5 questions to Ariel Lanyi
Ariel Lanyi wurde 1997 in Jerusalem geboren, wo er bei Lea Agmon und Yuval Cohen studierte. Er lebt in London und schloss sein Studium an der Royal Academy of Music bei Hamish Milne und lan Fountain ab. Nach seinem
Debüt beim Grafenegg Festival wird Ariel Lanyi in der Saison 24–25 für eine CD-Aufnahme mit dem ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien unter Howard Griffith
nach Österreich zurückkehren. Weiterhin wird er Rezitals u.a. in Großbritannien, in den USA und in Norwegen spielen.
Am 6. September sind das Mahler Chamber Orchestra und Antonello Manacorda mit Antonín Dvořáks populärer Symphonie «Aus der neuen Welt»
in Grafenegg zu Gast. Den Solo-Part in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts Klavierkonzert A-Dur übernimmt der junge israelische Pianist Ariel Lanyi, der
Preisträger des von Rudolf Buchbinder kuratierten Prix Serdang ist.
Im Interview gibt Ariel Lanyi Einblicke in seine musikalische Reise sowie die Bedeutung seines Auftrittes beim Grafenegg Festival. Zudem spricht er über die Ehre, den PRIX SERDANG erhalten zu haben.
What do you associate with the Grafenegg Festival and what does it mean to you to perform there?
I have known about the Grafenegg festival for many years, as it is a landmark of the European festival landscape. It is an enormous honour to make my debut on this prestigious stage and to join the list of seminal artists who have performed there. To share this occasion with one of the world’s finest orchestras is truly a dream come true.
How would you explain Mozart's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A major KV 488 in simple language / to a non-professional? What associations arise in your mind when you hear this piece?
The concerto K. 488 is one of Mozart’s most graceful and intimate works. Whereas Mozart begins many concertos on a dramatic note, this one begins on an almost shy note, which makes the exuberant last movement even more powerful. But before we reach the joyful and redemptive ending, Mozart takes us on an illuminating journey through lyricism, melancholy, irony, and humour. At times, especially in the famous slow movement, he seems to question himself on this journey—juxtaposing grief with hope, and torment with irony.
Freshness and translucence are always present in Mozart’s music, yet in this concerto, these qualities seem to be all the more pronounced. Perhaps that is partially a result of the smaller orchestration of this concerto compared to others, but mainly, I think its vulnerable qualities manage to somehow shine a light on the smallest and most intricate details of the music.
Who or what inspired you to start playing the piano and make it your profession?
When I was growing up, music was always present at home. My parents are ardent music lovers, hence it was natural for me to want to make music. I had a holistic musical upbringing, studying not only piano but also violin, composition, and jazz. Eventually, I ended up going with my strength, but I still reap the benefits of a multifaceted education.
You were personally awarded with the Prix Serdang in 2023 by Rudolf Buchbinder, Artistic Director of Grafenegg. What significance has this award for you?
Being awarded the Prix Serdang is definitely among the highlights of my career so far. As it is not a competition, but rather an award given after careful consideration of an artist’s activity, it is in a sense an endorsement of an artist’s vision. To have an artist of Rudolf Buchbinder’s calibre entrust me with such an award is truly an enormous and inspiring privilege.
«Was ihn auszeichnet ist seine Fähigkeit tief in die Musik einzutauchen und eine Verbindung zu ihr herzustellen. Er spielt nicht einfach nur die Noten, er lebt die Musik, versucht ihre Essenz zu erfassen und gibt sie mit einer außergewöhnlichen Intensität, Sensibilität und ausdruckskräftiger Reife wider.»
The «Next Generation Mozart Soloists» series enables young talents to make their debut recordings. The ninth album in the series was released in mid-July, featuring you among others. What significance does this recording have for you?
It was a great pleasure and honour to collaborate with the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg and Howard Griffiths for this recording of the two Mozart concert rondos, joining a long list of fantastic artists recording for this special series of Mozart’s concertante works. I greatly enjoyed shining a light on these two underplayed gems of the repertoire, both vastly different from each other, but both endowed with Mozart’s inimitable sense of drama and humour.
Ariel Lanyi's Selection
«For this playlist, I decided to go with performers of the past whom I did not have the chance to hear in concert, but whose recordings I have lived with, and who had a lasting impact on me. I have found myself returning to these recordings often, as I consider them paragons of musicianship and artistry. The performers featured on this playlist are all vastly different from one another, yet all of them convey music in a truly organic and self-explanatory manner. In their hands, every note, gesture, and pause is pregnant with meaning and conviction, yet free of any superfluousness or mannerism. For me, that represents the highest calibre of music-making.»
Ariel Lanyi about his playlist.