Pianist Valery Lloyd-Watts 'opens' the heart of Rachmaninoff on Feb. 2

Music lovers who wake up Feb. 2 and see their shadow should resist the urge to burrow back under the covers.

A quick call to the Grand Theatre Box Office or Kingston Symphony office is sure to make the winter blues disappear. That's because internationally acclaimed pianist Valery Lloyd-Watts will be performing with the Kingston Symphony at the Kingston Gospel Temple that night. The concert opens with Valery playing Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and concludes with Berlioz's masterpiece, Symphonie Fantastique, performed by the Kingston Symphony.

Valery is well known to Kingstonians as a performer, writer, recording artist, television entertainer and a founding member of the Kingston Suzuki Music Association. She's been a guest of the Kingston Symphony more than a dozen times throughout her distinguished career.

The February concert will mark the fourth time that she has worked with KSO music director Glen Fast.

"It's a joy to make music with her," Glen says. "Her artistry brings dazzling technique and profound insight into the repertoire she performs."

"The Rachmaninoff is an ideal work to showcase her very special abilities. I love the way she 'opens' the heart of the music to the audience."

Over the Christmas holidays, Valery, who makes her home in Kingston, generously set aside time to talk about her peripatetic life as a professional musician and offer young artists some advice on pursuing a career in music.

You travel and perform in many different countries but is there something different about playing for a hometown audience?

My experience has been that every audience has its own dynamic that comes across the footlights and communicates itself to the performer. I have always felt that each has had a large reservoir of pleasant anticipation and goodwill for the performer. Yet it is always special to have loving family and friends in the audience.

Do you still get nervous before a performance? What do you do to stay calm?

The feelings of nervousness and excitement are identical. I try to focus on how much I want the audience to fall in love with this piece as much as I love it, so that helps me to stay focused on the right things.

How many hours a day do you practise? How many major performances will you make in 2008?

I practise as much as I can bring full energy and attention to my tasks. Because I am more aware of what needs to be done and how I can tackle the challenges, I am able to stay engaged more fully than when I was a young student. I consider three hours of intense practice to be a great day. Because of recording, editing and textbook writing projects, I have limited the number of concerts for the time being.

You will be performing Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the KSO. What does this piece mean to you? What challenges does it pose to a pianist?

I have loved this piece and performed it many times since I first played it as a student. Rachmaninoff wrote it as a ballet score for the great Russian dancer Fokine, using the legend surrounding the violinist Paganini, who was rumored to have sold his soul to the devil in order to play so fiendishly well. The piece, although played straight through, falls roughly into three movements. In the middle one, Rachmaninoff introduces "the woman" as a love interest, and this movement culminates in Var. 18 which is considered to be one of the greatest love themes ever written (it is, in fact, the inversion of Paganini's theme). Technically, the piece is physically challenging. It is often very fast, has many notes and big hand position changes for the pianist. It is rhythmically complex both for the orchestra and soloist.

Is there a particular kind of music that you love to play? Do you have a favourite composer?

I love many different kinds of music and play only pieces that I truly love. To pick a favourite composer is like picking a favourite kind of fruit. I enjoy delightful examples from a wide assortment of each.

Do you have time for any hobbies or interests outside of music?

In addition to spending time with my beloved children, three lovely granddaughters and dear friends, I love walking, hiking, bicycling and Pilates. I recently skated for the first time at the wonderful ice rink at the Kingston market. I love going to concerts, plays and operas and have had a number of trips to Europe for these.

Young people are often warned off a career in music because it's so demanding and competitive. What advice can you offer to young musicians?

In my view, learning is the most fun there is. Learning to do anything well takes determination, focus and effort. Provided there is balance, the greater the effort, the greater the satisfaction. If a young musician understands that the only competition is truly with oneself and that each experience is only one of thousands in a lifetime, it can help to reduce the feeling that each performance or competition is make-or-break. Studying music has enormous and varied benefits, applicable to any form of study, and is an important part of a well-rounded education for every person. When the time comes for a career decision to be made, the individual will have many wonderful life skills and will be able to know and trust the decision regarding the right path to follow.

- Reprinted with permission from the Kingston Symphony Orchestra Newsletter