Hendrik Heilmann, pianist in the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, on his preparation for stage moments that are particularly close to his heart.
«I love it, the cue. The moment when I step out of the orchestra, even if soloistic, especially delicate passages out of nowhere mean a lot of stress, if only because of the responsibility towards my colleagues. But it's the moment for which we go our way – the cue. The tension and stage fright that reliably join me on stage are part of it.
In the Literature and Music series (Literatur und Musik), I play a programme for the first time in front of an audience, one being highly romantic fantasy pieces by Dora Pejačevič, the other Franz Liszt's ‹Consolations›, which I rehearsed with my esteemed teacher many years ago but never performed. I have been practising for a long time. The music is so great, but above all because I want to be really well prepared. The muscle memory has to work reliably. Preparation and trust in the moment are the best answers to nervousness. Besides, pauses are important for inspiration. They cleanse my musicality and make room for freshness in my heart and fingers.»
Recorded by Melanie Kollbrunner
Translated with DeepL
