Issue No.22 - International Edition Polo De’Marco Magazine - International Edition | Page 142
The soloist has performed on stages everywhere
from his beloved UK to Italy, Austria, Denmark,
Finland, Switzerland, Norway, Kenya, Zimbabwe,
Japan, Ukraine and the U.S., and with the most
prestigious orchestras: the Royal Scottish
National Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic,
Tampere Philharmonic, and symphonies in San
Antonio Symphony, Albany and Toledo, among
others. He has also released three albums,
including his most recent Piano Works by The
Mighty Handful, which earned international
acclaim and was shortlisted in the Best Solo
Album category of the International Classical
Music Awards. Fisher spoke with Polo De’Marco
about his career, performance schedule and how
he’s opening his music up to audiences wider
than classical music
What’s your latest project?
I’m currently in the process of recording Piano
Concerto and complete works for solo piano for
the Naxos label with the Albany Symphony and
conductor David Alan Miller this past June the
day after performing it on their American Music
Festival. I am now working on recording the solo
works.
This will be the first of its kind—no one has
recorded all of composer John Corigliano’s
piano works before, and to play a part like this
in the legacy of one of America’s preeminent
composers is a huge honor for me. I’ve known
John for more than ten years, but we have
become particularly close through this project.
His work has always fascinated me. He, of
course, had tremendous commercial success
through winning an Oscar for his soundtrack
to the movie The Red Violin. Still, his writing is
steeped in the tradition and legacy of the great
composers throughout history. He has straddled
those two worlds effortlessly without ever
compromising the unique voice that has set him
apart, and I have huge admiration for that.
How can you keep classical music
relevant today?
I believe that it will always remain relevant by
its inherent importance and immense impact
on the shaping of our culture across centuries.
Much of it is down to the way it is presented and
also the responsibility we have as artists and
performers to always evolve and become more
and more connected to our audiences, not just
on stage. The label of classical music should be
presented for what it is: great music and artistry
that is supposed to take us out of our daily lives
and challenge and move us.
I’m also heartened by the multitude of
new music series across the country that
showcase both established and up and coming
contemporary composers. This presents it as a
living, breathing art form, not just something of
the past to look back on. Ultimately, if we allow
the music to speak for itself, without any of the
expectations or constraints of specific labels, it
can’t fail to have an impact and remain relevant!
How often do you perform/tour?
It’s on a rolling basis in a sense. I have concerts
booked a year ahead, but I also have a very fluid
situation where I am picking up engagements
close-in. I can have a month that is non-stop,
followed by one that is very quiet. If I’m not
performing or recording, I’m concentrating
on preparing for upcoming engagements or
creating new projects. I find that it’s what one
does with that downtime in terms of productivity
and learning new repertoire that is the biggest
challenge!
What are your favorite pieces and
composers?
I’ve always had an affinity for the composer/
pianists of the romantic tradition, such as Liszt,
Rachmaninov, etc. I will always have a special
connection with the 3rd Piano Concerto by
Rachmaninov when it comes to my life in New
York. It was the work with which I won the
concerto competition at Juilliard that led to
my New York debut at Alice Tully Hall with the
Juilliard Symphony.
However, I feel that my favorites can be different
from season to season, or even day to day. I was
lucky to have the experience of performing all 32
of Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas across 11 concerts
at Bargemusic in Brooklyn last year, after which
I played with the San Antonio Symphony as
well as the Triple Concerto in Argentina. So, yes,
Beethoven was particularly important to me
that season
Who are your inspirations?
Almost too many to mention, but anyone
from the great pianists I listened to growing
up—Richter, Michelangeli, Pogorelich—
to artists in the more popular realm. It’s
hard to go wrong listening to Sinatra, for
example. I’ve always felt that it is often
the case that a performer who hasn’t been
molded in that classical tradition can have
an intrinsic and intuitive understanding of
how to connect with and move an audience.
I admire those artists that took risks—the
guitarist and singer Peter Green of the early
days of Fleetwood Mac, or Bowie, to name
just a couple of them.
Tell us about your early training?
I started out studying piano with my father when
I was about nine years old and was performing in
public after a year or so. My more formal training
started at the Purcell School in London, followed
by the Royal Academy of Music before coming
to New York for graduate studies at the Juilliard
School. Since then, my training has all been on
stage in a sense. I feel that I’m always learning
how to be a better musician and performer, not
least from the wonderful colleagues I get to
collaborate with!
For more information
on
Philip Edward Fisher,
visit- philipedwardfisher.com