Kaleidoscope: Championing Women feat. Dr. Isabel Pérez Dobarro - Concert Pianist, Advocate for Women Composer

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This episode is brought to you by Dr. John Skidmore and the team of musicians
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passed to peak performance, helping artists conquer performance anxiety for over 30 years.
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Stage fright is not a dreaded disease. I'm Dr. John Skidmore, performance psychologist.
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And in my new course, 30 Days to Peak Performance, you'll be learning the tools and skills
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and a method to turn your next performance into a peak performance.
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You can learn more at drjohnskidmore.com.
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Welcome back, PianoPod friends and listeners. Today, I am so thrilled to introduce a truly
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remarkable artist, Dr. Isabel Perez de Barro, one of the most internationally recognized
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Spanish pianists of her generation. She is also a passionate advocate for women composers
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and a champion of sustainability in the arts. Isabel's dedication to promoting the music
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of women composers, supporting the United Nations sustainable development goals, and
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performing a wide range of piano solo repertoire has made her a prominent figure on stages
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around the world. So I'd like to share a personal connection to Isabel. First of all, toward
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the end of last season of our show, I invited all our listeners to recommend guests for
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season five and one of our season one guests, Chantal Balestri, suggested Isabel to be on
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our show. So a big shout out to Chantal if you're listening and thank you so much for
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taking the time to fill out the guest recommendation form. So anyways, going back to Isabel, I
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also had a pleasure of working with her years ago through the Piano Teachers Congress of
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New York, which I mentioned quite often during the show. And this was back when Isabel was
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living in New York City. So for this reason, I'm very excited to have her with us today
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and catch up with her. Anyway, to all our first time listeners and viewers, welcome
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to the PianoPod. I am Yukimi Song, a classical pianist and educator and executive producer
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of the PianoPod based in New York City. Whether you're pursuing a piano career, working in
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the classical music industry or simply passionate about piano music, this podcast is your backstage
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pass to the fascinating world of the piano. In our bi-weekly episodes, we have engaging
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conversations with guests making waves in the classical music industry. Our mission
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is to build a vibrant community that embraces fresh ideas, ensuring classical music stays
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alive and relevant in our modern world. If you haven't already, please check out the
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introductory episode of season five to get a sense of what's in store this season. And
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don't forget, you can catch up on our previous seasons and previous episodes available on
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your go-to podcast platforms or on YouTube. Now, let me tell you more about today's extra
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ordinary guest, Dr. Isabel de Barro. Isabel is a highly acclaimed Spanish pianist with
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an impressive international career. Recently named a, quote, woman to watch in culture,
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end quote. She has also been appointed as a visiting professor at the London Performing
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Academy of Music. Isabel has performed on some of the most prestigious stages around
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the world, including Carnegie Hall, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, and Rachmaninoff Hall
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at the Moscow Conservatory. Her passion for promoting music by women composers has led
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her to initiate projects like Women in Music, for which she won the New York Women Composers
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Seed Grant. Isabel has premiered important works such as Clara Schumann's Piano Concerto
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at the Palau de la Musica Catalana, and she has performed with leading orchestras, including
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the Royal Philharmonic of Galicia. Beyond her work as a performer, Isabel is deeply
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committed to contemporary music and sustainability. She has been a featured speaker and performer
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at major global events, including at the United Nations, where she links music with the United
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Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Her academic credentials are equally impressive,
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holding a doctorate from New York University with additional studies in law and sustainability
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at Harvard and Cambridge. Isabel continues to inspire through her performances, teaching,
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and advocacy for greater representation of women in music worldwide.
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So before we dive in, I want to take a moment to thank our amazing TPP fans and loyal listeners
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for your continued support. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to rate and review
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it on your favorite podcast platform, because every rating review helps others discover
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the show. Now get ready to uncover the secrets behind Dr. Isabel de Barro's remarkable,
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multifaceted career as a concert pianist and beyond. Please enjoy the show.
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You are listening to the PianoPod, where we talk to the brightest minds in the industry
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about how they are bringing the piano into the future and thriving in a complex, ever-evolving
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world. Welcome to the PianoPod, Isabel. So great to see you.
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So great to see you too. Thank you so much for this opportunity.
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Oh, thank you for being here. And how have you been?
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Well, I've been great. You know, it's really exciting. I'm in a very exciting period in
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my life right now with the release of my new album. We'll discuss that probably later on.
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So I'm very happy, very happy and very excited.
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And then you mentioned that today is the day? Today, as of October 11th is the day that
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your CD came out?
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Absolutely. The official release and all platforms. You can also order, you know, physical copies
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in Amazon, Mars and Oval. So, yeah, it's there.
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Oh, wow. So you know what? Let's start with that. I was going to really give you a little
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lengthy introduction, but you know what? Let's just do it. So the new album is called Kaleidoscope.
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That's correct.
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Can you share more about the programming of this album and the inspiration behind it?
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Definitely. So this album gathers women composers from all over the world and they're amazing
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works for piano. So I'm very excited to perform works by Gabriela Ortiz, by Yoko Kano, by
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Carolyn Morris, by Enkei Rwokoye, by Dobrinka Tabakova, Carmen Rodriguez. Well, you know,
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composers from all over the world. And it's so exciting to bring all these influences
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together to see how diverse and how beautiful are all these different expressions, musical
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expressions for all around the globe and promote contemporary music too, which is something
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that it's very important for me. I know it's important for you too. And it's something,
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you know, that as performers, I think it's really, really vital. So, yeah, this is the
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premise of Kaleidoscope. Diverse cultures, diverse perspectives, diverse musical styles
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coming together in this pianistry.
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Oh my goodness. Congratulations. And then what motivated you to focus on promoting music
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by women around the world? And was there a particular event that sparked your passion
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for this cause?
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Right. So, you know, it's very interesting because I think this is rather common among
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many, many professionals and it's that we discover women composers' works, unfortunately,
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rather late in our careers. And that was my case. So, you know, I was actually, I studied
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at the conservatory, I started performing and playing when I was three, four years old.
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You know, so I've been all my life studying piano. And then I went to New York. I studied
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at NYU. I was also an adjunct instructor at NYU. And it was there actually when I was
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teaching when a student asked me about women composers, right? And that was such a surprise.
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Of course, at the moment I said, yeah, you know, I know many, just, you know, next week
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I'll tell you about it. Not many. And it was horrible to realize that, wait a second, have
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I played a women composer? Do I have anything in my repertoire? Yeah, I know that Clara
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Schumann played his husband works. Is that it? I can believe that's just it. So then
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you start researching about it. And that's what happened to me. I started researching
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about it. I started doing programs about women composers, also this idea of exchanges, cultural
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exchanges around women composers from different countries. So I did exchange programs within
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the U.S. and Spain, we went to Spain, Germany, Spain, Portugal. So there, that was the moment
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in which I started developing research and a performative career, you know, a parallel
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performative career based on actually women composers. I started performing it more, discovering
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more of these works and really being surprised and a bit embarrassed in a way and also surprised
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about the amazing works that I was finding out that I didn't know about it. And then
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I was not educated about it, that I was not told about it. So I saw that the real issue,
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you know, that if you're not told about this in the conservatory, in the bachelors, really,
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you know, it's so hard to then get to know this pieces. And it was a process of researching
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of, of really getting into it and focusing on it. And I'm so happy about all the discoveries,
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great discoveries that I found along the way.
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Wow. So it was like a few years of maybe research into this.
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My research on women composers spans from really a long time. I've done also several
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programs starting, you know, probably around 2012, most importantly from 2017 on. And it
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was, and this album really came about, I would say around COVID. So in the pandemic, I started
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working on that idea. I really wanted to do my first solo album because I had done before
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an album on Pauline Viardot. And that was a collaborative program with singers, two
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fantastic singers, Anna Tonna, Corinna Feldman, and also a musicologist, Patricia Kleiman.
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So you know, I really wanted to say, to focus on my first album. And I wanted to really
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think about what would it be about? What am I passionate about? What can I really, you
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know, project of my pianistic career and my pianistic interests, right? So I started thinking
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about it. I started researching about the composers. I started contacting some of the
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composers, which was so exciting and so amazing really, because a lot of times you see these
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incredible names, right? Like Tanya León, Julia Wolf, like Gabriella Ortiz, you know,
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that you see them every day with the Berlin Philharmonic, with the New York Philharmonic.
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And I was beginning, you know, I was scared. I was like, oh my God, I'm going to contact
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these people. So nice. All of them have been so supportive. They have been so wonderful.
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So their genius is as composers and as people. They're amazing. Oh, wow. Truly a journey
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and beautiful one. I mean, that's what women are, right? Like we're all professional yet
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humble and then kind. So that makes us who we are. Now, where does this title, Kaleidoscope,
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come from? You know, I think the title is about bringing very different pieces that
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come together and create an image, right? And that's a bit of the idea. It's that,
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you know, there are very different influences. You can see it really in the CD. You can see
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influences of Argentinian music, of African rhythms, of Latin rhythms. Like it's all over
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the place and you can see all these influences in there. For instance, the Spanish piece
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is inspired on a traditional song of my region, which is Calicia. So, you know, you can definitely
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sense those influences, those different musical languages that they might seem so different
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and so contrasting. But when it comes together, it's a very natural journey. And that's how
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I view it. It's really a musical journey with very contrasting materials. But I try that
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they move the listener into this beautiful exploration of emotions, of feelings, of different
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traditions, of different music, of different rhythms. And that's the idea behind the title,
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really.
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Oh, great. Now, can you give us like the title of each piece that you perform?
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Yes, I hope I don't forget any. But let's start with Nocturne by Dobrinka Tabakova.
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Now she's an amazing composer. She's from Bulgaria. She's based in the UK. Very sensitive
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piece, very intimate. I mean, like the title, right? Nocturne. Very evocative, full of colors.
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Very, very nice. Then we moved to this studio numero tres. That's the etude number three
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by Gabriella Ortiz, which is Tour de Force. It's sort of, I don't want to say sort of
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like Ligeti, but technically, so you have a sonic image of what it means. But her language
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is so personal that it's, she just moves beyond that. And she brings all these Latin rhythms,
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these amazing harmonies, these contrasts. It's unbelievable and really an unbelievable
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piece. There's also Blue Ocean by Carolyn Morris. Carolyn Morris is an Australian composer.
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She is also very well known for her pedagogical work, as well as performative work. And Blue
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Ocean is based on her recollections of her childhood, where she was in the ocean road
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in Australia. And truly, I think it truly brings you there. Like you can totally imagine
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that image. Then there's Claudia Montero's Buenos Aires Despierta y Sueño. So it's based
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on Buenos Aires. Unfortunately, Claudia Montero is the only one who's not alive. She passed
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away recently. She was a very dear friend and this CD and everything around it is dedicated
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to her. Such a beautiful piece, such a beautiful melody, you know, it really stays in your
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heart. And it has some elements that you can perfectly recognize, these harmonies from
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tango and you know, it's really beautiful.
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There's also this a la la, Las Paisasas Vertigais. This is the piece that is based on a song
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of my region. This is dedicated to me actually by Carmen Rodriguez, a young composer from
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Spain. And she dedicated the piece after listening to me play. As she said, I'm going to compose
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a piece based on your way of playing. So that's beautiful because sometimes they dedicate
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you a piece and you're like, okay, that's not my favorite style. Let's see what I can
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do. But in this case, no, it was very tailored. So this was beautiful. Then there's Tumbao
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by Tania León, which is an extraordinary composer and Tumbao is full of this perfect
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mix with contemporary music and Latin rhythms. And you know, you just go with it and with
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the rhythm in there. It's so beautiful. Then there's improvisation by Suad Bushnath. She's
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a Jordan, a Canadian composer. So you can see there are several Arabic scales going
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on, but it's a very pianistic, melodic sort of Chopin-esque style, but with these Arabic
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components in it, which give it such a flavor, such a beauty, right? And Keiru Okoye's African
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sketches. This is Dusk. And I mean, again, it's very much like Buenos Aires in the sense
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that it's so evocative or Blue Ocean. You can really go there and you can feel that
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you are traveling there to Nigeria. And it's so, so descriptive, such descriptive music.
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So beautiful. Then there is, I don't want to force anyone because there are a lot of
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pieces. There's of course, Yoko Kanno and Hana Wasako. Beautiful piece. It's dedicated
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to the victims of the 2011 earthquake in Japan. So it's a very moving piece. At the same time,
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it has a message of resilience. So you have like two parts. One of them is very moving.
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And the other one is very, I would say resilience is the word. It has this spirit of moving
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on and moving forward and we can overcome anything. And you can see these two contrasting
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ideas happening, which it's beautiful. And then we have Kanen Tanaka, who is a Japanese
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composer. She's based in Canada and she has this water dance, which again, it's very
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crisply and very, you can tell, you know, there's this water influence. And two American
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composers, which are Julia Wolf and Carolyn Shaw, as you know them, Pulitzer winners,
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you know, Grammy winners. And I'm playing Gustave Le Gray, which is fascinating. He's
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truly a journey. That's the longest piece of all city. It's around 13 minutes and it's
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based on photographer Gustave Le Gray. And he has a little surprise in the middle. So
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I invite everyone to listen to this piece because in the middle, you're going to find
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an amazing surprise that you will recognize probably. And so yeah, put it in the comments
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if you recognize the surprise there of Gustave Le Gray and also Earring by Julia Wolf, which
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represents two worlds. One is more oneric, dreamy, and the other one is very rhythmic.
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So they come, you know, they're just coexisting until the end when they merge. And it's a
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very beautiful exploration of how these two lines come together. They're so different
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at the beginning and then, you know, through the piece, they just come together beautifully.
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So I think I have to recommend anyone. But it's, you know, it's fascinating and it has
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been such a beautiful process of researching, but also of performing this record.
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Right. And producing too. Well done, Isabel. Like sounds like it just contains so much
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in one album. And I love the fact that, you know, your album, this album, and also sounds
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like your concert programs also seem to carry such specific intentions and themes. And I
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actually recently had a pleasure of interviewing Jed Dissler. He's a composer and renowned
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music critic, and also he's the very famous radio show host of Between the Keys. Now,
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he emphasized the importance of programming so we can sort of compare it to conceptual
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art in the visual arts industry, you know. And then so where intention behind how pieces
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are curated and presented can transform, you know, not just our lives, but the audience's
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experience too. So in your case, how do you approach programming for your album and even
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like the past albums you mentioned with singers and performances? Do you have a particular
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process of curating works that tell a story, convey a message? How do you think this thoughtful
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approach to programming enhances the impact of the music for both you as an artist and
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listeners?
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Well, I think it's fundamental. And I think many times this is a lesson that is not taught
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at conservatories when we are, you know, growing up and studying music. It's so fundamental
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because at the end of the day, the audience is going to experience going to attend this
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experience too, right? And you have to make sure that emotionally they are experiencing
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and they are traveling through their emotions through the program, right? So I think it
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has two components, the programming as such. One of them, let's say it's more intellectual
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in what is exactly what I want to convey with this program. It's this message of union and
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diversity and what comes, the greatness, you know, coming together from all over the world.
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How can I convey some matter related with sustainability? How can music enhance that,
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the understanding of that or raising awareness? Sometimes it's just about literature. How
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can you combine literature with music and how can you present that in a regional way
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that you can attract both an audience that is more eager to or more familiarized with
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the literature world and the music world? How can you actually make that those audiences
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come together? That's first stage. And then the second stage is within the pieces of the
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program. So you select the pieces and now a lot of times it's like, okay, let's put
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them chronologically or the last name, say order or whatever. And I think that's a big
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mistake. And that's something that I actually learned performing other kinds of music. So
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I did a little bit of fall too in the past and things like that. And it was very interesting
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to see how they plan the show, right? And how they plan the moments. There are big moments
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and then moments that are a little bit calmer and then another big moment and how they place
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the pieces to make sure that this experience is exciting for the audience. And that's something
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that I'm very interested in. And I think really carefully how I'm planning the motions through
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the program. And that's something that I sometimes miss, you know, that you see the program,
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you can see that that's not well thought and sometimes very heavy on one side or one of
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the halves or it's, you know, it's very, it's a little bit difficult to digest. It's beautiful,
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but then the experience is a little bit more difficult to actually be, you know, being
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amused by or I don't say amused, but be actually moved by it more than amused, moved by it.
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But the idea here is, and I do the same with speeches, actually, which is very curious.
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So when I plan a speech, planning musically and I play like a piece of music that, you
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know, it has, it grows into some point and then I just go a little bit less and then
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it moves into other directions, the development. And then I truly think of speeches in the
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same way, because at the end of the day you're communicating. So that's, that's something
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that I'm very interested about and that I use a lot. So it's a combination between the
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topics and what you're presenting there and also the order and how do you present it to
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create an experience that's relevant.
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Brilliant. Now, going back to women composers, so in what ways do you hope Kaleidoscope will
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impact the visibility of female composers globally and how does it reflect the diversity
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and richness of music across different cultures?
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Yeah, you know, I think that women composers are underrepresented in programs, but then
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women composers from certain continents are underrepresented from this underrepresentation.
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So, you know, it's also scale and there's such amazing music that it's really what Kaleidoscope
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wants to bring is, hey, here you have these extraordinary composers all around the globe.
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You have this beautiful cultural influences that come together through this work. So that's,
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that's one thing. And the other one is the importance of creating this positive reference
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for younger generations, right? That they can look up to and say, you know, these great
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composers objectively, you know, because of their trajectory of these works, the objective
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quality of their works, you know, they're there, they have done it, they have made it,
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they are successful, their works are so compelling. I can do it too, right? So I think this, the
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importance of these role models and of creating these positive role models for younger generations
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is very important. So, you know, as a performer, I wanted, I think part of my responsibility
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is to, you know, bring this music to life and present this music. I think that's part
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of what we have to do. And we have that responsibility to make sure music is alive, make sure that,
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you know, music still is being created. It's also promoting this contemporary music and
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also promoting this underplayed, unfortunately, music that is not as played as it should.
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And that could create really interesting and really relevant role models for many young
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people, younger generations, for sure.
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Now, we're talking about female composers. So I'm curious to know about your work with
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Women in Music.
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So that's an initiative I created with Mezzo Soprano Anatona, and that was based on musical
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exchanges between countries. So before Kaleidoscope, there was this little steps, you know, to
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get into this major project of Kaleidoscope. And those were, it was very interesting because
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you could see the differences between actually the different countries and the contemporary
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scenes in each country and how beautiful it merged together in a concert. They met, you
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know, many of these concerts went to the other country's concert. So it was many of these
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composers went to the other country's concert. So it was beautiful because the composers
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themselves met. It was a matter of creating this network of composers, of women composers.
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You know, I think that that was the idea. The idea was to create connections, create
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this network, make this beautiful pieces visible, and also reflecting the beauty of bringing
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this different perspective together.
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So this initiative helped you shape your artistic journey, but also program for this CD album?
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I think so. You know, I think that that exploration and that, you know, because we had to contact
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the composers, we had to look for the music. We were honored that some great composers
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composed work for us, which was beautiful. So, you know, we had Alexa Babacanian, Pamela
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Sclar, great composers that dedicated works to Sonia Mejiaz. So, you know, that's very
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beautiful because you're also promoting the creation of new music when they compose for
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you. And when you have these opportunities to showcase this work, then you are contributing
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in a way to this creation. And yeah, I think that that was the initial idea. And then the
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second idea was, hey, you know, I've done this with certain countries. Let's expand
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this vision. Let's try to make it as global as possible and see what happens. Here's where
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Kaleidoscope came about.
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That's wonderful. So before this CD, before even this huge surge in, let's say, diversity
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in classical music, which was around 2020, you know, in 2021, you were already starting
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this journey of promoting female composers, women composers, right? So now, then what
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sort of obstacles have you encountered in promoting the works of women composers, especially
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in classical music industry that traditionally spotlight dead male composers?
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Right. There are several challenges at the beginning. So I remember prior the Me Too
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movement. And I think that was there was a change there. I think there's a lot of work
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to be done yet, but there was a change in the attitude there. Before the Me Too movement,
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I would propose programs and like 70% of them were rejected just saying, hey, play real
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music. This is real. And I have it in writing. So it's crazy. It's crazy. I've received
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rejections like that when they haven't even heard the music. And it's just because it's
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a woman. And I'm like, what's wrong with you? Right. It was crazy. Now, after 2018, there
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was a change in the attitude. And it's true that programs of women composers were better
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received. And then you have several issues for historical composers. What happens is
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that when you learn a Beethoven sonata, you have 200 editions of the Beethoven sonatas,
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you have thousands of recordings, you have a lot of references, you have books written
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about them. So when you approach the sonata, which has its process and its cause, but you
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approach the sonata already at a very polished level of edition, fingering, you know that
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the score that you're reading probably would be quite, quite polished.
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And so it's easier in a way. It's very accessible. You can find scores anywhere. It's something
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easier in that sense. Many of these women composers, especially when you are really
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going to the libraries to get the manuscript, they even have not been published or they've
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been published once. And we know that first editions in the 19th century, they had a
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lot of mistaken notes. They have a lot of... So it's really both a half musicological work,
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half performative work, because you have to really get into these pieces and try to read
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about the context. And there's not as much information available for you to start your
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performance of the work. Maybe it has never been recorded, so you don't have an image
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of, you know, oral image of how that might sound. So there are challenges in this sense,
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but at the end of the day, it's also a very rewarding work, because you say, in some cases,
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it was like that. It was like, hey, you know, I'm the first one playing this. It has been
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buried for 200 years, and now it's appearing here. It happens with some of the Ardose pieces,
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actually, in that CD that I did previously to this one. There were some premiere recordings.
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They were works that we just got out of a manuscript thanks to Patricia Klein and two.
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So it was beautiful to say, hey, you know, if we didn't have this crazy idea to just
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record all these pieces, these pieces would have been buried, and they're beautiful. They're
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very valid. It's a very valid repertoire, very beautiful, and with a lot of, you know,
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great things to learn about and to enjoy. So there are two types of challenges. One
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of them is how the program is received and the reception by programmers, by critics,
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and that I believe is changing. The mindset is changing now. You know, people are starting
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to realize that they were just forgetting about so many composers, you know, there that
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were brilliant. And the other challenge, which I think still happens, and especially with
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historical composers, is this, is the fact that you don't have these polished editions.
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You don't have, you have to go sometimes to manuscripts or, you know, sometimes have very
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little context, you know, exactly where, when it was composed. So it's, you know, the work
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is different, but it's also very rewarding.
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So speaking of rewards, so could you share any positive and memorable experiences through
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this project?
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Well, I had one very recently, and it was so beautiful. It was at the Teatro Colom,
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so in Buenos Aires, and that's a huge theater, like that's really major, no? And it's, and
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everyone stood up at the end of the concert with Bravo, Standing Ovation, with the program,
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with Caledoscope's program, right? So I was very fascinated because, you know, it's a
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program that many people won't know many of the names that are in there. They're experiencing
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this music for the first time. You know, I, they, some people may know me, but perhaps
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many people there didn't know me in Argentina. So it was amazing to see how moved they were,
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and that they were cheering, and in such huge ways, you know, with such a tradition. And
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it showed me really the strength of this program, and the beauty of the program, and how it
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can really communicate, you know? And I was very surprised because, you know, expecting
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that they might like it, of course, because I think it's great music, but it was the emotion
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that went through it that people were like, oh, and they were just, you know, Standing
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Ovation, and it was, it was a very long one. They had an opera afterwards, so they could
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not allow people to be there, but they were there for a long, long time, you know? So
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it was, it was, it was really, really special, and I experienced that also. I remember in
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another concert in a city in Spain, that the programmer were so fearful. I'm not going
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to say the name exactly, but the programmer was every day calling like, are you sure you
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want to play maybe Mozart or something? And I'm like, no, I want to play this thing. And
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you're going to see, they're going to love it. Well, what happened is that people loved
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it. And afterwards, they came there, and they were like, you know, they came afterwards
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to me and speak to me, and they were like, wow, discovery. This was truly a journey.
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Thank you. I'm going to listen to this works now, you know, so I love that. I mean, I think
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that's so moving. It's creating all this.
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Wow, congratulations. Well deserved too. And I'm sure your genuine, you know, display
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of emotion also spoke to your audience too. Now, where do you think female artists and
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educators stand in the industry today? So do you believe we're being taken a little
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bit more seriously now? And how has, have there been any notable progressions?
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I think there are notable progressions for sure. I see it, you know, in women's works
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being performed, female conductors that are conducting. So roles that were usually associated
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to males and that they, I find that there was a bigger rejection to actually accepting
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women. I must say that we are quite fortunate that in the piano world, they have been great
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women pianists since the 19th century. So there is, because of the piano and what it
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meant in the 19th century and what it meant for women in the 19th century, which is a
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very interesting topic. On one side, it was like, hey, all women have to know how to play
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a little bit of piano. But yeah, on the other side, there were women professors, women teachers
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in the 19th century who were earning money already and were having economic independence
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thanks to the piano. So the piano is a very rare and amazing instrument in that sense
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that it allowed many women to progress and to have careers in music through the piano.
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But it's true that maybe the percussion world, the brass world, the conducting world were
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really so much more male dominated. Now finding that more, you know, figures recognize female
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figures are recognized there. I think it's very important. So I think we are at a point
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in which at least this conversation has started. This conversation is ongoing and people are
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more eager, I believe, to listen to this repertoire and to discover this music. So that's great.
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Still, I think, you know, many symphonic orchestras still program 90% 80% more men composers and
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usually from the canon, which I want to clarify. I love that Mozart just performed Bach, Chopin.
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I think this is also very important when you approach yourself as someone who is very focused
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on female composers. But I also play many composers, a lot of contemporary music from
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men composers. And I want to promote that too. I think we have to enlarge the repertoire,
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enrich it. You know, we don't have to just say one or the other and we just forget about
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all the amazing male composers that are there. But I think, yes, in this sense, I think there's
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the audiences are more aware of the topic and therefore they're more eager. But still,
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I see in big programming, still, there's that we are far from the point that we should reach
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ideally in this sense. In education, I think curriculum are becoming more, again, conscious
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or universities are becoming more conscious of these issues in the curriculum, in the
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traditional curriculum, music history, music analysis, and that they are starting to change
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that. I feel it. Still, I think it's an ongoing process and might not be an easy process.
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But again, I studied back in the day that Clara Schumann was Robert Schumann's wife
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who played his pieces. And that was what I learned. And then Daniel Mozart, yeah, played
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with Mozart and then disappeared. And that Fanny Mendelssohn was Felix Mendelssohn's
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sister. And that's it. And those were the ones you knew because they have that last
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names. But otherwise, you don't know about the others at all. So, you know, I think more
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and more conservatories, universities are more conscious of the importance of incorporate
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women composers into history classes and also in the regular programming and to, yeah, and
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to make visible their contributions. I think there's a change. Still, there's way to go.
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Yeah. Now, do you plan to perform this repertoire, this entire program more often in a concert
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hall? So that's the idea. You know, we're planning presentations everywhere, hopefully
399
00:39:56,200 --> 00:40:01,800
soon in New York. We're just closing some details. But yeah, that's the idea. And the
400
00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:06,600
idea would be that the program that I travel with the program life, at least in the countries
401
00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:11,200
of the relevant composers, of the composers that are part of the city. But of course,
402
00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:16,960
I think this this program can reach anyone. So the idea is that it's presented live to
403
00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:23,160
you. And there's a component I like very much. I like very much talking. Yes. But I like
404
00:40:23,160 --> 00:40:28,200
to present the pieces before the concert and before performing them. Just, you know, it's
405
00:40:28,200 --> 00:40:34,320
not that it's a lecture recital every time I play, but at least certain little details
406
00:40:34,320 --> 00:40:39,800
because I like to enhance the audience's experience. I know there's some controversy about it,
407
00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:44,880
but in my experience, it's good that they have just two, three notions. You know, you
408
00:40:44,880 --> 00:40:50,120
don't have to reveal the whole thing, but just two, three things so they can listen
409
00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:56,720
and they can be looking for this or that. No. And I usually I usually do that. So I
410
00:40:56,720 --> 00:41:03,800
truly would like to bring that life experience that combines both things. Yeah. So wherever
411
00:41:03,800 --> 00:41:09,720
possible. Wonderful. Yeah. Well, if you when you're in New York, let's I would
412
00:41:09,720 --> 00:41:16,960
love to attend and let me buy it by your lunch. I would love to know how much I admire you.
413
00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:24,120
And it would be beautiful that you attend and definitely have lunch. Yes. Before we
414
00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:28,400
continue, we would like to take a moment to highlight our sponsor musicians passed to
415
00:41:28,400 --> 00:41:34,800
peak performance by Dr. John Skidmore. Their support makes this episode possible. I watched
416
00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:40,000
Amber, a young string player, intercept her teacher as the teacher was going up to the
417
00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:46,720
front of the recital hall to start the recital. Amber stops her, looks at her and just you
418
00:41:46,720 --> 00:41:53,000
can feel the anxiety. I'm nervous. And now the teacher was nervous. She didn't know
419
00:41:53,000 --> 00:42:00,480
what to say. There was this awkward silence. The teacher finally said, Amber, you'll do
420
00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:09,320
fine. And Amber did not look reassured. I'm Dr. John Skidmore. I'm a performance psychologist.
421
00:42:09,320 --> 00:42:16,120
This fall, I am launching my 30 days to peak performance program. In this program, you
422
00:42:16,120 --> 00:42:21,720
learn lots of tools and skills that will turn stage fright, performance anxiety into excitement
423
00:42:21,720 --> 00:42:28,680
and dread and doubt into confidence and help turn your students into peak performers. If
424
00:42:28,680 --> 00:42:33,880
Amber's teacher had been a certified Skidmore trained peak performance coach, I'm quite sure
425
00:42:33,880 --> 00:42:39,560
that conversation would have been very different. Oh, Amber, you're activated. Hey, we have
426
00:42:39,560 --> 00:42:44,200
been learning lots of tools and skills for moments like this. Which one do you think
427
00:42:44,200 --> 00:42:51,000
you could try? Oh, the breathing exercise? Yeah, try that and add a little bit of visualization.
428
00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:57,400
You can do that, can't you? Yeah. Amber, you've got this. You'll do fine. We'll talk about
429
00:42:57,400 --> 00:43:03,880
how this worked in your lesson on Thursday. You can learn more about my courses, 30 days
430
00:43:03,880 --> 00:43:12,440
to peak performance and the certified peak performance coach program at my website, drjohnskidmore.com.
431
00:43:12,440 --> 00:43:21,640
Risk fail, risk again. You know, as most artists, you wear also many hats and, you know, beyond
432
00:43:21,640 --> 00:43:28,000
your musical career, you have this advocacy for women's rights. And so I understand that
433
00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:34,640
several years ago, you had a remarkable opportunity to speak at the United Nations. Oh my gosh.
434
00:43:34,640 --> 00:43:41,520
Wow. And as I was researching your story and to prepare for this episode, I discovered
435
00:43:41,520 --> 00:43:48,080
your involvement with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. So which tell me a little
436
00:43:48,080 --> 00:43:53,280
bit more about this UN Sustainable Development Goals, first of all? Yeah. So the idea, you
437
00:43:53,280 --> 00:44:01,760
know, is to promote, there are 17 goals and to promote the economic development, but economic
438
00:44:01,760 --> 00:44:08,280
development paired with social fairness and paired with an environmental consciousness.
439
00:44:08,280 --> 00:44:14,640
And, you know, it's truly to combine all these with 17 objectives that are clear, that are
440
00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:20,920
identifiable and that they are common and that all the signing parties, the 193, they
441
00:44:20,920 --> 00:44:28,760
have this common objectives to reach in 2030. Of course, you know, we are far from reaching
442
00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:34,320
them all, but it's true that it's, I find very important that whenever you have a goal,
443
00:44:34,320 --> 00:44:40,280
a specific goal, you work in a direction that produces certain great effects that are, you
444
00:44:40,280 --> 00:44:47,160
know, already big advances into some direction. So I'm not sure if by 2030 they will all be
445
00:44:47,160 --> 00:44:54,400
met, but what's true is that having so many countries really having these common goals
446
00:44:54,400 --> 00:45:00,120
and this common agenda, it's something I think relevant, something important. And what I
447
00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:07,800
mentioned there is the role of artists and of art too. So I felt in a lot of these conferences,
448
00:45:07,800 --> 00:45:11,600
you know, they will approach me and it was me like, Hey, so what do you do? And I'm like,
449
00:45:11,600 --> 00:45:15,720
Oh no, you know, I'm a pianist. I'm going to, Oh, I played a piano when I was three years
450
00:45:15,720 --> 00:45:21,640
old. That was beautiful. I love it. That's so great. No, but what do you do really? Hello,
451
00:45:21,640 --> 00:45:29,000
you know, it's, it's, I felt so bad. And it's, it's, it's because in some way, you know,
452
00:45:29,000 --> 00:45:34,360
this role of the artist and the artist with this social consciousness and with sometimes
453
00:45:34,360 --> 00:45:39,280
it's not as, as promoted, you know, it's more in this image of artists, it's entertainer
454
00:45:39,280 --> 00:45:44,440
and the entertainment industry and that's it, but not this other type of artists, which
455
00:45:44,440 --> 00:45:50,760
I find very interesting. So what I mentioned there was, Hey, you know, we all have a role
456
00:45:50,760 --> 00:45:55,400
and economist has a role and architect has a role. We have a role. There are different
457
00:45:55,400 --> 00:46:02,080
roles and in certain spaces, some roles might be more prominent, some less, but we all have
458
00:46:02,080 --> 00:46:08,680
a role. And I don't think it's, it's good to invisibilize this, this part and the part
459
00:46:08,680 --> 00:46:15,960
that the arts can play, especially raising awareness, promoting dialogue, and also about
460
00:46:15,960 --> 00:46:19,680
this idea of creativity and innovation. You know, so we're talking about innovation all
461
00:46:19,680 --> 00:46:24,280
the time and it's just technology, right? Science, but innovation is creativity, creativity
462
00:46:24,280 --> 00:46:29,440
is art. So at the end of the day, art has also a part to play there, you know, and part
463
00:46:29,440 --> 00:46:35,040
of proposing maybe a religious ideas, but ideas that may change the perspective on something
464
00:46:35,040 --> 00:46:41,400
and then see how can we get into them into that specific path. Right. So, you know, I
465
00:46:41,400 --> 00:46:47,640
think it's, it's about that. It's about understanding our role as artists and what we can do. We're
466
00:46:47,640 --> 00:46:52,280
in a very privileged position to be able to present our work to the public, to an audience,
467
00:46:52,280 --> 00:46:58,240
larger or smaller, but still you have this, this opportunity. And, and I think making
468
00:46:58,240 --> 00:47:04,960
a good use of it by promoting these values, it was something that it was, it is something
469
00:47:04,960 --> 00:47:12,360
that resonates very closely to my heart. How are you linking music to this United Nations
470
00:47:12,360 --> 00:47:19,480
program? Right. So the, the, yeah, here, for example, let's say when you talk about promotion
471
00:47:19,480 --> 00:47:26,960
of dialogue through different initiatives, right? Or promoting initiatives, concerts
472
00:47:26,960 --> 00:47:34,240
through in which, you know, people that might have, I mean, conflict, they might come together
473
00:47:34,240 --> 00:47:41,960
with the same goal, with the same idea. So music as sports has, it has been widely researched
474
00:47:41,960 --> 00:47:46,400
that it's a great vehicle for doing that. Raising awareness in this sense, you know,
475
00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:50,560
I'm playing a lot of works related to that, to the matter of sustainable development,
476
00:47:50,560 --> 00:47:55,760
Juan Antonio Cimarros, for example, a piece on Four Courts of Sustainable Development,
477
00:47:55,760 --> 00:48:01,440
Merlin 12 Hoffman works, which were inspired on data on climate change specifically and
478
00:48:01,440 --> 00:48:07,760
how it's translated in a sonic way. Pieces including audiovisuals. So, you know, this
479
00:48:07,760 --> 00:48:15,600
also has this component, this visual component to it. So again, it's, it's a matter of raising
480
00:48:15,600 --> 00:48:22,240
awareness. Why? Because music has this capacity of reaching both intellectual and emotional.
481
00:48:22,240 --> 00:48:26,320
And you know, if you really want to take action for something, they can tell you all the data
482
00:48:26,320 --> 00:48:33,040
you want, you may understand it and you may be conscious that it's bad. But hey, when
483
00:48:33,040 --> 00:48:37,800
there's something that really moves you, it's when you really take the action, right? And
484
00:48:37,800 --> 00:48:44,480
music can help for that, you know, can really help in that direction. And in terms of innovation,
485
00:48:44,480 --> 00:48:49,420
you know, I have this network of artists, we are all very conscious about it. And we
486
00:48:49,420 --> 00:48:54,560
are always coming together and seeing ideas and programs and how can we present in very
487
00:48:54,560 --> 00:49:00,220
innovative ways the problems that we're currently at, and how can we present solutions sometimes
488
00:49:00,220 --> 00:49:05,640
in collaboration with engineers, scientists. So, you know, the idea is to understand music
489
00:49:05,640 --> 00:49:12,040
as part of all these processes and not just something that is there for entertaining us
490
00:49:12,040 --> 00:49:18,160
and disconnect once the serious matters are over. No, it's truly part of it.
491
00:49:18,160 --> 00:49:20,600
What you're doing is really incredible.
492
00:49:20,600 --> 00:49:26,280
I tried to do research also about it. I published an article at YASSA in Vienna, which is a
493
00:49:26,280 --> 00:49:32,560
research institute exactly on this, on the role of classical music and sustainable development.
494
00:49:32,560 --> 00:49:39,240
So and I'm really deepening on that also international cultural relations. In fact, my master thesis
495
00:49:39,240 --> 00:49:45,960
at Harvard was about that, about the possibilities of the European Union in particular in Spain,
496
00:49:45,960 --> 00:49:52,240
with international cultural relations and the possibilities of that European level.
497
00:49:52,240 --> 00:49:57,000
So I'm very interesting about this intersection of topics.
498
00:49:57,000 --> 00:50:02,120
I was going to ask you now next question. So you mentioned that you studied international
499
00:50:02,120 --> 00:50:08,440
relations at Harvard University. You got your master, another master's degree. Yeah. So
500
00:50:08,440 --> 00:50:13,020
what initially sparked your interest in this field?
501
00:50:13,020 --> 00:50:20,960
This was interesting because, I mean, these great universities, they make a difference
502
00:50:20,960 --> 00:50:25,440
in two ways. First of all, the teachers are extraordinary. And also the conversations
503
00:50:25,440 --> 00:50:30,960
that emerge in class and the debates, you know, and you also find very different perspectives.
504
00:50:30,960 --> 00:50:37,640
And it's fascinating. And I really wanted to because, you know, having this idea as
505
00:50:37,640 --> 00:50:42,320
a musician say, hey, you know, I want to contribute to this process. Let's do it. And I wanted
506
00:50:42,320 --> 00:50:48,560
to be informed, you know, and I wanted to really study in depth the language because
507
00:50:48,560 --> 00:50:54,840
and the way of communicating it. Because a lot of problems that we might have as musicians
508
00:50:54,840 --> 00:50:59,920
is that if we are not trained about any of these concepts in the conservatory or back
509
00:50:59,920 --> 00:51:04,360
then, we might have good ideas, but we don't know how to communicate it to the other side,
510
00:51:04,360 --> 00:51:10,880
right? So to international relations professionals and politicians, because we don't speak that
511
00:51:10,880 --> 00:51:14,480
same language because we don't know about that language, right? So they should make
512
00:51:14,480 --> 00:51:18,600
an effort to understand this. But I really like this idea that if I was really going
513
00:51:18,600 --> 00:51:23,880
to promote this and it was really going to be a part of what I'm doing as a musician,
514
00:51:23,880 --> 00:51:28,680
it should be in the possibly most informed way, or at least as much as I can do with
515
00:51:28,680 --> 00:51:33,560
the time that I have, et cetera. So that's why I really wanted to study this in depth,
516
00:51:33,560 --> 00:51:40,800
you know, because as I am a researcher too, not only a performer, research for me is very
517
00:51:40,800 --> 00:51:48,480
important and trying to give an opinion based on research and this is for me, it's part
518
00:51:48,480 --> 00:51:54,920
of the process. So I didn't want to just, you know, be giving speeches about this at
519
00:51:54,920 --> 00:52:00,600
such general level without truly studying the language. And I think we can be more effective
520
00:52:00,600 --> 00:52:06,800
communicating all this. We know how to approach this sector.
521
00:52:06,800 --> 00:52:15,960
That's quite unique and interesting, your approach to be an artist. There's a distinction
522
00:52:15,960 --> 00:52:23,520
between artisan and artist, right? And yeah, we all thrive to be artists, although there's
523
00:52:23,520 --> 00:52:27,440
the importance of craftsmanship in what we do.
524
00:52:27,440 --> 00:52:30,280
You have to play the notes.
525
00:52:30,280 --> 00:52:38,920
At the same time, we also have to have a brain to make smart, intelligent programming, for
526
00:52:38,920 --> 00:52:46,680
example, or a smart way to approach selecting music to communicate to our audience, right?
527
00:52:46,680 --> 00:52:47,680
Yeah.
528
00:52:47,680 --> 00:52:53,960
And you know, I think a lot of great composers that we admire and, you know, they always
529
00:52:53,960 --> 00:53:03,000
also had some of these visions, you know, of being larger than just, okay, this is a
530
00:53:03,000 --> 00:53:11,240
quarter note, this is, you know, it's projecting something else, you know, their values. And
531
00:53:11,240 --> 00:53:17,040
I think it's important, the more you can understand about the world around you from different
532
00:53:17,040 --> 00:53:22,240
perspectives, the better you're going to play. Of course, you need the hours. I mean, all
533
00:53:22,240 --> 00:53:25,920
this is beautiful, but if you don't play the notes, you don't play the notes in period.
534
00:53:25,920 --> 00:53:32,240
But understanding that you have enough hours to play the notes, you and that more or less.
535
00:53:32,240 --> 00:53:39,360
Then the next step, I think, is to grow as an artist. And I also like the word intellectual.
536
00:53:39,360 --> 00:53:43,400
I know that there's some controversy about it, but I really loved that in the past you
537
00:53:43,400 --> 00:53:48,840
see this. I mean, I had the chance of speaking with some composers. I remember Luis de Pablo,
538
00:53:48,840 --> 00:53:52,640
for example, I researched a lot, contemporary composer in Spain. We'll speak to the man
539
00:53:52,640 --> 00:53:59,120
and the man will talk to you about literature of an hour and then about art and about painting,
540
00:53:59,120 --> 00:54:03,920
about Caravaggio. And then he will move to Joyce and how that influenced his. And then
541
00:54:03,920 --> 00:54:07,800
he would talk about politics in Spain and the Europe. And, you know, you will interview
542
00:54:07,800 --> 00:54:15,840
him about his work, but then so much, you know, emerged from that. And he had an impact,
543
00:54:15,840 --> 00:54:20,880
I think, his work, you know, and his way of might like it more or less. But I personally
544
00:54:20,880 --> 00:54:28,120
think that this such a wide conception of artists and intellectual in the sense of someone
545
00:54:28,120 --> 00:54:35,640
who is always curious and always wanting to to learn more and to I think that that was
546
00:54:35,640 --> 00:54:41,160
that's that's in some of these people. And it's it's something that I I think artists
547
00:54:41,160 --> 00:54:47,000
should should have or should aspire to. Of course, we have limited time and we don't
548
00:54:47,000 --> 00:54:53,640
each of us has to select what are their main interests. So maybe it's not sustainable development
549
00:54:53,640 --> 00:54:59,880
as such. Maybe it's another kind of work. But I think this and you know, that depends
550
00:54:59,880 --> 00:55:05,120
so much on the artist. But I think the wider you can get in this sense of influences and
551
00:55:05,120 --> 00:55:09,280
perspectives, the richer is going to be the the output.
552
00:55:09,280 --> 00:55:16,200
So from your experience speaking at United Nation on gender equality and how you are
553
00:55:16,200 --> 00:55:23,280
promoting female composers. So how can the music industry better support this cause and
554
00:55:23,280 --> 00:55:29,640
what changes are still necessary? Maybe you have already answered, but I mean, for me,
555
00:55:29,640 --> 00:55:36,000
it's a circle, right? I see a circle. So if people don't learn it in schools, right. So
556
00:55:36,000 --> 00:55:42,360
education is fundamental. If you don't learn a piece when you are applying to a competition.
557
00:55:42,360 --> 00:55:47,680
So if the competitions tell you it has to be Bach, Haydn, Beethoven, Mozart, and then
558
00:55:47,680 --> 00:55:52,880
you have to play or Debussy, Ravel and you might place a big romantic piece, but it should
559
00:55:52,880 --> 00:55:57,800
be Bram Chopin. And your it has to be Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Skriabin, which is wonderful
560
00:55:57,800 --> 00:56:01,880
and amazing. But I'm saying, why don't you add Gabriel Ortiz? You know, it's like just
561
00:56:01,880 --> 00:56:06,240
add one more name. That's all. I'm not asking for more. Right. But again, you enter those
562
00:56:06,240 --> 00:56:10,560
competitions and you don't have if they ask you for that program and you have a limited
563
00:56:10,560 --> 00:56:14,960
amount of time and you have to pass your exams, you just learn that. And that's the repertoire
564
00:56:14,960 --> 00:56:20,160
you grow up with and you play and you go out of the conservatory and you play that. And
565
00:56:20,160 --> 00:56:24,480
that's what you offer to programmers. And then programmers say, well, you know, that's
566
00:56:24,480 --> 00:56:28,800
everyone's suffering. So that's the programming that should be. And then audiences don't get
567
00:56:28,800 --> 00:56:35,080
to listen to any female composer because everyone is playing these other composers. And then
568
00:56:35,080 --> 00:56:39,800
if audiences are not requesting that, then programmers won't program it and then pianists
569
00:56:39,800 --> 00:56:43,160
won't play it and then you won't teach it because no one is playing it. And you just
570
00:56:43,160 --> 00:56:47,000
get into this circle and no one's going to research about it because of the curse. And
571
00:56:47,000 --> 00:56:52,720
you just get into this circle that unless you take a real action in any of these fields,
572
00:56:52,720 --> 00:56:58,240
and I think it has to be a collaborative effort, unless you take a conscious action in this
573
00:56:58,240 --> 00:57:06,000
field, it's very difficult. It's very difficult because again, it's something that it's very
574
00:57:06,000 --> 00:57:12,580
in a way ingrained just because we have been taught that way, just because people just
575
00:57:12,580 --> 00:57:18,760
follow the same method they were taught that. So you just keep replicating a situation instead
576
00:57:18,760 --> 00:57:24,160
of working for changing it. Again, it's as simple as including one piece here, one piece
577
00:57:24,160 --> 00:57:29,800
here. It's not about destroying what we have. It's about reaching it and making it more
578
00:57:29,800 --> 00:57:33,080
and more diverse. That's all. That's all about it.
579
00:57:33,080 --> 00:57:39,280
I know we've talked about serious matters. So I want to talk about you. This platform,
580
00:57:39,280 --> 00:57:46,120
you get to also brag about yourself. That's one of the purposes of this platform. So I
581
00:57:46,120 --> 00:57:51,800
would like to know personally about the highlights of your career as a performing artist. Yeah.
582
00:57:51,800 --> 00:57:59,800
Like, do you have any memorable concert? No, a few of them. I mean, I've been blessed to
583
00:57:59,800 --> 00:58:07,360
have the opportunity to play at big stages, Carnegie, Palau here in Barcelona, after and
584
00:58:07,360 --> 00:58:13,840
also Teatro Colón. It was beautiful also to play at Villa Viaduct, for example. So they're
585
00:58:13,840 --> 00:58:20,840
big theaters, but also these places that have such historical background to it. There have
586
00:58:20,840 --> 00:58:29,160
been certain highlights and I've been able to play at the Vatican, for example, which
587
00:58:29,160 --> 00:58:35,120
was a beautiful opportunity. I've been able to play with fantastic orchestras in Portugal
588
00:58:35,120 --> 00:58:41,560
and Spain. So there are highlights in there, but I think every single concert has been
589
00:58:41,560 --> 00:58:49,560
special, or every single concert had a very special component to it. So even though these
590
00:58:49,560 --> 00:58:57,920
great places are very special, also more intimate audiences are also very beautiful. And sometimes
591
00:58:57,920 --> 00:59:03,880
you can move more the audiences and it's something, it has this component that makes it very,
592
00:59:03,880 --> 00:59:08,800
very special. You get to talk to the audience afterwards. Every concert is an adventure
593
00:59:08,800 --> 00:59:14,320
and every concert is a memorable experience. Can you share about the Festival Granados
594
00:59:14,320 --> 00:59:19,480
that you organized at NYU, which seems like a long time ago, I'm sure. It's a long thing.
595
00:59:19,480 --> 00:59:27,360
So that was very nice. So basically we organized a festival around Spanish composer, Enrique
596
00:59:27,360 --> 00:59:32,760
Granados. Another important part of my work is also the promotion of Spanish music in
597
00:59:32,760 --> 00:59:38,440
Spain. And I think we have a very interesting musical heritage, which I really love. I really
598
00:59:38,440 --> 00:59:48,120
like. And I try to promote that. I play Albeniz very often. I play Falla, Maria Rodrigo. So
599
00:59:48,120 --> 00:59:55,040
I try to also bring Spanish music and contemporary Spanish music into my programs. So this Granados
600
00:59:55,040 --> 01:00:03,200
Festival had several components. There was a panel. So this was more research oriented.
601
01:00:03,200 --> 01:00:08,080
We had researchers. We also had performers speaking. So I really liked this multi-perspective
602
01:00:08,080 --> 01:00:15,400
into it. Then we had a concert by students from the NYU program, from the master's program.
603
01:00:15,400 --> 01:00:21,280
It was great to see how these students pick up one of Granados' pieces. They played it.
604
01:00:21,280 --> 01:00:28,800
So it was an incentive to promote this music. And also we had the opportunity to give the
605
01:00:28,800 --> 01:00:37,440
premiere of the transcription for Quintet of Granados Concierto Patético. Now Granados
606
01:00:37,440 --> 01:00:45,120
left a manuscript for two pianos of a concerto. So it's called Concierto Patético, apparently.
607
01:00:45,120 --> 01:00:52,640
No, the only surviving piece is one movement. There had been a reconstruction before, but
608
01:00:52,640 --> 01:00:57,240
the issue was that they, I mean, it's great and it's fantastic, but it's the first movement.
609
01:00:57,240 --> 01:01:02,320
And then they added two more movements, picking up elements of Granados music. So that's a
610
01:01:02,320 --> 01:01:07,280
personal choice, but we wanted to just do the movement that was remaining. We just completed
611
01:01:07,280 --> 01:01:13,680
Sergi Casanella, a fantastic composer who is at NYU. He completed only three bars at
612
01:01:13,680 --> 01:01:17,800
the very end, just to conclude it in the tonic, because after all that, but that was basically
613
01:01:17,800 --> 01:01:22,600
what he did. And also the great transcription into a piano quintet, which was his work and
614
01:01:22,600 --> 01:01:31,200
it was brilliant. But yeah, the idea was to bring this concerto back to life. And it was
615
01:01:31,200 --> 01:01:37,400
very interesting. It was done at Stanley Hall and it was very, very nice. We also had the
616
01:01:37,400 --> 01:01:42,160
collaboration of a Spanish designer, Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, which I got to wear her
617
01:01:42,160 --> 01:01:49,960
dress designed by her. She's very renowned. So it was really beautiful. And I felt very
618
01:01:49,960 --> 01:01:58,120
moved because again, one of my goals as an artist, as a Spanish artist, is also to promote
619
01:01:58,120 --> 01:02:04,200
my country's music. And I feel very proud of the very rich repertoire we have in Spain.
620
01:02:04,200 --> 01:02:15,040
Sure. In fact, the last episode was Haik Arsenian. He is an Armenian pianist, but he has extensive
621
01:02:15,040 --> 01:02:24,400
research on Antonio Soler. Yes. So this month is all about Spanish composers. That's it.
622
01:02:24,400 --> 01:02:25,400
Spanish artists.
623
01:02:25,400 --> 01:02:31,400
No, I mean, Soler is fascinating. He plays it so well, but Soler is truly so, so personal.
624
01:02:31,400 --> 01:02:37,560
He took in a way, you see some of his pieces, the Fandango, he has some modulations in there.
625
01:02:37,560 --> 01:02:45,040
You say, how did he compose this at that time? What happened in there? And it's a fantastic
626
01:02:45,040 --> 01:02:49,960
composer. And there are a lot of composers around that time, also around the Scarlatti
627
01:02:49,960 --> 01:02:57,280
at that moment in Spain, Nebra. It was a beautiful moment. And also Spain at the time, Farninelli
628
01:02:57,280 --> 01:03:03,200
was established there. So they had, it was a major opera center. So it was a very interesting
629
01:03:03,200 --> 01:03:06,960
period and Haik plays it beautifully.
630
01:03:06,960 --> 01:03:14,360
Yeah. You spend quite some time in your earlier career, plus education in the United States.
631
01:03:14,360 --> 01:03:20,480
And now that you're back in your native country, Spain, and you're so in touch with your roots,
632
01:03:20,480 --> 01:03:30,160
right? How do you hope for others like musicians and also maybe students who perceive and appreciate
633
01:03:30,160 --> 01:03:39,340
Spanish music? Haik Arsinyan mentioned about this really specific, such a distinctive characteristics
634
01:03:39,340 --> 01:03:44,040
in Spanish music. Like you can really, in a second you can say, oh, that's Spanish music.
635
01:03:44,040 --> 01:03:50,840
Yeah. How do you want other people to appreciate Spanish music more?
636
01:03:50,840 --> 01:03:58,240
You know, I think Spanish music, it's very identifiable. That's true. And it has very,
637
01:03:58,240 --> 01:04:04,240
a very distinct character. And I totally agree with Haik there. And it also has a lot of
638
01:04:04,240 --> 01:04:08,680
complexity. And I think a lot of times, you know, we're thinking about Arthur Rubinstein's
639
01:04:08,680 --> 01:04:14,960
recording of the dance ritual del fuego, with like, with hands like that. And he's amazing.
640
01:04:14,960 --> 01:04:19,840
He was incredible. And it's beautiful recording. But I think there's a lot of like showing
641
01:04:19,840 --> 01:04:26,720
there. And I think Spanish music is truly full of drama, full of so many emotions, right?
642
01:04:26,720 --> 01:04:32,440
Flamenco, if you think about it, which is the baseline of many of this music. You know,
643
01:04:32,440 --> 01:04:37,040
the story is super dramatic. It's like, you killed my father, therefore I'm going to,
644
01:04:37,040 --> 01:04:40,880
like, really drama stories. And then you were with my sister and I have to kill you back.
645
01:04:40,880 --> 01:04:46,560
And like all these things are crazy happening, like soap operas, but like, you multiply by
646
01:04:46,560 --> 01:04:53,360
20, right? So it's, it's really dramatic. And I think something beautiful that, for
647
01:04:53,360 --> 01:04:58,400
instance, Alicia Larrocha did, or Haik does in his playing, is how serious they are about
648
01:04:58,400 --> 01:05:03,920
the quality of this music, the complexity of this music. And therefore their beauty,
649
01:05:03,920 --> 01:05:08,840
you know, the great craftsmanship that this music has. And we are blessed, you know, I
650
01:05:08,840 --> 01:05:15,040
think as a country to have produced such, such great composers who were able to take
651
01:05:15,040 --> 01:05:20,480
the distinctiveness of our folklore, which is very distinct. And also it varies a lot.
652
01:05:20,480 --> 01:05:24,520
You know, we all think about flamenco, but when you go to the north where I'm from, it's
653
01:05:24,520 --> 01:05:30,120
all about Celtic music and it's like Irish music. So, you know, the pieces that are,
654
01:05:30,120 --> 01:05:37,000
that derive from that are inspired, like imagine like an Irish folk piece. So that's really
655
01:05:37,000 --> 01:05:44,000
fascinating and that's really interesting. It's, it's great to see how we had such great
656
01:05:44,000 --> 01:05:50,640
composers that were able to, to really bring the best out of these works. Also creating
657
01:05:50,640 --> 01:05:56,520
this mix with other currents that would happen at a time, like Impressionism, for instance,
658
01:05:56,520 --> 01:06:04,000
in Albania, right? So you can see this mix that it's truly beautiful. So I think people
659
01:06:04,000 --> 01:06:09,600
that start listening to Spanish music, they will definitely love how distinct it is. They
660
01:06:09,600 --> 01:06:14,600
will definitely love the depth of feelings and it's a music that truly moves you very,
661
01:06:14,600 --> 01:06:19,280
very intensely. And they would also be surprised, I think, about the quality of many of these
662
01:06:19,280 --> 01:06:27,240
works that, you know, I think we are usually, again, the canon, usually more prone to the
663
01:06:27,240 --> 01:06:33,080
German tradition works, which are extraordinary and amazing. We all know them, but it's very
664
01:06:33,080 --> 01:06:38,640
interesting to understand this also this, this other currents, right? And it's, it's
665
01:06:38,640 --> 01:06:43,480
beautiful. I mean, it's, it's, it's, there are a lot of, there's a lot of beautiful music
666
01:06:43,480 --> 01:06:51,600
in there to explore. Wow. So we covered, you know, your fascinating careers and artists
667
01:06:51,600 --> 01:06:57,720
and public speaker, advocate for women composers, promoter of global sustainability and so on.
668
01:06:57,720 --> 01:07:04,840
So how do you see the intersection of art activism and how can artists use their art
669
01:07:04,840 --> 01:07:11,400
forms and platforms to advocate for social change? I mean, I think you have to be passionate
670
01:07:11,400 --> 01:07:18,160
about something and I think that's very important, you know, to choose a topic or topics that
671
01:07:18,160 --> 01:07:23,160
you are passionate about, that you feel about and that you think you can make a contribution
672
01:07:23,160 --> 01:07:32,640
on and then think about in ways in which your creativity can contribute in some way to some
673
01:07:32,640 --> 01:07:39,360
degree to this. So I think it comes from a very deep exploration actually on yourself
674
01:07:39,360 --> 01:07:46,120
and what matters to you. And, you know, I think you are more effective if you pick something
675
01:07:46,120 --> 01:07:51,600
that it's dear to you, that it's something that you, you truly feel about it and you're
676
01:07:51,600 --> 01:07:56,680
truly passionate because then I think everything, it will be sincere, it will be transparent,
677
01:07:56,680 --> 01:08:02,440
it will be an honest artistic endeavor to, you know, you won't compromise one thing for
678
01:08:02,440 --> 01:08:07,580
the other, nor in one side, nor in the other, but you, everything will, you know, come together
679
01:08:07,580 --> 01:08:15,520
and evolve at the same time. So yeah, I think that's the main idea. First of all, research
680
01:08:15,520 --> 01:08:22,640
on what you're passionate about, think about how you can contribute to that and then you
681
01:08:22,640 --> 01:08:29,760
will find probably the way to do it in an articulate way and in a honest way. I think
682
01:08:29,760 --> 01:08:33,720
that's most important, to be honest, it's not just with your values. So if you're really
683
01:08:33,720 --> 01:08:39,280
defending what you feel about and what you think about, this will come together in, I
684
01:08:39,280 --> 01:08:41,280
believe in it, honestly.
685
01:08:41,280 --> 01:08:50,240
Now the reason why I wanted to start this podcast was see how our industry is moving,
686
01:08:50,240 --> 01:08:55,680
whether that is forward or backward and hopefully forward. And I have been really encouraged
687
01:08:55,680 --> 01:09:02,560
by the fact that people that I met through this podcast, guests, they are all forward
688
01:09:02,560 --> 01:09:11,840
thinking, as in, so for example, for you, you know, you have not just to have this one
689
01:09:11,840 --> 01:09:19,980
specific career, but you, you combine everything. And so what are your thoughts on this multifaceted
690
01:09:19,980 --> 01:09:25,440
approach to being a pianist in this new generation?
691
01:09:25,440 --> 01:09:31,680
You know, it's, I think it's a very personal journey. So it's, I don't want to pontificate
692
01:09:31,680 --> 01:09:36,280
and say, this is the way, right? I also admire people who just say, I just play Bach and
693
01:09:36,280 --> 01:09:41,440
that's it. And, you know, I like that. And that's, that's valid. Again, it comes with
694
01:09:41,440 --> 01:09:47,800
artistic honesty and what your goals are and what your vision is. And I think as an artist,
695
01:09:47,800 --> 01:09:53,240
I remember that the first day I got into an MSM, that's the first thing they told me.
696
01:09:53,240 --> 01:09:57,040
They told me like, what's your vision as an artist, right? Just tell me and I'll let you
697
01:09:57,040 --> 01:10:04,920
speech about that. Hello. Boom. Just do it. And I was like, eh, hi, I'm from Spain. Hello.
698
01:10:04,920 --> 01:10:11,140
And no, but that was very interesting because it's, I think it should be a lot of times
699
01:10:11,140 --> 01:10:16,480
we get very distracted by social media, but what everyone wants us to be, what we have
700
01:10:16,480 --> 01:10:21,880
to do, but like, and we don't get the time to say, Hey, what kind of artists do you want
701
01:10:21,880 --> 01:10:27,080
to be? How do you want to be remembered? How, how can you contribute and how can you make
702
01:10:27,080 --> 01:10:32,240
a meaningful contribution? Right. For some people it's just recording the whole works
703
01:10:32,240 --> 01:10:37,120
of Johann Sebastian Bach and that's great. That's fantastic. And for some other people,
704
01:10:37,120 --> 01:10:43,080
I think it's more, you know, exploring new repertoires, reaching the existing repertoire,
705
01:10:43,080 --> 01:10:48,280
presenting new pieces. And so I don't think there's a better or worse version, but it's
706
01:10:48,280 --> 01:10:54,480
just being honest with your, with your values. So I think it's relevant as far as it is relevant
707
01:10:54,480 --> 01:11:01,400
for the artists and as far as this is honest with their artistic vision. So for that is
708
01:11:01,400 --> 01:11:06,960
relevant and I, I'm glad that many people are actually, you know, taking this path,
709
01:11:06,960 --> 01:11:12,920
but I'm, I also respect a lot are people that just say, Hey, this is all I want to do. I
710
01:11:12,920 --> 01:11:19,840
just want to record Scarlatti and that's it. And that's beautiful. That's amazing. And
711
01:11:19,840 --> 01:11:24,280
that's their vision and what they want to communicate. And that's what we want as artists
712
01:11:24,280 --> 01:11:30,240
communicate certain emotions, certain values, and you can do it through so many roads. And
713
01:11:30,240 --> 01:11:37,680
that's the importance of that to say there are many roads. That's important itself. And
714
01:11:37,680 --> 01:11:43,240
I think that's very important for younger generations and for students. A lot of times
715
01:11:43,240 --> 01:11:49,440
in the conservatory system, the only success story is Martha Argerich, either you are Martha
716
01:11:49,440 --> 01:11:56,760
Argerich or you are a failure. Right. And I don't think that's a reasonable message because
717
01:11:56,760 --> 01:12:02,200
it's not reasonable in any profession. Like you ask a doctor and says, Oh, you're a cardiologist
718
01:12:02,200 --> 01:12:07,400
or you're not. No, I mean, there's so many specialties and so many possibilities and
719
01:12:07,400 --> 01:12:15,640
the definition of success is so deep. Like there's so many possibilities for that. And
720
01:12:15,640 --> 01:12:21,160
in music, we're apparently trained for just one path. And I think it's important to be
721
01:12:21,160 --> 01:12:26,520
civilized also that there are many paths, there are many ways, there's space for everyone
722
01:12:26,520 --> 01:12:34,000
and there's space also for careers that are a bit different than what we are just taught
723
01:12:34,000 --> 01:12:38,960
at the conservatory. That's it. And I think that could also be very positive for mental
724
01:12:38,960 --> 01:12:44,760
health, for many avoiding many frustrations and saying, Hey, you know, there are many
725
01:12:44,760 --> 01:12:49,320
different ways to understand this business, to understand your career, to understand,
726
01:12:49,320 --> 01:12:55,120
you project yourself as an artist. I think that by itself is positive and it's important
727
01:12:55,120 --> 01:12:58,280
to communicate it.
728
01:12:58,280 --> 01:13:04,880
Isn't our guest so inspiring? I'm sure you're enjoying and learning from every bit of this
729
01:13:04,880 --> 01:13:11,400
episode. So I need to ask you two things. First, hit that like button on YouTube or
730
01:13:11,400 --> 01:13:17,040
subscribe if you're listening on your go to podcast platform, then follow us on the Instagram,
731
01:13:17,040 --> 01:13:24,520
Facebook, LinkedIn and Tik Tok at that piano pod or behind the scenes content, episode
732
01:13:24,520 --> 01:13:31,880
updates and more. Stay connected and inspired to celebrate the past, present and future
733
01:13:31,880 --> 01:13:35,760
of classical music.
734
01:13:35,760 --> 01:13:43,680
We are really close to the end of our conversation. So I would like to ask just a few philosophical
735
01:13:43,680 --> 01:13:49,400
questions. And I forgot to mention we have to do the piano pod rapid fire question at
736
01:13:49,400 --> 01:13:54,800
the end. So I'll explain that later, but I'm sure you heard some of the episodes. So we'll
737
01:13:54,800 --> 01:14:00,320
get through that. So what are your thoughts on maintaining the relevance of classical
738
01:14:00,320 --> 01:14:02,720
music in today's world?
739
01:14:02,720 --> 01:14:08,960
I think classical music, you know, it's, it's very important. It's very relevant because
740
01:14:08,960 --> 01:14:16,800
it gives us a space for thinking, for reflecting, for experiencing just, you know, a lot of
741
01:14:16,800 --> 01:14:21,800
times and I feel each time more and more this world goes so fast and we don't have really
742
01:14:21,800 --> 01:14:28,200
that time for reflection. And piece of music is truly a space for that. It's a space first
743
01:14:28,200 --> 01:14:32,880
with a dialogue with the past or with the present, the dialogue for that composer with
744
01:14:32,880 --> 01:14:39,800
a dialogue with your own feelings and exploration on your own thoughts. And I think that's,
745
01:14:39,800 --> 01:14:45,840
that's very valuable, especially in today's world. And I think, you know, a lot of times
746
01:14:45,840 --> 01:14:52,760
when you see this marketing of trying to create classical music that each time is getting
747
01:14:52,760 --> 01:14:57,520
closer to pop music and I'm like, you already have pop music. Okay. And they're doing great.
748
01:14:57,520 --> 01:15:03,560
And it's cool. And it's their space. So why do you want to turn this into that? Just make
749
01:15:03,560 --> 01:15:10,960
sure that people understand and feel and feel, you know, happy getting into a concert, classical
750
01:15:10,960 --> 01:15:16,520
music concert, what is, you know, really, which is about that. You know, when I go to
751
01:15:16,520 --> 01:15:21,200
classical music concert, I am expecting that I'm not expecting something else. The same
752
01:15:21,200 --> 01:15:26,120
when I go to certain movie that I know it's going to make me think it's going to make
753
01:15:26,120 --> 01:15:30,600
me cry. It's going to make me laugh. It's going to, you know, it's not just to watch
754
01:15:30,600 --> 01:15:34,480
anything. No, no, no. I really want to do this. And that has its value and has its place
755
01:15:34,480 --> 01:15:41,120
and it's needed in that sense. You know, so I think it's a matter of understanding the
756
01:15:41,120 --> 01:15:48,520
role of classical music. And what I experience is that with programs like this, like Latoscope
757
01:15:48,520 --> 01:15:54,840
and programs that get out of the box in this sense, you actually get a lot of people into
758
01:15:54,840 --> 01:15:59,200
the classical world. They get to experience this and they're like, Hey, you know, this
759
01:15:59,200 --> 01:16:04,760
is great. Let's let's stay here. And that's that's very important to you. You know, I
760
01:16:04,760 --> 01:16:11,800
think we are many times you see people complaining, oh, no one's here. Right. Well, sometimes
761
01:16:11,800 --> 01:16:18,320
because we offer them some products that we perhaps have to think more about ways to attract
762
01:16:18,320 --> 01:16:24,680
audiences, but to attract audiences without losing what classical music is. And, you know,
763
01:16:24,680 --> 01:16:31,320
the idea for thought that goes with it. I don't want to turn it white turn it into something
764
01:16:31,320 --> 01:16:38,280
that it's not. What did you thought on our duty as a classical musicians to the society?
765
01:16:38,280 --> 01:16:43,640
We have many, many duties. I don't think it's just one. First of all, is to communicate,
766
01:16:43,640 --> 01:16:49,600
communicate at an emotional level, communicate values, communicate thoughts, communicate
767
01:16:49,600 --> 01:16:57,240
to make them feel and feel emotions about the pieces that we're performing. I think
768
01:16:57,240 --> 01:17:03,200
that's that's our first role. There's a second role that I think it's the responsibility
769
01:17:03,200 --> 01:17:09,440
that we have as public or semi-public figures that we are known, let's say, in smaller or
770
01:17:09,440 --> 01:17:14,840
bigger environments. And in that sense, I think we have a special responsibility. And
771
01:17:14,840 --> 01:17:23,560
our goal is to truly be an example of certain values. I feel so the value of discipline,
772
01:17:23,560 --> 01:17:28,720
the value of work, the value of effort that comes into playing a piano. Like you can play
773
01:17:28,720 --> 01:17:33,480
so well because you've been trained for so many years and you've been working so hard.
774
01:17:33,480 --> 01:17:38,160
And, you know, I think that's those are positive values also that classical musicians should
775
01:17:38,160 --> 01:17:45,200
bring in. And I think this interaction between intellect and emotions has a lot of possibilities
776
01:17:45,200 --> 01:17:51,880
for raising awareness about current issues. So that too, what we were speaking about before.
777
01:17:51,880 --> 01:17:58,920
So that role of proposing new ideas, of rethinking things from a different perspective. Well,
778
01:17:58,920 --> 01:18:04,680
that's also a role that Arc can have. Once again, I want to congratulate you on your
779
01:18:04,680 --> 01:18:11,480
new album, Kaleidoscope. And I feel so honored that this is one of the, I guess, the first
780
01:18:11,480 --> 01:18:18,800
interview about your album. And today is the day of release. I feel so honored. So thank
781
01:18:18,800 --> 01:18:23,920
you so much for showing up today. So beyond Kaleidoscope, are there any upcoming projects
782
01:18:23,920 --> 01:18:27,280
or collaborations you are excited about or maybe concerts?
783
01:18:27,280 --> 01:18:32,800
Yeah. So I have this upcoming concert at Brahms House and I'm going to play with my husband,
784
01:18:32,800 --> 01:18:38,760
right? Flutes, Rubén Torres. So we're excited about our duo. And also we're playing solo
785
01:18:38,760 --> 01:18:45,320
and duo. And the solo is Brahms Paganini and several Pauline Viardot pieces. So it's real
786
01:18:45,320 --> 01:18:55,440
solo. And we're playing also Brahms Sonata 1, transcribed for flute and piano. It's the
787
01:18:55,440 --> 01:19:01,960
viola sonata, but transcribed here for flute. And also the clarinet romances that we are
788
01:19:01,960 --> 01:19:09,160
playing also in flute. They are original for violin, but they sound beautiful in flute.
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01:19:09,160 --> 01:19:15,080
So that's a very exciting program because again, it tries to reflect what was batting
790
01:19:15,080 --> 01:19:18,480
batting at that time. That's where this Brahms House, Brahms lived in several places, but
791
01:19:18,480 --> 01:19:24,560
this is Brahms House with batting batting. So what was that about? Basically that was,
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01:19:24,560 --> 01:19:30,280
you know, this great geniuses like Clara Schumann, Pauline Viardot, Brahms together sharing musical
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01:19:30,280 --> 01:19:36,880
ideas, truly, you know, having the soirees in which they were playing this piece. Actually,
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01:19:36,880 --> 01:19:42,160
Pauline Viardot had a huge salon, a great salon, more than huge in space, but of people
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01:19:42,160 --> 01:19:49,520
who would go to Pauline Viardot's salon in batting batting. And, you know, there were
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01:19:49,520 --> 01:19:56,240
this kind of sort of chuberty acts, as we say, or small reunions of people. And there
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01:19:56,240 --> 01:20:03,160
were concerts there. So it's really exciting to bring all that back to Brahms House. And
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01:20:03,160 --> 01:20:08,000
it's beautiful. Again, I had the chance of playing at Mendelssohn House too. And they're
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01:20:08,000 --> 01:20:13,080
always or Viola Viardot. So these places have, you know, a special component to it and especially
800
01:20:13,080 --> 01:20:19,160
playing the pieces of these composers. Of course, there are several presentations. There's
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01:20:19,160 --> 01:20:25,480
a lot of presentation coming up, Lisbon, several presentations for Kaleidoscope. And as I said,
802
01:20:25,480 --> 01:20:31,840
the idea is, I'm closing all these concerts, is to perform it as much as possible during
803
01:20:31,840 --> 01:20:38,400
next year. And also some orchestral performances coming up. So there's a good mix in there.
804
01:20:38,400 --> 01:20:46,240
But the main focus, of course, now is Kaleidoscope soloist and presenting the SPCV as well.
805
01:20:46,240 --> 01:20:52,560
Wonderful. So now, how do you see your future work continuing to merge music and advocacy,
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01:20:52,560 --> 01:20:57,400
particularly in the areas of women's rights and gender equality?
807
01:20:57,400 --> 01:21:03,000
You know, I think it's interesting because a lot of times they ask me about, how do you
808
01:21:03,000 --> 01:21:08,320
see yourself in 15 years? How do you see yourself? Well, if I ask 20 year old Isabelle about
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01:21:08,320 --> 01:21:14,880
how she looks at herself in 12 years, I'm not sure if I would be able to imagine the
810
01:21:14,880 --> 01:21:20,480
great things that have happened. Also, there were not so great things. That's life how
811
01:21:20,480 --> 01:21:28,000
it is. But there were a lot of great things that I couldn't dream of. So my goal is to
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01:21:28,000 --> 01:21:35,760
keep doing this work, keep exploring these pieces, to keep promoting women's voices in
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01:21:35,760 --> 01:21:41,600
music through programming and research. Where exactly that would lead me, hopefully maybe
814
01:21:41,600 --> 01:21:46,520
a Kaleidoscope 2, Kaleidoscope 3, Kaleidoscope 4. That would be amazing to do a series on
815
01:21:46,520 --> 01:21:52,520
that, or focusing on specific composers, like what I did with Piaardo, right? That was so
816
01:21:52,520 --> 01:21:57,560
beautiful. I think they're complementary, but they're like very different projects,
817
01:21:57,560 --> 01:22:02,520
right? So one is about many composers coming together. The other one is just focusing on
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01:22:02,520 --> 01:22:08,240
one and trying to get as many pieces as possible, right? So either way, but I'm sure that I
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01:22:08,240 --> 01:22:14,880
will keep this advocacy and keep researching and discovering these amazing treasures.
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01:22:14,880 --> 01:22:22,120
So for our listeners, please go to IsabelleDobaro.com to learn more about Isabelle's solo and chamber
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01:22:22,120 --> 01:22:28,640
concert updates and check out her new album, Kaleidoscope, wherever you listen to the music.
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01:22:28,640 --> 01:22:35,020
And you can also follow her on Instagram at IsabelleDobaroPianist. All the links are listed
823
01:22:35,020 --> 01:22:41,360
in the show notes. So Isabelle, this has been a really fun and inspiring and educational
824
01:22:41,360 --> 01:22:46,640
conversation. But before I let you go, we have one more thing to do. It's called the
825
01:22:46,640 --> 01:22:51,600
Piano Ball Rapid Fire Questions. This is a part of the show where I get to ask fun questions
826
01:22:51,600 --> 01:22:58,320
to each guest. However, as silly as these questions may sound, your answers may reveal
827
01:22:58,320 --> 01:23:05,000
who you truly are, so ready or not. So please answer them with the shortest responses as
828
01:23:05,000 --> 01:23:07,840
possible. No explanation is necessary.
829
01:23:07,840 --> 01:23:14,920
Let's do it. Yes, let's do it. So level one, what is your comfort food?
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01:23:14,920 --> 01:23:15,920
Pizza.
831
01:23:15,920 --> 01:23:23,480
Pizza, yes. All right. How do you like your coffee in the morning?
832
01:23:23,480 --> 01:23:29,880
Very big one. And with milk, latte and a big one for the day. I love coffee.
833
01:23:29,880 --> 01:23:34,160
Yes, yes. Aim into that. Now cats or dogs?
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01:23:34,160 --> 01:23:35,160
Dogs.
835
01:23:35,160 --> 01:23:37,160
Sunrise or sunset?
836
01:23:37,160 --> 01:23:38,160
Sunset.
837
01:23:38,160 --> 01:23:40,160
Summer or winter?
838
01:23:40,160 --> 01:23:41,160
Summer.
839
01:23:41,160 --> 01:23:44,560
Now level two, next level.
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01:23:44,560 --> 01:23:45,560
Okay.
841
01:23:45,560 --> 01:23:50,480
What skill have you always wanted to learn but haven't had a chance to?
842
01:23:50,480 --> 01:23:51,480
Sing well.
843
01:23:51,480 --> 01:23:52,480
Sing well?
844
01:23:52,480 --> 01:23:57,240
I would love to be a singer. That's my frustration. Just to be a singer, that's why I sing with
845
01:23:57,240 --> 01:24:03,800
a piano. I really sing horribly. So I really want to, I really want to, I mean, of course,
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01:24:03,800 --> 01:24:08,520
I pass my exams, but I really want to sing well. That would be a dream.
847
01:24:08,520 --> 01:24:18,880
All right. Maybe not to your next 10, 10 year goal. What is your word or words to live by?
848
01:24:18,880 --> 01:24:27,240
You know, I think it's, well, this is not always 100% true, but I think that a character,
849
01:24:27,240 --> 01:24:33,200
I think the Cicero citation is the characters of man is its bestie or something like that.
850
01:24:33,200 --> 01:24:38,680
I know that destiny depends on many things, but I think the character and how you face
851
01:24:38,680 --> 01:24:43,360
things and how you face failure and how you face success and how you work on that every
852
01:24:43,360 --> 01:24:48,640
day, truly it's your destiny, at least at the personal level. Then there are a lot of
853
01:24:48,640 --> 01:24:53,960
factors that can happen, but at least on your own satisfaction.
854
01:24:53,960 --> 01:24:59,600
What is the most important quality you look for in other people?
855
01:24:59,600 --> 01:25:08,360
Honesty, that they're good people, like their honesty, honesty and loyalty for me. It's
856
01:25:08,360 --> 01:25:09,360
super important.
857
01:25:09,360 --> 01:25:16,400
Now, next one is a little difficult. Name three people, three people who inspire you,
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01:25:16,400 --> 01:25:18,200
whether living or dead.
859
01:25:18,200 --> 01:25:24,400
Well, let's say family is one person, so the whole family, one. Now, the second one would
860
01:25:24,400 --> 01:25:31,440
be difficult. I'm going to say Alicia La Rocha, but it's up there, Alicia La Rocha slash
861
01:25:31,440 --> 01:25:36,200
Martha Argerich, but I'm going to go with Alicia for one reason. Just because she's
862
01:25:36,200 --> 01:25:41,360
Spanish? No, but because she really did a lot for the Spanish repertoire, but she was
863
01:25:41,360 --> 01:25:49,320
amazing also in so many works and so many styles. She had such an artistic honesty,
864
01:25:49,320 --> 01:25:56,080
a great repertoire of playing. I think Alicia will be there.
865
01:25:56,080 --> 01:26:01,520
Vladimir Horvitz, I think, I remember I'm missing his class with David Duvall and he
866
01:26:01,520 --> 01:26:09,080
said, there should be a class only of Horvitz recordings. At the time I was like, sure.
867
01:26:09,080 --> 01:26:16,600
Now that I listen to so many of his recordings, every time, each time more I say, wow, yes,
868
01:26:16,600 --> 01:26:24,080
definitely each recording of Vladimir Horvitz is a lesson. Every time you listen to his
869
01:26:24,080 --> 01:26:36,520
playing, it's so striking, so full of energy and such a power. It's also brilliant in the
870
01:26:36,520 --> 01:26:44,920
way of his originality and his personality playing. So I adore his playing. There will
871
01:26:44,920 --> 01:26:50,160
be Hoffman, Rubinstein, Teresa Carreño. You can name it like a thousand of them, but let's
872
01:26:50,160 --> 01:26:58,200
pick these two for now. Yes, for today. Yes, sounds good. All right. So two more to go.
873
01:26:58,200 --> 01:27:05,520
So name one piece in your current playlist. Well, I'm in that Rachmaninoff mood right
874
01:27:05,520 --> 01:27:15,200
now. So besides Kaleidoscope, I should be in every place. Right. I mean, Rachmaninoff,
875
01:27:15,200 --> 01:27:27,120
Op. 23, MF4. Now, last question. Fill in the blank. Music is blank. My life. Your life.
876
01:27:27,120 --> 01:27:32,960
Amazing. Thank you. So that wraps up this episode of The Piano Pot. Thank you, Isabel,
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01:27:32,960 --> 01:27:37,960
for joining us today and sharing your stories, insights, expertise. And once again, to our
878
01:27:37,960 --> 01:27:42,920
wonderful audience, you can learn more about Dr. Isabel de Barro and her amazing work through
879
01:27:42,920 --> 01:27:48,760
her website at isabeldebarro.com. And thank you to our faithful fans and listeners for
880
01:27:48,760 --> 01:27:53,560
joining in. If you enjoyed today's episode, please rate and review it on your go to podcast
881
01:27:53,560 --> 01:27:59,680
platform. Please remember to hit the thumbs up button to end to subscribe to my YouTube
882
01:27:59,680 --> 01:28:04,440
channel. If you're watching this episode on YouTube, follow The Piano Pot on social media
883
01:28:04,440 --> 01:28:09,760
to get the latest piano news via Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn. I will see
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01:28:09,760 --> 01:28:14,360
you for the next episode of The Piano Pot. Bye everyone. And thank you once again, Isabel.
885
01:28:14,360 --> 01:28:34,200
Thank you very much. Thank you.