Music is food for my soul: Pallavi Mahidhara

Indian-American pianist Pallavi Mahidhara talks about her love for music and growing up wanting to be a professional musician.

 

When I was very small, I used to watch an American children’s TV programme titled Mr Rogers’ Neighborhood, and the host of the show, Mr Rogers, used to sing an introductory song each time and play the piano. When I was about two-and-a-half years old, I told my parents I wanted to learn the piano. So at three, they took me to the local Suzuki music school, where I began group keyboard lessons — learning the basics of music. When I was five, I began private lessons.

 

The main challenge with performing with an orchestra is achieving the optimal balance of ensemble playing. Of course, in a piano concerto, the piano is the soloist, but it is still a form of chamber music on a large scale, and without keeping that in mind, it can become very difficult for the conductor, orchestra and soloist to be together. The challenging thing with performing solo is of course that you are entirely alone. However, the advantage to this is that you also have much more flexibility and freedom in making spontaneous musical decisions on stage. 

 

I would say that the biggest influence I have had in my musical life, however, is the professor I worked with from 2010-2015, Professor Dimitri Bashkirov. He is one of the greatest living legends in the piano world, a true master. I will almost always listen to the great pianists of the 20th century — Rachmaninoff, Gilels, Cziffra, Horowitz, Kempff, Fischer... just to name a few. Among the living pianists, I admire Pletnev, Sokolov, Schiff, Brendel, Argerich, Kissin and Zimerman..

 

I have been coming to perform in India since 2003. I truly love having the privilege of expanding the interest, knowledge and awareness of Western Classical music in India. 

 

Music has always been the largest part of my life. I decided at a very young age to pursue music professionally. It is something I truly cannot live without — music truly is food for my soul.

 

One requires a good teacher, hard work, and a lot of discipline. Natural talent is always helpful, but without self-motivation talent will not take you far enough.