By
THIRSTY
Pianist Charlie Albright was
praised by the New York Times for his
“jaw-dropping technique and virtuosity meshed with a distinctive musicality” and
by the Philadelphia Inquirer for his “ease
and smoothness that refuses to airbrush the music, but animates it from within.”
Recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Gilmore Young Artist Award,
he is a graduate of Harvard, the New England Conservatory of Music and the Julliard
School, and is sought after not only as a performer, but also as a speaker,
masterclass instructor, teacher and competition judge. His debut recording, Vivace, sold worldwide and the first of his
3-part Schubert Series of live, all-Schubert recordings was released in 2017. In
January 2019, he had his debut performance at Carnegie Hall.
This July, he will
perform at the Newport Music Festival for the second time. Stay Thirsty Magazine was pleased to visit with Charlie Albright when
he was recently in New York City for this Conversation.
STAY
THIRSTY: What motivated you to want to perform for a second time
at the Newport Music Festival?
CHARLIE
ALBRIGHT: Last year was my first time visiting Newport, RI, and
I was absolutely blown away. The scenery and history are all amazing in
Newport, and performing at the Breakers was incredible…not to mention the
wonderfully welcoming and supportive audience who came to the concert to have a
great time. In addition, working with Executive Director Pamela Pantos last
season was a joy. When I was invited back to the Festival, there was no doubt
that I wanted to return!
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| Charlie Albright |
STAY
THIRSTY: Your July 24, 2019, Newport concert will feature Bach,
Beethoven and improvisation. How did you select your repertoire for this performance?
CHARLIE
ALBRIGHT: Improvisation is something that I love to do and have
been incorporating more and more into my performances lately, whether it be
through improvising cadenzas in concertos…to taking notes from an audience and
composing a sonata on the spot. For my Newport recital, I wanted to incorporate
both traditional classical music along with live improvisations, hopefully
bridging the two along the way. I will begin the program with an improvisation
on the theme from Bach’s Jesu, Joy of
Man’s Desiring, one of his most famous works. I will then perform one of my
favorite contemporary classical pieces, the Ricercare
and Toccata on a Theme from “The Old Maid and the Thief,” by Gian Carlo
Menotti, before ending the first half with an improvised 3-movement sonata
based on random notes I will take from the audience. The second half will start
with an improvised group of short pieces which I think I’ll call “Newport,” and
end with one of the most iconic pieces in classical music: the Beethoven “Moonlight
Sonata.” I am really thrilled to share both classical music, new and
old…alongside brand new music, made up on-the-spot, this summer with Newport.
STAY
THIRSTY: What is it about the Newport audience that stands out to
you?
CHARLIE
ALBRIGHT: Music connects people, expresses emotions, and is a
reflection on humanity. It should also be fun. The Newport audience “gets”
that. I love to throw out the “classical” rules of classical music and instead
talk to audiences, improvise, cross genres, and make concerts a time of sharing
with each other, rather than a one-way, I-will-play-and-audiences-will-listen
event. The Newport audience is fantastic in their enthusiasm and excitement for
this.
STAY
THIRSTY: What goes through your mind when you are doing the
improvisation section with notes suggested by the audience? How do you so
quickly conceptualize a piece and bring it to life?
CHARLIE
ALBRIGHT: When I ask for random notes from audiences, I will
often get three or four that are completely unrelated. I quickly try to figure
out a key that would make these four notes “sound good.” Once I begin a piece,
I do not think about keys or harmonic changes…or really much of anything other
than the emotion and “feel” that I want to bring out in a piece of music. Other
than a general length of the piece in the back of my mind and a desire for it
to be cohesive (ideally, it has a beginning, middle, and end so that it is not
just me rambling on and on for 5 to 30 minutes), that emotion is what I really
try to bring out in the work. I hope that each piece I perform, whether
improvised or not, “says” something worthwhile.
STAY
THIRSTY: You are also known for your performance of “Amazing
Grace.” What is it about that song that moves and inspires you?
CHARLIE
ALBRIGHT: “Amazing Grace” is a gorgeous piece of music and I
think it really speaks uniquely to people; it might mean something slightly
different to each individual. Whether it be love, loss, or even simple
kindness, it has the power to mean so much to so many…but to each in its own
way.
STAY
THIRSTY: Your debut performance at Carnegie Hall occurred this
past January. How did that feel and what did it mean to you?
CHARLIE
ALBRIGHT: It was thrilling to perform on the main stage of
Carnegie Hall! In January, I performed the New York City debut of the Vivian
Fine Concertante for Piano and Orchestra
with Maestro Leon Botstein and the American Symphony Orchestra. The hall was
full, the audience was excited, and I had a blast. It was a dream come true to
be able to be the soloist there. The theme of the concert centered on American
Composers…and so for an encore, I couldn’t resist capping off my performance
with Great Balls of Fire. I think
they liked it.
STAY
THIRSTY: What do you admire about Liberace’s music?
CHARLIE
ALBRIGHT: Liberace brought music to everyone and introduced many
to the classical genre. One of his greatest skills was to make music fun and
enjoyable; everyone was welcome, and everyone had a great time.
STAY
THIRSTY: In your quiet time late at night, what composer’s
music most often runs through your mind? Which composer has had the greatest
influence on your music?
CHARLIE
ALBRIGHT: I don’t believe I have a favorite composer, but I am
often drawn to the romantic period of music. I tend to really like Chopin and
Beethoven. And for fun, I listen to everything from Korean Pop music to
Hollywood movie music.
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