Takes two to piano!

Call it an instance of sheer serendipity or an unrelenting pursuit of a ‘soulful’ passion, but musicians Natallia Kapylova and Liudmila Alizarchyk are in a happy space and for reasons aplenty. In a candid chat, the seasoned musicians tell us how teaching Bengalureans and performing live in the city has a charm of its own, just as they prep for  a Western classical piano duo concert, Fantasy for Two on July 7, 7 pm at the Alliance Française de Bangalore.

“I’d like to believe that my tryst with pursuing music in the city was a kind conspiracy of destiny! My husband and I came to Bengaluru about nine years ago as he was on the lookout for a job. Since I don’t belong to a musicians’ family, I never thought too seriously about pursuing it. It was a passion, yes. But, one thing led to another and I found people from all ages come to learn. One thing I really love about Bengalureans is the fact that they are very hungry for knowledge. That is something which I appreciate and has inspired me to render classics and perform all through these years,” shares Natallia, who hails from Belarus (formerly Russia) and is based out of Bengaluru since 2008.  

Grateful that music chose her early on, the professional pianist reveals, “Despite not ever planning on becoming a musician, I was about seven when my teacher Natallia Cherstvaya showed me how to love music.” Professor Yushkevitch took her under her wings, which resulted in Natallia obtaining a highest degree in classical piano performance, artist of chamber ensemble and concert master diploma.  

For  Liudmila Alizarchyk, it was a conscious choice, which was a by-product of a heavy influence of her teachers. “I think music has always been a part of my life. The warmth I get from the audiences is what has kept me going,” she says. When prodded with questions  about how they like spending their free time, the answer invariably comes back to music. “We’re musicians 24/7! So, when we’re not practicing, we’re helping those around us to hone their music skills. Yes, with concerts all around the corner, there’s little we indulge in aside of music,” they say.

Having performed over 10-12 live shows annually, across the country, we quiz the professional pianist whether Natallia gets to feel the butterflies in her tummy, every time she’s on stage, to which she responds, “I love performing for Bengaluru, despite not having a sound system of music, the crowd is very receptive and open towards myriad genres.” Natallia, who’s gearing up for a Western classical piano duo concert with  Liudmila Alizarchyk is equally ecstatic about the forthcoming activity. “I get inspired by the music we play. At this gig, we plan on reviving some romantic music from the 19th and 20th century — Schubert, Debussy, Brahms and Piazzolla, coupled with some tangos from Argentina. We’re playing on two pianos and four hands,” she says. Adding to the same, Liudmila adds, “We’re here to enjoy the gig. We hope to enjoy the music we play and hope others enjoy it as well. We’ve been friends for 20 years, we studied together and played together before. It is an absolutely new programme for me and for the city, so I’m looking forward to it.” Liudmila has been practicing and teaching Western classical music at Christ University for the past 10 years.