Chopin Salon @ Home: Avery Gagliano
Until we can see you again at our live events, we are excited to present another edition of the Chopin Salons @ Home. We sincerely hope that all of our members and subscribers are keeping safe and healthy, and we invite you to enjoy these specially curated programs online, at home, and at your convenience.
It was more than a year ago when we selected the date for the winner of our 2020 National Chopin Piano Competition to perform at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. This special concert is just one of the many dates scheduled for the extensive tour that is included in the winner’s prize package. Deposits were made and contracts signed. The date that was selected was June 16, 2020. Of course Carnegie Hall is closed this month. Which is all the more more reason to celebrate the first prize winner, Avery Gagliano in this week’s edition of the Chopin Salons @ Home. We will begin with her preliminary round recital that took place on Sunday, February 23, 2020:
The First Round Leaves an Impression
The sheer volume of repertoire that must be mastered in order to participate in Competitions is quite staggering. The dedication required is immense, but so is the opportunity to develop an intense understanding and appreciation of the music. We asked Avery to talk a bit about her selections for the first round of the 10th National Chopin Piano Competition:
“The D-flat Major Nocturne, Op. 27 No. 2, is one of my favorites, and its dreamlike quality is the perfect way to open the program. The main melody is one of the most beautiful melodies ever written. It appears three times, and each time it does, it is embellished slightly differently and tugs at the heart even more than before. The nocturne is followed by two etudes. The F Major Etude, Op. 10, No. 8, also fittingly known as the “Sunshine” etude, is bright, playful, and always so much fun to perform. It contrasts with the subtle humor of the E Minor Etude, Op. 25, No. 5, which opens with a ‘hiccuped’ theme that transforms into the rich, melancholic melody of the middle section, before jostling the listener back to the more playful world from before. The final piece in the program is the G minor Ballade, Op. 23, a work that is full of emotion and especially close to me. Chopin grabs attention from the very first notes. The two hands wander in unison until they come to the first subject, laced with so much sorrow. It reminds me of someone sighing. This develops into the second subject, which is simple in nature, yet poetic and nostalgic. Similar to how the nocturne is embellished with each reappearance, this subject is later “apotheosized” in a grand climax. The work concludes dramatically, ending with a final “scream” of anguish and emotion.
Some thoughts on Competitions
Music Competitions seem to elicit strong and often polarized sentiments - you either love them or hate them. Those opposing the contest setting for musical performance argue that they create “athletes” rather than musicians and point to the subjectivity of artistic interpretation. Advocates counter that competitions offer musicians opportunities, visibility, and incentive to grow beyond the limits of their academic safety nets. Avery Gagliano has successfully participated in two important Competitions in the US. She performed Franz Liszt's "La Leggierezza," at the Junior Cliburn Competition in 2019 and the above video was filmed just prior to that event. We asked Avery for her perspective on competitions:
“When it comes to competitions, my principle is this: entering a competition should never be for the act of competing itself. I have always believed that the purpose of entering a competition is always about the journey of preparing for it. This period of preparation is an opportunity to develop and elevate my playing to the highest level possible — to get to know music in a way that I haven’t before; the opportunity to perform at the competition and share this music with the world is merely the icing on the cake.
Both The Cliburn and the Chopin Foundation are wonderfully supportive organizations that celebrate young pianists. The general atmosphere of The Cliburn was slightly different because it was a Junior Competition. All the competitors housed together, and I spent most of my time with them when I wasn’t practicing/performing. At Chopin, I stayed with my hostess and although I was already friends with many of the competitors, I didn’t see them frequently. The most significant difference, however, is that whereas I played a wide range of composers’ works at Cliburn, I only played works by Chopin in Miami. Chopin is a composer I have always felt close to and connected deeply with, and by diving into the wide range of his works, I now understand Chopin to an extent that I have never experienced with any other composer. I cannot fully express just how much I have grown both as a person and as a musician through this process, and look forward to continuing living with these works as I prepare for the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw next fall. The thought of having the opportunity to perform Chopin’s music in his homeland is beyond exciting.”
The String Theory
As we learned more about Avery, we discovered that she was harboring a secret:
“Most people don’t know this, but the violin was actually the first instrument I wanted to learn. My parents decided to have me start with piano lessons, but when I turned eight, they finally signed me up for violin lessons. Even though I no longer play, the six years I spent studying the violin have undoubtedly helped me as a pianist. For example, when I play chamber music (which I absolutely love), I am able to respond and react better to my peers because I understand the fundamentals of a string instrument and the range of sound and color it can produce. I have a better sense for the timing they may need, and also how to listen for sound balance. I also carry this knowledge with me in my solo playing. Knowing what it feels like to retake the bow, or to sustain a phrase under one bow changes how I think about the music. A teacher once said to me, “string players will always strive to sound like pianists, and pianists will always strive to sound like string players.” I am a pianist, but I’m lucky because, in a way, I have the best of both worlds.”
Thank you for joining us for the Chopin Salons @ Home. We hope you enjoyed getting to know Avery Gagliano. Be sure to mark your Calendars for January 26, 2021 when (if circumstances allow), Avery’s Carnegie Hall concert has been rescheduled!
Please let us know what you think: info@chopin.org
Chopin Foundation programs are made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; and the City of Coral Gables. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; Funding Arts Broward; the Miami Salon Group; and scores of generous donors.