The first day I arrived back at Orford, I was practicing the second movement of this sonata late in the evening, exhausted by all the challenges that have been overwhelming me these past few weeks, and suddenly I began to feel myself tearing up ... which happens often when I’m working on in incredible music like this. But this time, as I went on repeating that section where the main theme returns, I just allowed the raw emotions to take over, and soon I was crying uncontrollably. It felt almost indulgent, to just let myself weep like that as I kept playing. At a certain point, my fingers came to a standstill, but I still couldn’t stop the tears, so I just sat there in the silence, sobbing until I drained out all those emotions.
Read MoreThis recording is from a live performance at Leipzig's Mendelssohn Academy in the summer of 2014. A piece very special to me. I first heard the NEC Symphony play this suite during my freshman year, and I fell in love with it right away. I learned the solo piano version and have since then, throughout my undergrad years, grown with the music through many, many experiences (both musically and personally).
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