The music: As a classical pianist I play a wide variety of music, from pieces written over 200 years ago to the new work of living composers.
Favorite keyboard instrument: A 1903 Hamburg Steinway restored by Gabor and Sujatri Reisinger at Klavierhaus in New York City. It’s a beautiful piano with a real soul and a particularly lyrical sound.
Favorite compositions: All of the music of J.S. Bach, especially the B Minor Mass.
Play by ear, sight read, or both: I wish I could play be ear. I’m always impressed by people who can sit down and improvise.
Newest project: My latest project is a live recording of a recital I gave in Berlin last November. I played at the Philharmonie, which is acoustically one of the most remarkable places I’ve ever played.
Favorite composer we’ve probably never heard of: Philip Lasser is a New York composer whom I really admire. I played his variations on a Bach chorale at my Berlin recital. His work is really beautiful and deserves a wide audience.
Practice regimen: Ideally I like to practice six or seven hours a day. I can’t always do that when I’m on the road, but at home I usually practice the whole day while my son is at school and then after he goes to bed at night.
Performance advice: I always try to listen to the music that I’m playing with open ears. Every concert hall has a different type of resonance and every piano that I play on has different strengths and weaknesses. Being alive to these differences is a constant learning experience and that keeps the music new.
Career advice: Decide what makes you happy and then try to make a living doing that.