Nassau Music Society – Special Concert – An Evening of Piano Featuring Sophie Pacini, Martha Argerich Protegee and Winner of the 2011 Prix Groupe Edmond de Rothschild at the Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad (Switzerland) – Saturday, May 5th, 2012 – 7:30PM – St Andrew’s Kirk, Shirley St. (Princess St.)
The Nassau Music Society, in association with the Banque Privée Edmond de Rothschild Ltd. presents an evening of piano featuring Sophie Pacini at St. Andrew’s Kirk. This special concert sponsored by Banque Privee Edmond de Rothschild featuring the 2011 winner of this prestigious prize is under the patronage of His Excellency Sir Arthur Foulkes, Governor General of The Bahamas.
Sophie Pacini: A young pianist who knows exactly what she wants. Acclaimed with ovations, and yet a few moments later she asks: “Was it really good? Can I do better?”
Her path, whether wittingly or unwittingly, has always been straightforward. But let us start at the beginning.
Sophie Pacini was born in Munich in 1991, her father an Italian professor of literature and her mother a German physician. She began to play the piano comparatively late, at the age of six. However, her outstanding talent was recognised quickly: she made her debut with Haydn’s piano concerto in D major in 2000. In 2002, aged 11, she became a student of Karl-Heinz Kämmerling at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. In 2004 she was admitted to the Mozarteum’s institute for highly talented musicians, where she not only studied the piano but also improvisation, aural theory, harmonics, composition and conducting. Since 2007 she has been studying in Pavel Gililov’s master class. Simultaneously, she began her regular university studies in piano, which she will complete in 2011.
As demanding and fruitful the Salzburg studies were from the very start, there was more to them – positive as well as negative aspects: “I entered a world, I still dislike today. There was drill, permanent pressure and many parents were always present…”. However: This pressure strengthened Sophie, it made her recognize what she wanted and what she did not want. She learned to assert herself. When she came to Pavel Gililov at the age of 15, she encountered an entirely different world: she learned how to deal with music profoundly, to search for what was hidden behind the scores. She discovered that no instrumentalist, however virtuous, technically perfect he might be, could become a truly great musician. “I want to be an interpreter and not a key-buffoon”.
Sophie makes her way with absolute consequence. A magnificent example is her encounter with Martha Argerich in the Italian town of Pietrasanta in the summer of 2010. Sophie had come in order to play to her great idol. She had to wait at the hotel for hours and Martha finally arrived. An audition? No, this she would not do as she had no time and above all she was much too tired and had to rest. This said, she disappeared in the elevator. Sophie waited and waited, did not give up and stayed. “I thought to myself “You won’t get away with that!” – Sophie recounts – and she kept waiting. After another hour Martha passed by, wanted to practice and noticed Sophie. “You seem to be beyond help. Well, what would you like to play?”. “The Liszt Sonata”, Sophie replied. Martha was baffled: “The Liszt Sonata, why don’t you play something else?”
“No, I would like to play Liszt”. Martha probably thought: “Please let this be over as quickly as possible.” After a few minutes of warming up she began playing Liszt on one of the three grand pianos. “I had not played more than four or five pages, then I knew: I had won. Martha got up while I was playing and fully opened the grand. I played the Liszt Sonata to the very last note.” Martha approached her, kissed her on the cheek and said: “You are very good. Do you know that?”
Afterwards they had a coke together on the piazza. They talked about a thousand things: about music, of course, but also about many other issues on a young musician’s mind. Sophie got to know a Martha Argerich, so different from the cliché, one has of her. No diva, no waywardness, an open-minded, wonderful and warm-hearted human being. The beginning of a friendship.
Martha Argerich paved Sophie’s way to Fou T’song and invited her to take part in the Progetto Martha Argerich in Lugano. They arranged to meet whenever possible.
Sophie played in the Chiesa di San Rocco on June 20th, 2011. As well as Martha Argerich the great Ivry Gitlis and Dora Schwarzberg were present. Sophie played Beethoven’s Waldstein Sonata, Chopin’s Nocturne op. 48/1 and 2nd Scherzo, and the Liszt Sonata – captivating, ovations. The live recording of the concert is a wonderful document.
As Martha Argerich said: “You very much remind me of myself”. Is there more a young pianist can dream of?
Sophie’s programme in The Bahamas will include works by Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin et Schumann.
Get your tickets now as seating is limited. Box Offices: A.D. Hanna & Co. Deveaux Street, Tel: 322-8306; Logos Bookstore, Harbour Bay, Tel: 394-7040; Custom Computers, Cable Beach, Tel: 396-1100; Moir & Co. Lyford Cay, Tel: 362-4895 or online at www.nassaumusicsociety.org/reservations
Proceeds will benefit the Nassau Music Society’s scholarship fund. For more details on our programme: www.nassaumusicsociety.org
