Two Selves, One Stage: A Conversation with Pianist Seunghae Lee
Interview . Journalistic WritingThis week, I interviewed Seunghae Lee, my senior from Yonsei University and who began studying at Salzburg Mozarteum University this semester. He arrived in Austria in October and is just now adjusting to life as an overseas student.
I asked about his piano career, his philosophy of music, and his life beyond the piano.
Q. Thank you for being here. Could you introduce yourself?
Hi, I’m Seunghae Lee, and I’m studying piano at Universität Mozarteum Salzburg in Austria.
1. Why Piano?
Q. How did your journey with the piano begin, and when did it become more than a hobby?
I started piano because my mother suggested it. At first it was just a hobby. Then, around the time I was moving from 10 to 11 years old, I entered my first competition. After that stage, I wanted to go deeper without anyone pushing me, and that’s when I started thinking about it as a major.
Q. Was there ever a time you thought about giving up? If so, what kept you going?
Honestly, hardly ever. But when I first came abroad and was adjusting to a completely new environment, I did waver. I wondered whether I should go back to Korea, study something else, and get a job. Then I went a month without playing, and I lost my motivation for life itself. That’s when I realized piano is more than my major. It’s what keeps my life moving.
2. Studying Music in Salzburg
Q. Why you chose Austria? And has anything turned out differently than expected?
I chose based on the school and the professor, not the country. Once I started, though, the school’s system required a lot more work than I had expected, so it was pretty overwhelming at first. Now I feel it has helped me see music more broadly.
Q. Having studied in both Korea and Austria, what’s the biggest difference you’ve felt?
The freedom. Above all, there’s no unnecessary competition. People focus on their own music instead of comparing themselves to others, so I can approach music with a more relaxed mind.
3. Musical Philosophy
Q. Who is the pianist or composer who has influenced you most deeply? And when you perform their works, what do you consider most important?
Robert Schumann. In his music, two imaginary selves are always clashing, and within a very short time the emotions shift dramatically dozens of times. For me, the most important thing is to push the emotions of those two selves to their absolute limit. Compromise halfway, and Schumann’s unique tension disappears.
Q. When you encounter a new piece for the first time, how do you usually begin practicing it?
At first, I go slowly and repeat things until the piece settles in. At the same time, I study the score closely to understand what the composer intended.
Q. Even experienced performers make mistakes on stage. How do you handle those moments?
I try not to dwell on a mistake once it’s already happened. Fundamentally, mistakes aren’t what matters in music. How you carry the music forward matters far more than a note that’s already gone.
Q. Could you tell us about your happiest and most frustrating moments as a performer?
My happiest moment was the rehearsal for my very first concerto performance. We were playing Rachmaninoff, and I’ll never forget the orchestra’s tutti bursting in. My most frustrating was a performance in November when I was 16. That was the first and only time I had a memory slip on stage.
Q. How would you like people to remember you as a pianist?
I want to be a pianist people remember, because someone has to remember you before they’ll invite you to the stage. Being remembered is what lets you keep playing for a long, long time. [Translated from Korean]
4. Life Outside Music
Q. If you hadn’t majored in piano, what would you be doing now?
I’d probably be looking for a job right now. I actually considered that path early in my studies abroad.
Q. What goals do you have for the future?
I have so many goals. But I don’t want music to become just a means of reaching them, so lately I’ve been trying not to get too caught up in them.
Q. Thank you very much for agreeing to the interview. Finally, is there anything else you’d like to say?
Das ist alles. [He answered in German, haha]