thanks for your nice words – I am glad you enjoyed this wonderful piece and I hope to play it many times more, with less stress than this time obviously (live radio and TV is something rather threatening, to tell you the truth…). I will write a blog about my experience soon, have been too lazy in the last couple of days, but now I am back in Berlin, ready to work again 🙂

Hi Katia,
your English is not bad at all – what shall I say with all my mistakes and typos… Good luck with taming these wonderful two concerti (don’t know the Paganini to tell you the truth), I love them very much, too (my sister is a viola player, gorgeous instrument!).

Best wishes,

Alban

P.S. sorry for my English – it’s horrible, I know!

I was at the Proms yesterday and was hugely impressed with the piece and your outrageously virtuosic and thoughtful performance! I look forward to hearing you play again.

William

Many congratulations on your brilliant Prom this evening – I loved the piece, and your playing…and the interview afterwards was fun to watch!

Vicky

I am very glad that my need to work makes you feel in good company 🙂 I assure you, any musician, even the ones which don’t seem to miss any note (Yevgenji Kissin for example) work hard for it. My father once told me a for me very meaningful story: After a concert with Berlin Phil on tour he came back to his hotel room and heard some piano playing through the wall. He couldn’t make anything of it, but after 15 minutes of listening he realized that it was the soloist of the evening (I think it was Emil Gilels) who was going through the entire Mozart Concerto he had played (perfectly well) that night, but in slow motion, not only half speed, but even slower! This little anecdote from first hand showed me already as a youngster, that even (or especially) the great masters worked very hard. In German we have this saying: Von Nichts kommt Nichts. Nothing comes from nothing… 🙂
Best wishes,

Alban

I was so hoping (actually planning) to be at the Albert Hall when you premiered the Chin work, but as they say ‘the best laid plans of mice and men…’. However, at least I will be able to hear it over the internet and am looking forward to it very much. I just returned from San Francisco….I saw Paul for only a few days before he left for Provence… but Neil came and stayed at the apt with me for a few days and I heard him practising the Schumann Kreisleriana on Paul’s lovely Steinway. Yep, he too understands how much hard work and patience goes into learning a work before one can become proficient.

I just learned that my best friend’s granddaughter, 10-year old Stella, has just started learning the cello…I am hoping that she will get to hear you and be inspired by you one of these days. Yes, dear Alban you do have the knack of inspiring young musicians. Love to you, Katalina and Janos……………………..Betty