What inspired you to explore and develop your mindful, deep-listening concert formats?

My initial interest in mental skills and mindfulness actually grew out of applying them to performance rather than listening. I’ve always been fascinated by how high-level athletes and performers navigate the mental game, and over the years I’ve integrated elements of sports psychology into my own work. During the pandemic, when I was collaborating with the streaming platform IDAGIO on a featured artist profile, the idea arose to share some of these approaches with their users. However, their audience consists primarily of listeners rather than performers, which led me to adapt these principles to the listening experience, and I realized there was a lot of potential in the concept. It then became evident that the idea could work similarly well in live concerts, where I’d alteranate pieces I perform with short thought experiments, discussions, and guided concentration exercises.

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Are there certain exercises or approaches you find especially effective?

It depends on the situation, but some exercises consistently prove helpful-particularly those that sharpen attention. For instance, paying homage to John Cage by spending a few minutes listening to the “silence” of a hall can be incredibly effective in attuning one’s hearing before the next piece.

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How has your research in cognitive science and musical perception influenced your performing?

The influence is less direct on performance itself and more on my practice process. Understanding more about how the brain learns most effectively has led me to integrate certain principles into how I structure and pace my work.

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Was there an insight from your academic work that changed your artistic approach?

One important insight came from my study of late Ligeti. I better understood how central the calibration of key areas is to the dramatic narrative in his music; that understanding shaped how I color and articulate the transitions between these shifting key areas when performing his works.

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How do your identities as pianist and composer feed into one another?

For me, these two identities are deeply intertwined really two sides of the same coin. Historically, performers almost always composed and vice versa; the sharp division is largely a phenomenon of the past century. From my earliest days playing the piano, it felt natural to start jotting down musical ideas. Being a composer has been one of my greatest teachers as a pianist and performing among the greatest influences on my writing. Composing has taught me, among other things, how difficult it is to convey our intentions precisely on the page, reminding us of the importance as interpreters to read between the lines. And playing the piano constantly informs how I write, especially regarding instrumental technique and the inherent physicality of music-making.

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When writing music, do you compose with specific performers or ideas in mind?

Very much so. I often write for myself, which is a very natural process. I often begin composing with a particular idea or conceptual spark that I explore imaginatively long before I settle on the actual notes.

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Do you have particular methods for working on sound, color, and articulation?

Absolutely. Many of these methods were passed down from the extraordinary teachers and mentors I’ve had the privilege of studying with; others I’ve developed on my own over the years. Together they form an approach that I now share with my own students.

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Which composers or pieces are currently most present in your artistic life?

There are many: I’m carrying several recital programs and numerous concerti at the moment. But the work that has become something of a center of gravity for me recently is Beethoven’s monumental Hammerklavier Sonata.

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If you could reinvent the classical concert experience, what would it look like?

I think we’re already witnessing a flourishing of different approaches innovative programming, varied concert lengths, unconventional venues, and even some multimedia dimensions. It’s been exciting to contribute to this ongoing experimentation and to see how enthusiastically audiences respond to these ideas.

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How do younger audiences respond to your innovative concepts?

Younger listeners have been especially enthusiastic. Presenters often remark that these concerts draw significantly younger audiences than usual for their series. I’ve found that inventive formats can be an excellent way to bring new listeners into the concert hall.

 

How have the different cultural worlds you grew up in shaped your artistic identity?

I feel very fortunate to have had such a rich set of influences, I was born in Georgia, grew up in Hungary, studied across Europe and later in the United States. Living in New York now, at the crossroads of so many artistic cultures, feels entirely natural. I’ve always considered myself a citizen of the world, and my musical path has involved absorbing a diversity of ideas and approaches that continue to shape my voice.

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Is there a moment or piece of advice from one of your mentors that stayed with you?

There are countless such moments, but one I’ve been thinking about recently was a discussion with Zoltán Kocsis. He emphasized the importance of understanding the why behind every musical decision we make, ensuring coherence and avoiding arbitrariness in our interpretive choices. That principle has stayed acutely with me ever since.

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What projects or ideas excite you most right now?

There’s so much to look forward to in the coming year, but if I had to highlight one it would be a new collaboration with the wonderful label Ondine. We have many exciting projects ahead, and I can’t wait to record the first album this coming spring, with Beethoven’s Hammerklavier as the focal point.

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Are there new collaborations or interdisciplinary directions you’d like to explore?

I recently premiered the Neurorecital, a new concert format, at the Verbier Festival. It forms part of a larger project, Neuropiano, in collaboration with several partners including Steinway and the University of California, San Francisco, exploring the neuroscience of piano playing. It’s a fascinating venture that has opened many new possibilities, and I’m excited to see where it leads.

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Thank you again for the kind feature, it’s a pleasure to take part in this conversation and answer these great questions. I have very fond memories of our collaborations, and so look forward to seeing you again soon :)

Nicolas