NATIONALITY:

Canadian

Media Applause

“Plays Schumann like a legend.”

— ClassicFM

What is a piece of music you return to when you need to remember why you became a musician?

I honestly don’t need to do that, ever. It’s never happened to

me. Even if there are moments where you face challenges or

difficulties, music itself is what I need. Not something particular;

any of the music just gives me great joy. I don’t find myself

facing any demons or struggles often, because ultimately I do

what I love and that’s it.

What is a work of art that you think more people should know about and why?

Picasso. The way his style changed from the Blue Period

through his Cubist period and then his late-life drawings,

sketches, and sculptures of pigeons and his fascination with

them, and everything in between. He was a great artist.

How do you unwind after a performance?

A walk or outdoor activity is definitely number one. Of course

most concerts are in the evening, and that doesn’t leave much

time for outdoor activities. But I am very much in favor of walking,

and I will often have a hotel that’s located a pleasant walk away

from the hall, as opposed to just across from the backstage door.

What is a place in the world that has changed the way you think about sound?

Nature, and actually being out in the middle of nowhere in

Canada in the middle of winter, where you experience this

almost suffocating silence, this complete lack of sound. When

there’s snow on the ground, you can hear the blood pumping

through the vessels inside your body more than you can hear

anything outside.

What is something you’ve learned to do in the last five years that has nothing to do with the piano?

I’ve learned to fix cars. I didn’t have that growing up. I’ve been

working on two Toyota Land Cruisers. That has been a bit of a

hobby. I’ve learned to bake sourdough bread. I’ve learned how

to build a cabin. I’ve relearned how to fish.