Chopin Salon @ Home: Parker Van Ostrand

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 online programs, at home, and at your convenience. A free-will donation of any amount is gratefully accepted HERE

This week, we’ve enjoyed getting to know more about Parker Van Ostrand, the Third Prize Winner of the 2020 National Chopin Piano Competition. Parker will celebrate his 17th birthday this month making him one of the youngest (if not the youngest) top prize winner in the history of this Competition. Clearly for Parker though, age is just a number! Let’s listen to his first round recital from February 23, 2020:

Insights and Imagination

There is such depth to Parker’s performance and this intensity is also reflected in his thoughts behind the repertoire selected:

“For the first round of the competition, I chose to start with one of Chopin's most exotic and dramatic pieces, the Nocturne Op. 27 No. 1 in C-sharp minor. In my opinion, the opening of this nocturne evokes an image of a full moon shining over a lake in the depths of the night. The melody, which starts out with chromatic steps upward, conveys a sense of yearning and restlessness, and is almost "un-Chopin" like in its harmonic dissonance. Underneath is the left hand creating a sense of calm, rippling waves. The middle section is full of passion and turbulence that creates an image of stormy waves. This suddenly erupts into a jubilant dance in the parallel key of D flat major. After a painful cry of descending left hand octaves, the waters are calm again. It finally ends in a sacred-like manner, quietly receding with a sense of peace and acceptance in C sharp major. I chose to start with this eccentric piece to draw in the audience with this powerful composition.

Next, I chose to play the Octave Etude in B minor, Op. 25, No. 10, which is another turbulent and stormy piece. After a dramatic outburst, the music settles into a peaceful middle section, free from the danger of the A section. The music suddenly becomes lost, and the mysterious music eventually builds up to the return of the main theme—with a vengeance.

The C Major etude, Op. 10, No. 1, provides a complete contrast from the dark atmospheres of the first two pieces of the program, with an almost Bach-like simplicity, but still incredibly technically difficult. The way Chopin extends a single harmony into huge, sweeping arpeggios is reminiscent of the very first Bach Prelude and Fugue in C Major. The etude, despite the constant arpeggios, is full of beauty and incredible grandness, often called the "Waterfall Etude."

The last piece I played for the first round is one of my favorite Chopin pieces, the Scherzo No. 2, Op. 31. There is so much contrast in this piece, from suspense, passion, heartbreaking melodies, and a magical theme in the key of A Major. What I love about this piece is how it captures all the emotions and soundscapes of the first three pieces in the round, encompassing the mystery and dramatic outbursts of the nocturne, the contrast of drive and calmness of the octave etude, and the sweeping grandness and beauty of the waterfall etude. I also love how the scherzo, as well as the entire program, represents a transformation from dark to light and struggle to jubilant victory.”

Reflections and Dreams

Shortly after the Competition, Parker was interviewed on Capradio, his local Sacramento NPR affiliate. He spoke about his Competition experience and the necessity to be disciplined about balancing one’s time in order to achieve goals. (You can read Jennifer Reason’s entire blog post with Parker here). We then asked Parker to talk a little about his experience in Miami a few months ago, and to tell us what he is looking forward to for his upcoming year as a 17 year old high school senior:

“Performing and competing at the Chopin Competition was one of the most life-changing and memorable experiences I've ever had. I am extremely grateful to the Chopin Foundation for giving me the opportunity to participate. The competition itself was very tiring, both mentally and physically, but also very rewarding to be able to share so many works by Chopin. I am also very grateful to my host family, the Swietelsky family, for being so welcoming and supportive of me throughout my experience. I loved the Coconut Grove [neighborhood], with the many varieties of delicious foods, the beautiful beaches, and the many running routes I used to take my mind off the pressure of the competition. What I loved most about the competition was the friendly and healthy atmosphere I felt among all of us competitors. I knew some of the participants from the Frost Chopin Academy and Festival [at the University of Miami] I attended last summer 2019. I felt that all of us were there to encourage and learn from each other throughout the competition instead of solely focusing on results.

I’m really looking forward to participating in the preliminary round of the International Chopin Competition in April 2021. With the postponement of the competition, I hope to have more opportunities, such as summer music festivals and masterclasses, to improve my playing. I've never been to Poland before, so visiting the birthplace of Chopin is something I am very much looking forward to. I’m also looking forward to finishing up my senior year of high school in the fall and my last cross country/track season—which will hopefully happen—as well as getting ready for college next fall!”

Encore!

We knew Parker was a well-rounded musician and asked him to share another side of himself - beyond Chopin. What we got brought a smile to our face. History tells us that Chopin was a gifted improviser (as essentially are many great composers until they commit their pieces to paper) and he often struggled to choose which rendition of a piece to transcribe. Improvisation is no doubt a skill Chopin would encourage among young pianists today. Here is Parker’s encore:

“I wanted to share one of my favorite pieces I’ve ever played for this episode of the Chopin Salon @ Home. The piece is based on the famous Turkish March by Mozart. After a concert in San Francisco by Yuja Wang, she played an encore similar to the one I play here, using the Arcadi Volodos version of this famous Mozart theme. I was inspired by her performance to create my own encore piece, using a jazzy version by modern composer Fazil Say and some of my own ideas. This concert in Riga, Latvia, was one part of a four city tour in the Baltic region I went on with the California Youth Symphony in the summer of 2018. I played the Gershwin Piano Concerto in F in Riga, Tartu, Tallinn, and Helsinki. It was my first time traveling to Europe, and it was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had. Every time I play this piece, I smile at the parody of this music, imagining what Mozart would’ve thought of this transcription! Overall, I love playing transcriptions to popular pieces, and even improvising my own transcriptions to pieces I practice—even Chopin pieces!”

Thank you for joining us for the Chopin Salons @ Home. We look forward to watching Parker’s musical development and to supporting his career as a great young American pianist. Afterall, that is the mission of the Chopin Foundation!
You can help us achieve this goal. A donation of any amount will go directly to supporting the best young pianists that the US has to offer.

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.