Bertrand Chamayou in an interview

"We live in such interesting times."

Bertrand Chamayou, born in Toulouse in 1981, was discovered as an exceptional talent at a young age by the pianist Jean-François Heisser and later studied at the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique. He subsequently studied with Maria Curcio in London. He is the only artist to date to have won the French Victoires de la Musique award four times: in 2006 as "Newcomer," in 2012 for "Best Album," and in 2011 and 2016 in the "Solo Instrumentalist" category. For his debut album on the Erato label, released in spring 2014, Bertrand Chamayou recorded a Schubert program. His new album, released in February 2016, is dedicated to Ravel's complete works for solo piano and was awarded the ECHO Klassik in the category of Solo Recording of the Year. As a prelude to the 100th anniversary of Debussy's death in 2018, an album of Debussy's late chamber music was released at the end of 2017, on which Chamayou can be heard with French colleagues such as Emmanuel Pahud , Renaud Capuçon, Edgar Moreau and others.

Classicpoint.net: You initially wanted to be a composer. Why did you then pursue a career as a pianist?
That's actually a very good question. When I was a child, I started to get involved with music. No one in my family was a musician, so I didn't really know much about the field. I had no knowledge of the profession or what kind of life I could expect. I never imagined becoming a professional musician. I went to school like everyone else and played the piano on the side, improvising and composing music. I really started to get passionate about it. And what I've often said is that if I had to choose at that moment, I would have wanted to be a composer. Perhaps also because I was a little shy on stage and felt very comfortable composing. I didn't show my compositions much, but I had to sing and play the piano for my exams. And that's how people noticed my talent for playing the piano when I was about 12 or 13 years old. Actually, that's how my career began. My piano teacher in Paris first discovered me at an exam where he was on the jury. After that, everyone started suggesting me for concerts. I never applied for anything, never called a manager, and never hired a promoter. I was just lucky enough to be noticed by a lot of people. During that time, playing the piano took up so much of my time that I stopped composing. I wouldn't say I'm frustrated after more than 10 years as a pianist. But at the age of 30, I realized that something creative was missing. Now, as I approach my 40th birthday, I feel I need to at least be close to contemporary composers. That's why I now play much more contemporary music, commission new pieces, and am thus a little closer to contemporary composers.

Do you still compose?
No. I stopped. When I moved to Paris at the age of 16, I was so busy playing the piano that I stopped composing, and I never started again. What a shame.

As you get older, might the desire to compose again grow stronger?
Actually, I think about it all the time. But it's very difficult because I know so much music. It's hard to accept doing something that isn't very good. And I also need time. Perhaps at some point I'll take a break from the piano and try again. I don't know. We'll see what the future holds.

I read that you had a neurological problem in your right hand at the age of 27.
It's very interesting because, as I mentioned before, with that period of composing and the fact that I hadn't planned to become a professional musician, I think I started a great career at the age of 20, primarily in France. More recently, it has expanded internationally. For ten years, I played mainly in France and became famous there. I believe I wasn't psychologically prepared for it at all. For me, that's the explanation for this condition, because it involves the nerves, and I think the origin is truly psychological. I had great anxieties and had to overcome them. The condition in my right hand sidelined me for a year. At first, I became a little depressed, but it was a very short time because I'm not a depressed person. I'm quite optimistic. But I was a little depressed at the time. And I started to seriously consider giving up playing the piano. It's very interesting because the illness was the reason I could consider quitting, which in turn helped me feel less constrained by the idea of ​​having to spend my whole life with the piano. The pressure eased a bit, and I rebuilt my entire technique and improved it. I was even able to do things with my right hand in a rigorous technical way that I hadn't been able to do before. It took about two or three years to rebuild everything, but in a better way. I think I've been mentally stronger since then. In fact, I achieved my international breakthrough after recovering from that. There's that famous saying that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Now I feel very good.

Is Ravel your favorite composer?
I wouldn't say he's my favorite, because I don't have a favorite. I can't make a ranking, but of course he's one of my favorite composers. I love the era of Ravel, Debussy, and others, and the style of music. My piano teacher, when I was a child, also loved this music and introduced me to it. Many people in Paris at that time liked Stravinsky, de Falla, and many others. Naturally, I'm also very taken with this music, which I was introduced to as a child. It was a kind of musical shock when I discovered this music. I think Ravel was one of my key influences. He's stayed in my heart, something very special and very powerful. That's why I play a lot of this music, these piano concertos, as well as all his solo music that I've recorded. He holds a very special place for me.

This year you are Artist in Residence at the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad.
For me, the role of Artist in Residence is very interesting because it gives me the opportunity to express myself in different ways: solo music, playing with an orchestra, chamber music, 19th- and 20th-century music, and performing various pieces with different partners. I love the opportunity to have the time and space to express myself and to connect with the audience. Normally, I only play one concert and only have a brief encounter with the audience. Now I have the chance to draw the audience into my world, to build a connection over several concerts, and to show them my different facets. I'm really enjoying it. I feel closer to the audience when I have this space.

You mentioned working with contemporary composers. Who would you recommend ? Who is your favorite contemporary composer at the moment?
There are so many, it's hard to say. But I could mention George Benjamin, for example. We live in such an interesting time. Most people really don't know much about contemporary music, and for me, that's a shame. I want to get involved and help bring today's music closer to people over the next 10 years and consistently integrate it into programs. People think that new music is very difficult and are hesitant to open themselves up to it. Our mission as interpreters must be to showcase this very interesting world. There is such a wealth of great new music from recent years that we have a responsibility to do so. That is my conviction about what I must do in the coming years.

I read that you also enjoy cooking. Could you share your favorite recipe with us?
My favorite recipe depends on the season. It depends on what I find that day. I don't have any set recipes. I simply go to the market, find good, fresh ingredients, and improvise a dish.

Interview by Florian Schär | Classicpoint.net | May 1, 2019
© Image: Marco Borggreve

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