PROJECTS

My projects and motivation

As a musician, my passion is of course to play, to share my music with the public. Either as a soloist or with my chamber music partners, this is what I love.

But my deepest desire goes beyond simply playing to entertain. What I really wish to accomplish in my life as a musician is:

To provoke emotions, not to impress but to connect.

Some years ago I had a life changing accident. I was forced to stop playing the piano, in fact stopped from living my normal life for almost two years. Traumatic as this was, it taught me many lessons. I found deeper strength, motivation and really questioned my values and priorities in life and in music. I was able to uncover my individuality as a musican, rather than being overly dependant on and influenced by the ideas and opinions of those around me.

I simply want to be myself. This means choosing repertoire which touches me, music that I feel the public deserves to discover. Intimate music, so unique and moving which has not been so widely performed in recent years.
That means not only playing famous and impressive music, technically difficult virtuoso pieces. These elements are always present and are essential repertoire for any concert pianist. But what I feel reflects me as a musician more intimately is also poetic repertoire, more subtle and sensitive.

Concert repertoire is often dictated by concert agents, many of whom feel obliged to give the public what they want by programming the same hit music that is guaranteed to sell tickets. Other repertoire is often neglected, the door remains closed to a world of wonderful music still unknown to the wider public.

As a musician, a part of my role is to dare to play the music which I want to share, to give the public the chance to experience different emotions with my choice of repertoire. From Baroque to contemporary, I want to inspire and pique the curiousity of my audience. To share with them music which they maybe didn't even know existed.

I don't need "big" concert halls, the place thus the audience may be smaller, but my project, my mission is to play in places where the human contact and emotional connection will be far greater.

This is what is most important to me. Isn't it about sharing something? It's not about receiving applause before and after playing, in a cold place where nobody gets to know the humanity of the musician, I wish to reflect the humanity of the composers in the emotional response of the audience.

Sample program:

Recently I've played a lot with wind instruments. They have a wonderful repertoire that I sincerely wish to share, and I love to make original programs which include duo, trio and solo pieces within the same concert. The different sonorities provide a fascinating soundscape. We often introduce pieces with a few words about context or instrumentation, which enables the listeners to better engage with and understand both the music and the musicians. This is my kind of concert!

Concrete actual programs here.

Aside from performance:

-I'm a passionate piano teacher!

I’m always keen to give a Masterclass - from absolute beginners to professionnals, from young children to mature adults. Don't forget that you're never too old to begin learning music!

You can find more about me as a teacher here.

-I'm also an artist!

And I have a strong desire to unite my two greatest passions - music and painting.

The concept is to create Concert-exhibitions, multi media events which will attract a broader spectrum of art lovers and allow them to discover other forms to which they may not previously have been exposed.

You can find more about me as an artist on my other website: www.castro-balbi.com

Summary:

chamber music,

piano solo,

art exhibition,

intimate concert venues,

private concerts,

contact with public,

even Masterclass.