually a book by Francoise Sagan "Aimez-vous Brahms". I love that book too. Most of my friends don't feel much affection for her books, but I think she is an incredible psychologist when it comes to love stories. A French version of Dostoevsky, I know I'll be severely criticized for saying this, but I can't help it. I love her.
I am in Texas. It is so warm here. Funny enough, Ben Beilman (the violinist with whom I enjoyed so much playing Brahms on Wednesday) is also in TX today playing in Corpus Christi. I am looking forward to seeing all my friends here, it has been a while.
February 10, 2010
Snowstorm
Heavy snow showers and freezing winds are sweeping across New York. I just got snowed in in Philadelphia over weekend, which turned out to be a great experience. "Astral" is an absolutely unique place: all the artists I met there so far are most incredible and humble musicians and all the people who shape and lead this organization are
true gurus in all senses.
New Yorks snowstorm is keeping me from rehearsing Brahms Violin sonata with Ben Beilman and the performance is already next Wednesday. I am running out of coffee, but its fun to look outside on riotous snowflakes and then get back to soothing piano.
January 31, 2010
Saturday night
Just got back from the concert/lecture at the Bryn Mawr College. What a nice place! The lecture part of the evening was a new undertaking for me. It is one thing to say a couple sentences introducing a piece; it is another to actually talk for an hour about Chopin's life. The public was so attentive and responsive, thank you to everyone who was there :-)
Now I am looking forward to playing Tchaikovsky's "Seasons" on Thursday with a narrative by Bonnie Slobodien; and, of course, all the chamber music.
P.S. A nice review from Florida's "Palm Beach News", congratulations to Igor!
January 21, 2010
"Between the Keys" is launched
I had a great time playing with Igor Begelman in Florida. We flew back to NY yesterday morning and already by the late afternoon I was meeting with managers at Astral Artists in Philadelphia.
Today we are launching the new project "Between the Keys: The Mystery of Coriglianos Solo Keyboard Works." Check it out, there is a new menu button for it and once the actual tour will start, there will be a separate website dedicated to it.
January 16, 2010
First days in NY in 2010
Three days of intense rehearsals with Igor Begelman and we are ready for our concerts in Florida on Monday and Tuesday. It will be nice to come back to Kravis Center, where I've played last time almost 8 years ago.
New York based pianists, if you have not met Francis Romano yet, do so! Apart from being one of the most knowledgeable and charismatic people I know, he has acquired a huge collection of recordings and scores/books that are truly rare! Every time I visit him, it is such an inspiration!
