Q&A: International concert pianist Roman Rudnytsky

In what is fast becoming a musical event that everybody looks forward to every year, international concert pianist Roman Rudnytsky is once again on Saipan, performing for three whole nights over the weekend at the Pedro P. Tenorio Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe.

International concert pianist Roman Rudnytsky is once again on Saipan and will be here until April 7. (Jayson Camacho)

His mastery of classical music was not only on display in how he played the piano but also in his interpretation of timeless pieces—a melodic show of technical wizardry and emotional heft that had the audience clamoring for more. Here is a man who is not only gifted in playing the piano, he also knows the history of each piece, its composer, and what the music means.

Saipan Tribune sat down with Rudnytsky a day after his final performance for an intimate tête-à-tête:

Q: How many times have you visited Saipan and what keeps drawing you back?

A: It goes back 21 years. I think it was back in 1994 when I first came here and I do remember that I was filming stuff here. I can say this is my sixth time to visit Saipan.

I come often because I have been getting invitations from the last number of years from the Friends of the Arts. I kept getting invited so every time I plan that I would be in this part of the world, I come here. Having a combination of a music career is kind of a combination of being invited to come back to places you’ve already been to and also touring places you haven’t been to as well. You always want to both be at a new place and return back to where you’ve visited before.

Q: How long will you be here this time?

A: I will be here until April 7. I have a number of things coming up during my stay here. That includes performances in some schools and some church groups, but I’ll have a bit of extra time because my next concert is in New Zealand from mid-April to the end of April. Because of that I decided on where I would like to be and that’s here. On April 7, I will be heading to Guam and then to New Zealand.

Q: You mentioned schools you will be playing at.

A: I will be playing in Marianas High School. I’ve played at Saipan Southern High School including the schools in Kagman. I’ve done this before during my recent visits. There also may be a couple of schools as well. In other words, I am still available that maybe somebody locally might want some lessons for the piano. I would be available while I am here, but apart from that I’ll be having a relaxing time here before I leave.

Q: Why do you make an effort to reach out to schools? Why do you feel that is important?

A: I think it is important to expose young people to classical music because for the vast majority they have never seen it and it’s new to them. They may have heard a little about excellent playing of pianos and classical music, but that concept doesn’t remain solid in their mind until they’ve actually seen it and it is a new experience to them.

I perform by memory, which is a new way pianists perform and they probably will be fascinated by that. You never know in a performance how you might impact someone later on because some students sitting and listening might go to their parents and ask them that they want to learn an instrument. That is the beauty of it.

Q: What inspired you to play the piano? Who was your role model?

A: I never decided to play the piano; the piano chose me. What I mean by that is that it was always there. It was never a conscious decision; my family was entirely in classical music. My father was a pianist but primarily a composer and a conductor. My mother was an opera singer and both of them came from Ukraine. My whole family was in the atmosphere of classical music. I was 4 years old and I had perfect pitch. When you played a note I could automatically figure it out. These were signs to my parents that it was pulling me toward playing the piano.

Q: How was that? Were you somehow forced into playing piano?

A: No, my parents were not like that. We enjoyed our music on our own time. My brother and I had a normal childhood. We did the same things growing up so we weren’t deprived or denied to have a social life and I am grateful for that.

Q: I know you get asked this a lot but do you have any favorite composer?

A: I would say that I like those that I play but, yes, I do favor the French composers such as Claude Debussy and Maurice Chavel. Because of them I learned everything that both of these composers wrote for piano. I do have others and they are Franz Liszt and Fryderyk Chopin. Music from Hispanic composers attract me as well.

Q: We have a lot of youngsters taking up music lessons. Do you have any message for them?

A: First of all, if you have talent, talent is only raw material. You have to work hard to refine your talent. It is a lot of hard work and a lot of practicing so it is ideal if you are able to work with a good teacher. Don’t try to teach yourself. The thing is, you really should be working with a teacher as hard as you can because a performing career is very difficult in itself. Whatever is satisfying to you, if it is a career for you, you have to define it. Try to expose yourself to these classical music areas, museums, and other areas where you normally won’t go.

Q: What are the challenges of being a pianist or performer?

A: I think different people would answer that in different ways. I don’t really know, but for me it is something that I do naturally and normally in which I feel pretty confident about when I am performing. A challenge for any interpreter or performer is try to perform in a way that gives the audience some kind of positive experience. Interpretation. You need to understand what the composer wrote, its history, the composer, and then know what you are performing.

Q: Do you see yourself retiring?

A: I don’t see me retiring at all. I have no plans to stop performing. As long as I can perform I will continue to perform and won’t stop.