Back then it was getting too distracting I was going through this time when I needed space to myself. Because piano requires so much time alone and when you are living in New York you can so easily get caught up in what is going around you. Today, having graduated from Curtis, Steven still lives in Philly. Here he discusses a turning point in his development as a world-class pianist:ĭespite this love for New York, after completing his degree at Juilliard, Steven moved to Philadelphia to continue studies at the Curtis Institute of Music. I think we can all be influenced by our friends. I’m not just talking about a conservatory but the people you hang out with. For me to be interested in this field, the environment that you are in is super important. Having a close personal connection was inspiring for Steven and something that he would rely upon again as his studies advanced. Kim, but he visits his parents in Taiwan occasionally and tries to visit Ms. Steven returned to live in the United States after three years of lessons with Ms. I felt like it was very exciting! I enjoyed that experience very much! I remember going up on stage trying to play a Mozart sonata-the famous C Major that everybody plays when they are a kid. At that time I think I had only been playing for six months. He recalls that experience: It was my first time on stage. Kim’s tutelage, Steven played his first competition at 7 years old. Steven responded well to individual lessons and developed a deep respect for his teacher's approach to music: My mom’s friend thought maybe I would be more interested if I was taking a one on one lesson with somebody, so she recommended this teacher she really liked. She would do my homework every time right before the class, so we stopped going. So my mom first took me to these Yamaha group classes, and long story short for a half a year she said every class (it is a 30 minute class), I would be staring at the ceiling the entire time. It was the mid-1990s (“wow, yeah 90s,” recalls an amused Steven), and he and his family had moved from Los Angeles, where he was born, to Taiwan. Throughout, we focused on the key inspirations for his passion which fueled the “earthquake performance” and continues to push Steven to greater creative heights. We discussed his introduction to piano, his development as an artist, home and more. Steven joined us by video chat to discuss his selection as a finalist in the 2017 American Pianists Awards. Would you believe someone who wouldn’t stop playing piano during an earthquake once avoided practice like the plague? A minute into the magnitude 6.1 earthquake, the shaking dissipates, and Steven smoothly transitions into the next section, completely focused and delightfully immersed in his music. The shaking intensifies, the mic pics up sounds of shuffling. Steven Lin, the pianist, continues to play. The video’s title on YouTube, however, fuels concern: “Steven Lin performs through earthquake in Japan.” What?Īt the 1:50 mark, the picture starts to shake. Perhaps you have seen the video.the young pianist is playing a beautiful sonata by Haydn, head down then arched back, fingers dancing, feet working the pedals, music flowing gracefully through his upper body. DISCOVERING world-class pianists | meet Steven Lin | #TeamSteven
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