{"id":52025,"date":"2018-02-25T19:17:28","date_gmt":"2018-02-26T00:17:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/?p=52025"},"modified":"2018-02-25T19:45:49","modified_gmt":"2018-02-26T00:45:49","slug":"mois-du-piano-piano-month-seong-jin-cho-a-musical-communion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/2018\/02\/25\/mois-du-piano-piano-month-seong-jin-cho-a-musical-communion\/","title":{"rendered":"MOIS DU PIANO-PIANO MONTH | Seong-Jin Cho: A Musical Communion"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_52028\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52028\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-52028\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/02\/Seong-Jin-Cho-Harald-Hoffmann-web.jpg\" alt=\"Seong-Jin Cho (Cr\u00e9dit: Harald Hoffmann)\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/02\/Seong-Jin-Cho-Harald-Hoffmann-web.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/02\/Seong-Jin-Cho-Harald-Hoffmann-web-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/02\/Seong-Jin-Cho-Harald-Hoffmann-web-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-52028\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Seong-Jin Cho (Cr\u00e9dit: Harald Hoffmann)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>How many times can one count their lucky stars? For <strong>Seong-Jin Cho<\/strong>, it\u2019s more times than he can contain on either of his Chopin Competition-winning hands.<\/p>\n<p>For one thing, the 23-year-old will be replacing <strong>Lang Lang<\/strong> at the National Arts Centre on February 27. The indisposed pianist is recovering from nagging tendinitis in his left arm, and Cho is eager to step in.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am so happy to be back \u2013 I was so lucky and honoured,\u201d he says of returning to Canada following his sold-out d\u00e9but in Vancouver last November.<\/p>\n<p>Cho will play a solo piano recital with Beethoven\u2019s \u201cPath\u00e9tique\u201d and opus 109 sonatas, Debussy\u2019s \u201cImages,\u201d book two, and Chopin\u2019s Sonata No. 3.<\/p>\n<p><em>Ludwig van Montreal<\/em> reached Cho at his Berlin home by phone before his North American tour.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>LvM: On the performance spectrum that runs from \u2018comfortable\u2019 to \u2018excited,\u2019 where do you stand?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>SJC<\/strong>: I try to play differently for different composers. For instance, \u2018poetic\u2019 is the right word for Chopin\u2019s music in general. But what is \u2018poetic?\u2019 To me, it\u2019s telling some intimate story \u2013 for instance, a nocturne or waltz, or some preludes.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>When I play Beethoven, I become adventurous; he was very progressive and he was brave to do something new \u2013 in his late sonatas, his imagination was limitless.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Russian music is rather romantic; you have to express all feeling and emotion. Music like Rachmaninoff\u2019s is so emotional and deep, so I don\u2019t try to control my emotions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>LvM: How did you decide upon the program for your North American tour?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>SJC<\/strong>: I always play what I like. Beethoven is the composer I respect the most. The two sonatas are totally different: with the \u2018Path\u00e9tique\u2019 Sonata, there\u2019s a young spirit inside the music. The [opus] 109 sonata is very imaginative and romantic; I feel it\u2019s like a different composer who wrote this piece. I want to show that contrast, so I decided to play those two sonatas.<\/p>\n<p>I recorded Debussy pieces last year, the album was released last November. Debussy really loved Chopin \u2013 there are some similarities, like using rubato, and there are a lot of colours. Debussy\u2019s music is also poetic, so I\u2019m excited to play Chopin and Debussy in the second half.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/P1sEftVPrds?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=fr-FR&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p><strong>LvM: What\u2019s the musical culture like in Korea?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>SJC:<\/strong> We have a lot of good teachers who studied in the States or in Europe, then came back to Korea to teach the younger generation.<\/p>\n<p>In general, the atmosphere is very competitive. In Seoul, we have an arts middle school and an arts high school. Every six months there is an exam \u2013 it\u2019s like a competition: there are fifty students in the middle school and they are all ranked from number one to number 50.<\/p>\n<p>Everybody wanted to become a professional musician or teacher. After I moved to Paris, I was surprised because nobody was competitive compared to in Korea! They are more relaxed and some people just do music for pleasure, even in the Conservatoire [de Paris].<\/p>\n<p><strong>LvM: What does Europe offer for a classical musician?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>SJC:<\/strong> So many things. I think it was good [for me] to leave Korea and experience Europe. I think it\u2019s also good to be in the States, like in New York or Curtis [Institute of Music] \u2013 it\u2019s a totally different atmosphere, but it\u2019s very energetic.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>But I can say Korea is a good place to study. When I was a child, classical music was somehow like a \u2018boom\u2019 \u2013 it was really popular; a lot of children studied the instrument. But the classical music market is smaller than Europe\u2019s \u2013 Korea is small. Of course, in Seoul there are a lot of concerts, but we have to win international competitions to get an opportunity in Korea.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>LvM: Talking about cultures, are there big differences when you play on different continents? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>SJC:<\/strong> Of course, a lot. For example, I can say after the Chopin Competition I had a good career in Korea [laughs] so when I perform there, the audiences are really enthusiastic \u2013 sometimes they scream after I perform. In Japan, there is no coughing during the performance. Really, it\u2019s silent \u2013 I felt they\u2019re really concentrating on the music.<\/p>\n<p>In Europe, it\u2019s really different depending on the country. Germany is a little similar to Japan. London is less serious than Germany. France is a little bit similar to Korea \u2013 they appreciate and they express that they like the performance. In Italy, I felt they\u2019re really enjoying the concert \u2013 when I see their faces from the stage or after the performance, I just feel they\u2019re really enjoying the music.<\/p>\n<p><strong>LvM: Do you get nerves before a performance?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>SJC:<\/strong> Just a little bit. During the Chopin Competition, I was so nervous \u2013 too nervous! It was good training for me \u2013 it made me one hundred times more nervous than when I played at Carnegie Hall or the Berliner Philharmonie!<\/p>\n<p><strong>LvM: Was there a moment when you wanted to quit piano? That it wasn\u2019t working out for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>SJC:<\/strong> [incredulous tone] <em>Quit piano? <\/em>Not really\u2026 Well, before the Chopin Competition I was thinking of my future. Some people are very lucky, they meet some conductors or they meet their manager without doing any competitions.<\/p>\n<p>I said to myself that if I cannot do something [to establish my performance career] until thirty years old, what should I do [instead]? I didn\u2019t think to quit piano, but I just worried about my future. Luckily I won the Chopin Competition and I was able to build my career. I feel I am very lucky.<\/p>\n<p><strong>LvM: You\u2019re a very grateful person. Do you try to express that to the audience when you\u2019re playing?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>SJC:<\/strong> Personally, I don\u2019t think about the audience that much. Of course, I prepare as much as possible and I don\u2019t want the audience to be disappointed. I try to play the best that I can \u2013 always. The most important thing is: respect the composer and try to understand the meaning of the score or what they\u2019re willing to say. I don\u2019t try to please the audience \u2013 I just play for myself or the composer.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em><span class=\"_5yl5\">TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018, 8:00 PM, NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE (SOUTHAM HALL), OTTAWA<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Interview has been edited for length and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>ALSO READ:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/2017\/12\/13\/liszts-canadian-novels-that-classical-music-lovers-should-read\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">11 Canadian novels that classical music lovers should read<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/2017\/12\/27\/music-and-you-mindfulness-and-music-how-making-music-can-help-reduce-stress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mindfulness and music: how making music can help reduce stress<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How many times can one count their lucky stars? For Seong-Jin Cho, it\u2019s more times than he can contain on either of his Chopin Competition-winning hands. Interview. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":52028,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[16745,10998,18291],"tags":[18179,5647],"yst_prominent_words":[10017,19191,19190,19189,19194,19198,19188,19192,19197,10183,10273,10766,19219,19187,19185,19186,19195,19193,19199,19196],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/02\/Seong-Jin-Cho-Harald-Hoffmann-web.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bdYt-dx7","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52025"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52025"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52025\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52031,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52025\/revisions\/52031"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52025"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52025"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/montreal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=52025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}