“The only thing I haven’t done lately is eat and sleep. Montreal pianist Bruce Xiaoyu Liu, winner of the Warsaw Chopin competition, which we joined on Sunday in Poland, has been experiencing a real whirlwind since his victory last Wednesday.
“I replayed the Concerto in E minor [de Chopin] four days in a row after the final. And there are another twenty times that are coming … Tomorrow [ce lundi], I am already leaving for another city in Poland. It’s pretty crazy, ”says the 24-year-old artist.
Founded in 1927, the competition, which takes place every five years, is, with its five events, one of the most prestigious on the planet. The 18e edition was originally scheduled to be held in 2020, but has been postponed due to COVID-19.
See Bruce Liu’s performances at the Chopin contest
“After I knew I had the First Prize, they immediately gave me a schedule for the rest. I would really like to go home after all of this. Three weeks of really intense competition is extremely exhausting. I really wanted to go back to Montreal to chill and party a bit, but we have to wait a few more months ”, confides the pianist who, in the coming weeks, will be replaying his competition repertoire in Poland, but also in Japan, in South Korea and Israel.
Isn’t there a real risk of an overdose of mazurkas and polish? “It is certain that he will be labeled Chopin, perhaps all his life,” analyzes Richard Raymond, his former teacher at the Conservatoire de Montréal. “When the jury, made up of eminent performers, decides to award a prize to someone, the judges are truly convinced that that person will be able to make the Chopin trademark grow in the years to come, if I can tell. ‘express so. “
“I never thought that I was a great chopinist, because I learned all kinds of repertoires throughout my musical education”, nevertheless agrees himself the lucky winner.
“Xiaoyu is someone who can be strong in many styles as well. He’s not just focused on Chopin, and that’s good for him. He has several strings to his bow. It can be very convincing in contemporary music. He is also excellent in Beethoven, in Liszt, etc. », Continues the teacher, with whom Mr. Liu worked for eight years, from CEGEP to Masters.
PHOTO CZAREK SOKOLOWSKI, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bruce Liu at the award announcement
“I’m very proud of him, honestly,” says Raymond. Charles Richard-Hamelin, who had won the second prize, had worked with me for three years. And there, Xiaoyu who wins… I think it’s historic, what we’re going through at the moment, to see a second Canadian in 2015, and there a first Canadian in the Chopin Competition, two editions in a row, it’s never seen ! “
Richard Raymond has nothing but praise for the young musician in whom he felt an “international potential” from his audition at the Conservatory, ten years ago. “He is an extremely rigorous person, and I am convinced that his preparation for the competition was extraordinary. Moreover, since we had seen all the works together, it had time to mature. You don’t go into a competition like that with a fresh repertoire. He was prepared to the bone! “
No more competitions
In the immediate future, in addition to his series of concerts across the planet, Bruce Liu will have to find an agent. “It all happened very quickly. I need time to organize my near future, ”confesses the pianist.
This future will also see a few records appear on Deutsche Grammophon, partner of the competition. “My first album will be out in two weeks, I think. It will consist of recorded extracts live during the Competition, ”he tells us.
Winning one of the biggest musical competitions on the planet will also allow him to enter his career through the front door. And no longer have to try to make yourself known.
“The best thing is that I no longer need to participate in competitions,” says the pianist. So I will be able to really play the pieces that really appeal to me, which is not the case in competitions ”, where most of the pieces are usually imposed.
The musician will also have time to dive back into listening to recordings, one of his favorite hobbies. “These days, I really appreciate the playing of Michelangeli, a really versatile pianist. He’s good at really everything, not just Chopin. And also – a little fun fact -, we share another hobby: he too was a fan of racing, go-kart! », Tells us the young man.
“The old masters, their way of phrasing, their sound, you don’t find that with pianists these days. It makes me nostalgic when I think of Samson François, Alfred Cortot and all those people, ”he adds. A legacy that Bruce Liu, successor to giants like Maurizio Pollini, Martha Argerich and Krystian Zimerman on the Warsaw podium, will undoubtedly be able to bear fruit in the most beautiful way.