oboeinsight

Bozhanov, who has studied music in Germany for eight years, is not fond of questions. Until he became a finalist, he put off reporters with a brisk “Not now, not now.” And this week, even when he agreed to an interview, he refused to give revealing answers.

Bozhanov, on how he prepares for a competition: “You know, I don’t like to tell about music. It’s a big experience; it’s not to explain with words. It’s impossible to tell you.”

On why he entered the Cliburn: “Don’t ask me about the competition. I’m here because I’m here, you know? I’m here to make music. I love to make music. For the competition, I’m just here.”

On the pressures of performing for a jury: “I don’t like this question.”

On whether it felt natural the first time he played the piano: “I don’t like this question.”

On his other interests: “I don’t have time for nothing, all the time piano playing, so if you’re asking me, I don’t have any hobbies, no.”

RTWT

Um … what can one say?

A Selection from his Final Recital:

An hour later, Son reflected on the radical physical metamorphosis she achieves from practice session to performance: “I really love becoming that quite different person on the stage — complete with a different outfit — from who I am off, in a rehearsal for instance,” Son said. Still another contrast that Son acknowledges is how much she revels in the Prokofiev work’s qualities of tragedy and happiness. She likes to call them the “ironies” of the work.

“I like to play the crying and screaming of the piece, but I also know there is real joy as well,” said Son, who nurses a sore right index finger after her orchestra rehearsal. “For the Prokofiev in particular, I must say that when I first played it, I said to myself that I must marry the person who wrote it — it affected me so much.”

Despite Son’s Herculean physicality in approaching such an imposing work as Prokofiev’s Second Concerto, she sheepishly admits to not being particularly athletic in her daily life. She doesn’t swim or ride a bike, nor often seek out a gym for a quick workout.

What Son does do is a vigorous jump-rope session for 15 minutes, under a live oak tree in her host family’s front yard in Fort Worth. That bit of heart-pumping exercise, and not coffee, seemingly energizes Son for her most productive practice sessions — between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.

“We fall asleep to her playing the piano, it is so nice. We are really getting spoiled by her,” said Becky Brooks, Son’s host mom.

RTWT

… with all these articles you do start to see the different personalities, yes?

A Selection from her Final Recital:

He had only played with a chamber music group once before, recently in Japan, after learning it would be required should he advance to the Cliburn semifinals. He previously performed with symphony orchestras in Paris, Berlin and Tokyo, and he followed the conductor’s breathing, he said.

But Tsujii said his blindness has not limited his playing opportunities and that he doesn’t want to be known as the pianist who cannot see.

“The most important objective as I’m performing is that the audience is going to be moved,” Tsujii said through an interpreter.

RTWT (Maybe, the link doesn’t always work for me.)

His final recital hasn’t been performed yet, so this semifinal will stay up until then:

“For the first time in my life, there I was, this whole country and just me,” Wu said Sunday. “I have no relatives here. I used to have a boyfriend, but now I don’t. Nobody is checking on me anymore. I had nothing to grab onto. It felt like a free fall.

“I can’t forget that moment,” she said. “I’m just crossing a street. I’m at a red light in New York, and I thought, ‘If I walk now and am hit by a car, how long would it take for my parents to know? Three days?’?”

RTWT

I read some of these stories and am thankful I haven’t had the kind of lonely life some of these players appear to have. Is it all worth it? I suppose so. But I do love my family and friends, and I’m doubtful I could handle the sort of life these young players have lead.

I still don’t see her final recital clip at YouTube. I’ll update this if I find it.

There are numerous articles about the six finalists, as one would expect. I’ll post some quotes and links as I find ones that interest me.

Here is something about Mariangela Vacatello:

“I like to smile, but I never smile when I’m onstage,” Vacatello said Friday. “I’m surprised, too. My first time on stage, for three or four minutes when I was 5 years old, I never smiled. People are always talking about me, saying, ‘You have to smile.’ They know me. I am like this, [smiling broadly] but when I’m up there, there is something serious. I have fun when I play, but there is something serious. Sometimes I really try [to smile onstage], but I just can’t do it.”

But the smile always returns the moment she steps from the stage lights, as does the graciousness with backstage workers, film crews, journalists and fans.

“I’m serious when I’m in front of the music, but then I can laugh and talk,” she said.

RTWT

I’m not at her level — wouldn’t dare suggest it — but yes, when we are working, we are working. Even light happy music requires concentration and work. I grow quite weary of people who suggest we should always be smiling.

Selection from her Final Recital: