Is it possible?

[reelypiano]

I'm a (unfortunately not very good) 17 year old piano student. I dream of becoming a concert pianist. To put my level a bit in perspective, I'm currently working on Chapelle de Guillaume Tell (Liszt, années 1), From days of youth (fra ungdomsdagene) (Grieg, lyric pieces book as well as taking up again Khatchaturians toccata and Chopin nocturne in f minor op 55 no.1 for competition purposes. I will start a haydn sonata and a bach prelude and fugue sometime soon (I do not know which ones yet).

My question, which is as hard to answer as it is easy to ask, is: Do you think I will be able to, with enough work, become a concert pianist? Or is it physically impossible? (Emphasis on the "do you think"-part, I know it's impossible to answer definitely)

Oh, and another question, regarding tehnique: I actually like playing the Hanon exercises. I don't know why, as they are indeed quite boring, but I do like to play them. Lots of people hate them, and there are lots of people saying not to practise them as they are dangerous to the technique, but do you reckon it's ok to practise them if you like them?

Thanks for the help!
V

[pianist1976]

Why don't you post a recording or a video at Audition Room? In abstract and without listening your playing it's very difficult to say anything.

Anyway, every musician must be open minded to the many possibilities that a professional career can offer. Becoming exclusively a concert pianist is very, very difficult and you may finish extremely frustrated if you don't achieve it and you have not a "Plan B". I said exclusively because one can be a casual concert pianist and earn the main income from other music activities (accompanist, teaching, etc.). I know some excellent pianists who give concert occasionally but didn't reach an exclusive concert pianist status and it's alright. They are happy with their casual concerts, classes and other activities.

[emilye]

I'm a (unfortunately not very good) 17 year old piano student. I dream of becoming a concert pianist. To put my level a bit in perspective, I'm currently working on Chapelle de Guillaume Tell (Liszt, années 1), From days of youth (fra ungdomsdagene) (Grieg, lyric pieces book as well as taking up again Khatchaturians toccata and Chopin nocturne in f minor op 55 no.1 for competition purposes. I will start a haydn sonata and a bach prelude and fugue sometime soon (I do not know which ones yet).

My question, which is as hard to answer as it is easy to ask, is: Do you think I will be able to, with enough work, become a concert pianist? Or is it physically impossible? (Emphasis on the "do you think"-part, I know it's impossible to answer definitely)

Oh, and another question, regarding tehnique: I actually like playing the Hanon exercises. I don't know why, as they are indeed quite boring, but I do like to play them. Lots of people hate them, and there are lots of people saying not to practise them as they are dangerous to the technique, but do you reckon it's ok to practise them if you like them?

Thanks for the help!
V

I am not sure but I think that I know what do you mean.
My English isn'n very fluent so I hope that you understand what I mean in this answer. Hmmm You will want to be a concert pianist. But concert pianist like for instance Martha Argerich? Pianist who have many concerts? And pianist who won some piano competitions? If you want to do really huge career you must know that it is really, really hard. The best pianist play the piano about 5-7 hours per day, and they have very big talent. But... if you dream to be a concert pianist you should play, and spend many times with piano. and... you should play many pieces per year include difficult pieces e.g. etudes by Chopin, Liszt, sonates etc. I believe that if you want you can do it, but the true career have the chosen people.

[jimbo320]

To answer your questions briefly, yes. It's very possible, with a lot of work, to achieve such a goal.
I also say yes to practicing what you like. The teacher doesn't own you. A teacher's job is to point the way, but you're the one walking it. By all means follow his/her's instructions, but never be afraid to spread your wings a little. I wish I was your age when I started. Who knows where I'd be at by now, lol.
Good luck and keep dreaming.....

Musically, Jimbo

[stevebob]

I think the chances of the original poster becoming an “exclusive concert pianist” (per pianist1976’s description) are exceedingly slim.  Even if it’s unclear just what being a “not very good” student of piano means, the reality is that the competition is enormous from those who have been aiming for careers in performance since childhood (and who would have reached or surpassed the technical advancement of the repertoire mentioned many years earlier).

Fortumnately, as pianist1976 also describes, alternative piano-related career paths are available (any of which would be a more realistic objective under the circumstances described).

[reelypiano]

Thank you everyone for your answers! I've just been narrow-minded and thought that to play concerts and recitals you have to be a world-class concert pianist. But when I think about it, I do not have anything against teaching. I'm going to try my best to become a concert pianist in whatever sense, and if that does not work out I am also a fairly intermediate-advanced student of the church organ, which is an instrument that you can quite easily survive playing. I have of course been advised many, many times to change main instruments to organ, but I still have that concert pianist dream living deep inside me...

Why don't you post a recording or a video at Audition Room? In abstract and without listening your playing it's very difficult to say anything.

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=39594.0 Here is a recording of Liszts Chapelle de Guillaume Tell - Hopefully you are able to take this into consideration and get a better impression of my playing! One thing I forgot to write in the original post, I have only been really practising for about 2 - 2 1/2 years.

Will start Haydn sonata in F major, Hob.XVI: 29 now. Just got a motivational super boost after a super concert, and the piano lesson right after that when I played Liszt Chapelle de Guillaume Tell for the first time in a lesson, and my teacher said that "there was an all new V sitting there". After that I've been practising even more efficiently... hooray! But thanks again, I will keep on fighting for my dream, knowing that I have backup should I fail. (By all means, don't stop discussing here, it's very interesting to me to hear your opinions, even if it's only based on the little information I gave you!)

V

[mussels_with_nutella]

I think that you are physically able to be a concertist pianist. However, you will not until at least you start playing real concertos. Like everything, the chance to play concertos is not for people who are the best, but for people who... has met personally the director, the organiser or the productor
My suggestion is: master what you wish to play in a concerto and arrange it indirectly... and then directly... with "important people for you" to achieve it.