Eduardo Fernandez manages to make your heart leap with every key that he plays on the piano. Known to captivate audiences worldwide, he has managed to emerge as one of the most promising and successful pianists at a very young age. At 31, Eduardo has been hailed as a successor to Alicia De Larrocha. Having made his debut with the Madrid Symphony Orchestra in the commemoration of the centenary of Albeniz’s death, Eduardo has come a long way and established himself as one of the foremost pianists from Spain.
Music comes to him spontaneously and is present in every movement of his. He says that he couldn’t have thought of any other way to express himself apart from being a musician. The piano is his tool and as its master, he feels conquered by it. As an artiste he is never fully satisfied with his work and keeps looking for more. With a creative bent of mind, he is fascinated by all art forms around him and believes culture and learning is all encompassing.
He has extensively toured his native country with great success in all the major Spanish concert halls, and also at important concert halls throughout Austria, Italy, France, Denmark, Switzerland, Estonia,Romania, Panama, Chile, Argentina,Russia and China. A regular invitee at many international festivals, he has performed as soloist with many symphony orchestras in Spain and abroad. His interpretation of Spanish music has been awarded and recognised several times, and his debut recording for Warner, Suite Iberia by Albéniz, has won wide acclaim the world over. At present, he is immersed in his second recording dedicated to Op. 117, 118 and 119 by Brahms. We give you a brief insight into the pianist’s mind. Eduardo is all set to perform at the NCPA on July 6.

Q) What does music mean to you? What about it excites you?
I’ve dedicated my life to music since I was a four-year-old. I’ve loved music since before I had consciousness. So, to be a musician wasn’t a conscious decision, but a way of life in which I grew up. I enjoy, suffer, love, and that is a reflection of my personality. But to be a pianist is a decision, because the piano is for the moment the tool with which I can best express my way of life: to be a musician. When I’m performing I have in my hands the possibility of reaching out to touch the soul of each listener. Most of these listeners are people I don’t meet, but I can make them fell the same feelings I’m feeling in each moment. This sensation is the most important thing for a pianist and for a musician.

Q) How did you initiate yourself into becoming a pianist?
My grandfather was a conductor. He was my first maestro and I started playing the piccolo clarinet in his band when I was four years old. My childhood was spent surrounded by music. I think my grandfather could see that what he was starting would be very important to me. Although he taught me music as if it were a game, I’m sure he knew that, in the future, it would be something more. But the piccolo clarinet was too little. I needed a more “orchestral” instrument, so I started to play the piano at five or six years old.

Q) What were some of the most challenging aspects about the piano? What were some of the difficulties that you had to overcome?
When I decided to be pianist, I started a long journey in search of perfection. This journey is never-ending, and this is the most fascinating thing.
I’m never fully satisfied, because I know there is something further. I never stop my search, I always continue finding out more and more. But I don’t consider it as a challenge or some sort of difficulty but as a fascinating journey.
Q) How do you see yourself as a person today? Has music changed the way you look at things?
It’s impossible to distinguish between the musician and the person. To be a musician is a way of life. From the time I wake up until I go to sleep (I’d say even while I’m sleeping!) all my life revolved around music. Also, I think the musician in me has helped me change my vision of life. I imagine that opening my heart and my soul in each performance will make me more sensitive to everything. I observe life from another point
of view, which is more meticulous, and pays more attention to
detail.

Q) What do you think about the emerging pianists today? Who were and are your influences and inspirations?
There are great talents, but I also scare myself by seeing a lot of pianists obsessed with technique, and forgetting the most important part: Music and to put your heart and soul into each performance. As a pianistic reference, a memory always springs to my mind, which is of Rubinstein performing Brahms Concerto at 86, with his serenity and firmness, and leaving all the other musicians around astonished. He retired at 89 and his eyesight had begun to deteriorate.
As to influence, the influence behind my music is the life I’ve lived. I’ve always believed everything that happens around you and your life has a clear influence in the performance. You must know how to observe; there are hundreds of details each day that make you meditate. On the other hand, all the art disciplines are summed up from each other. The more you learn and know about painting, sculpture, architecture, dance, philosophy, literature, the wider is your vision about music. So, all of these inspire me.

Q) What in India are you looking forward to? Have you had a chance to listen to any Indian classical music?
India is a country of worldwide reference. I’ve always been captivated by its wonderful people and awesome culture. I really hope to reach out to touch the soul and the heart of each listener, to achieve the magical atmosphere where the listener and the performer are connected. Of course, in western classical music, Zubin Mehta has wowed the audiences and his name comes immediately to my mind. I also know about Ravi Shankar, thanks to his collaborations with western classical music, like Yehudi Menuhin, Philip Glass and Paco de Lucía, the well-known Spanish guitar player.