Having been revealed as one of five recipients of the Avery Fisher Career Grant awards this year, we caught up with The Leeds 2018 First Prize-winner, Eric Lu, to hear about his most recent performance in Stockholm, with conductor Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra in a long awaited performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4. Eric shares his joy of working with the Orchestra and conductor Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla and gives us an insight of what it’s like performing without an audience. Watch the entire concert, available to stream until 24 march 2021 here.
Performing the Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto recently in Stockholm was a great pleasure for me. To make music these days with others is very rare, and especially cherished by all musicians, including myself. This was my debut in Stockholm, and first time to play with Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla. I could not have been happier with this journey with her and the wonderful musicians in the orchestra. There was a real sense of togetherness in this collaboration, a common goal in trying our very best to deliver this unbelievable piece of music, Beethoven’s G major.
“There was a real sense of togetherness in this collaboration”
The streaming part without audience is of course strange, as you really do miss the human breath of the public, and the atmosphere which is living and breathing. And for me generally, I am quite scared of the camera and microphones. But you have to make the best of it, and purely concentrate on the music. Of course, with the help of these great musicians behind you and a great conductor, it is much easier. – Eric Lu, 2021
Watch the entire concert, available to stream until 24 march 2021 here.
