KSO This Week: Pianist Chaeyoung Park — Classical Jazz Hands

 

Watching a video on YouTube from my home office isn’t exactly the perfect setting to experience an artist. But I wanted to learn more about rising star pianist Chaeyoung Park before speaking with her, so I ventured online. 

I picked a performance of Bach because, well, it’s Bach. I was immediately struck by Park’s poise as she took her place on the piano bench and then proceeded to sit in total silence for what seemed an eternity. 

I couldn’t help wondering, “What in the world is going through her mind?” I had the opportunity to ask her that question directly and she laughingly responded with, “Panic! Fear! Doubt!” Hardly what I would have guessed. Her serene visage indicated anything but. In fact, when her hands touched the keys to play the Bach-Hess arrangement of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” goosebumps flew up my arms. This was sheer heaven.

Whatever she had been thinking about was certainly worth the wait.

When I probed further about her pre-performance protocol, Park said, “When I first sit at the piano, I mainly try to get into the mood of the piece. I want to create a very specific atmosphere for myself and the audience. It puts us in a state of suspense, wondering what is going to happen next? And when the first note comes, that’s the answer.”

I, for one, am fascinated to hear her answer to Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody in Blue when she joins the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra on November 20/21 for her first performance of the piece, alongside conductor Michelle DiRusso. Pianists who perform this work have a lot to answer for, in that Gershwin demands not only classical virtuosity but also serious jazz chops.

As a classically trained pianist, Park says the jazz elements initially posed a challenge – one she was more than willing to tackle. “Musically speaking, it’s an improvised piano part that is fully written out. I am not a jazz pianist, but I get to pretend to be one!” 

Park says the piece leaves room to experiment, such as adding a trill here, a glissando there. And while a true jazz pianist may make these decisions on the spot, Park says her personal touches will be planned out. But, she quickly adds, “If something doesn’t work in rehearsal, trust me, I’ll change it.”

As her inspiration, Park listens to a variety of artists. For Rhapsody, she turns most often to Leonard Bernstein on the classical side and Wayne Marshall on the jazz side. Marshall has helped her “learn the jazz language,” which differs in flavor and rhythm from its classical counterpart. “The freedom and creativity jazz performers have is amazing and it’s helped me break any mental boundaries I have about sticking strictly to the score.”

Park has been praised by New York Classical Review as a passionate pianist who “does not play a single note without thought or feeling.” I suspect Knoxville audiences will be thrilled to hear what she thinks and feels about Rhapsody – and to see those amazing classical jazz hands at work.