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Jeff Tyzik on Conducting, Composing and Enjoying “Good Music”

When preparing to interview the legend who is the classical pianist, André Watts, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  How does an interviewer begin to ask questions about a 50-year career that has had a seemingly endless number of successes?  But, when Mr. Watts took time to speak with me, he sounded more like a wise professor imparting wisdom about his life, his music, his “lucky” career, rather than an incredibly famous, elite musician. Here is that interview, which includes a number of extra questions not included in November’s issue of InSymphony.

Alban Gerhardt, the world renowned cellist who will play Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme with the Oregon Symphony on October 27 & 29, has a full schedule. Between traveling to perform countless concerts with top international orchestras, keeping up on his vast repertoire of cello concerti and  an engaging recording career (which has earned him three ECHO Classic Awards), the cellist took time to chat while driving to a music festival. Gerhardt’s conversational style is down-to-earth and friendly.  Revealing an artist’s appreciation for beauty, he remarked on the picturesque German countryside, interrupted himself to describe a flock of birds swooping in above his car, but easily transitioned to issues of obvious importance to his career.