Monday
It’s a rather challenging start to theweek as I returned last night from Japan
where I was performing at Tokyo’s La
Folle Journée. I am fighting jetlag but
there is no time to rest as today I’m
travelling to France to perform at
Festival des Musicales in Colmar. I take a
train for part of the journey and meet afriend who will drive me the rest of theway. She not only knows Alsace well,and can show me the important sites,
but is also closely linked to Ammala, thehumanitarian association of which I amambassador. Ammala supports a displaced nomadic tribe of Tibetans inNorth India; I will be making a trip tovisit these people in this remote part of
the world with the head of theassociation in September.
In the car we listen toFrance Musique as they arekindly dedicating a programme to me every day
this week in celebrationof my 50th birthday on
Thursday. The firstrecording they play is
one of my oldest, it’s awonderful trip down
memory lane. When wearrive in Colmar, I go straightto the conservatoire to practise.
After my intense trip to Japan I
need to refresh the Mozart concertoK488 I will be performing with Deutsche
Kammerakademie Neuss and French
cellist Marc Coppey, my friend and theorganiser of Colmar festival.

“I am making
Brahms a focus of myperformances thisyear. It’s important tohear some of his othermajor works”

Tuesday
We start the day with a dress rehearsal in
St Matthieu Church in preparation forthe concert tonight. Afterwards myfriend wishes to show me the beautiful
medieval village commune of Eguisheim
in Alsace.
I would seldom go sightseeing on theday of a concert but it’s worthwhile tofind inspiration in different ways. We
sample some of the regional specialities,including Flammekueche. It is so good!
We return and I take a siesta before aphone interview for National Classic
Radio in Argentina, in relation to my50th birthday. Then it’s concert time.
After performing in the first half, it’s apleasure to be in the audience to hear
Mozart’s Prague Symphony in thesecond. I never eat before a performance, so along with the musicians I
join Marc for a super dinner after theevening concert.

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WednesdayI spend a couple of hours practising in St
Matthieu Church before going to theUnterlinden Museum to see the Retabled’Issenheim by Grunewald. I have seen
this work of art in books – but it is breathtaking and inspiring to have it right infront of me. We return and lunch with thefestival people before my 5pm recital,
I will play Brahms, Schumann, Poulenc
and Chopin. In the evening I go to aconcert featuring Augustin Dumay andMarc Coppey, who perform a terrific
Brahms programme, including the B
major trio and piano quintet. I am makingBrahms a focus of my performances thisyear and am releasing an album of thePaganini Variations and Sonata No 3 thisautumn, it’s wonderful and important tohear some of his other major works.
Thursday
Today is my 50th birthday! The day begins
by receiving a little cake from the kindhotel staff in Colmar, before having
breakfast with some friends who havecome to join me. We then return home by

My Life – a week with
Nelson Goerner
car listening to more France Musique on
the way back. The Association of Music
Critics in Argentina have named me thebest Argentine performer for the previous season, which is a nice surprise. My
beloved family, my wife Rusiko (also apianist) and 19-year-old son Adrian, haveorganised a wonderful surprise party
with some of my closest friends, withsuperb homemade food. We live close toGeneva, it is wonderful to be back home.
We continue until late into the night. Thephone hasn’t stopped ringing all day andmy birthday passes by in a flash, so I havelittle time to think about hitting thisround number!

Saturday
Today I work on my programme for aconcert in Riga next week: the Brahms
Piano Concerto No 2 in B flat, which is a
towering piece and needs a lot of work
every time I play it. At 6pm I have myyoga lesson, something I started a year
ago. I’m still studying the basics, but it’s
important for me to learn about thespiritual elements and the philosophy
behind yoga as well as the physicalmovements. I see how yoga connectswith my work for the Ammala association and my forthcoming trip to India.
Discovering this philosophy is really
opening up a new world to me.

FridayI spend most of the day watching videosof candidates for Concurso Internacionalde Piano de Tucumán. I’m judging thecompetition, which starts on 25 June andis held in northern Argentina. I am thepresident of the jury for this second
edition and I am keen to be involved inevery stage from the very beginning. So I
have had many videos to watch, whichtakes up the whole day.

SundayI work more on the Brahms concerto
before spending time with my family inthe evening. My son is home again, so it’s
great to all be together at the end of abusy week.

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Issue 3
March 2019£12 (UK)€20.00 (EU) / $28 (US)www.internationalartsmanager.com

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The Mirjam Helin
Competition
After a record number of applications, 62 contestants from 22 countries
are getting ready to compete in Finland
Competition
Guide

Nelson Goerner will release an album ofBrahms solo piano works in October on
Alpha Classics.
nelsongoerner.com

Competition guideNewsIndustry insightComprehensive listings
for the best competitions
taking place in 2019

Attendance is on the risein Singapore; a West End
play for John Malkovich

Classical streaming with
Spend a week with arts
Signum; Q&A with Russian manager and Polyarts
conductor Juri Gilbo
founder Moema Parrott

Diary

The Mirjam Helin
Competition
After a record number of applications, 62 contestants from 22 countries
are getting ready to compete in Finland
CompetitionGuide2019

Competition guide

NewsIndustry insightComprehensive listings
for the best competitionstaking place in 2019

Attendance is on the risein Singapore; a West End
play for John Malkovich

Classical streaming withSpend a week with arts
Signum; Q&A with Russian manager and Polyarts
conductor Juri Gilbo
founder Moema Parrott

Diary

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PHOTO: ©MARCO BORGGREVE

38 Diary