What are the special challenges/pleasures of working with particular musicians, singers, ensembles and orchestras?
The piano, to me, is the instrument with the widest range of possibilities. You can express almost everything with that single instrument. But if you combine it with other instruments there are no bounds. The creation of new sounds, the interaction between the musicians and their instruments, as well as the merging of tones is simply fascinating. I love the sound of the piano, and I love the sound of strings. Combining these two instruments gives me goosebumps in every rehearsal, and every concert. This is just one reason why I love music so much. But of course there are also challenges. In my mind I’ve got a very specific idea for every composition, and how it has to sound. The greatest challenge is to make my ensemble play the music exactly as I expected it in my mind. There are details you can’t write in the score. Details the musicians have to feel, to play the piece in the right way.
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