Whats in a name?

[SDL]

Do you think that what you call yourself on stage (some are lucky to have decent names!) has an effect on whether you are remembered or not?

I have a theory that names matter and that the best performer in the world would not be remembered so well if the name wasnt good or you cant pronounce it well? 

Reason I ask is I have considered changing my name before (by De-poll) to my mums maiden name double barrelled with my partner's name:

Sharon Leech  (yuk!) to Sharon Wakefield-Kerr or Sharon Leech-Kerr (Im not keen on my first name either btw) 

Im not relying on this for success I have to stress but I wonder if it would help!  How many of you look at a name on a cd and havent heard of it but may not give a second look if it was Dorothy Brown or Carl Bottomley for example!!  I always think foreign name sound great (Russian especially - Boris Bereszovsky, Vladimir Ashkenazy)
what do you think?  Id love to know your views on this subject

[pianowelsh]

absolutely not ! its what your playings like that counts. Although it may be the case that people with really unpronounceable names wont win the Leeds? I wouldn't like the job of announcing all those names at the end of each round _ooh!

[Hmoll]

I had a friend who was a child prodigy, went to Curtis at age 15, got her DMA at Juilliard, rave reviews at her Carnegie Hall debut. Alas, her career fizzled out very soon after.

She became depressed, and was institutionalized for 5 years. Her family disowned her. When she got out of hospital, she was destitute.

Fortunately, she was eventually able to pull herself together. She's now married to a partner of an up and coming mortuary practice, and works part time at the local shoe lace factory. She sent me a letter over the holidays, and here is an excerpt:


"...The years seemed to have flown by. I can't believe the tragic and bitter-sweet road I've travelled. One thing I've learned is to always have faith that whatever happens is for the best, and you never know what destiny may bring.

I hope this letter finds you in good health.

Signed: Your friend,

Fanny Hammer"


(brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.)

[SDL]

Hmoll - are you serious! sounds like you posted a joke name like:

Phil McCracken or Hugh Van Kerr, or Jenny Tolz or something?

If it isnt the parents need stringing up for inflicting that name on their child!  Did she change it?

[lenny]

Hmoll is surely joking, but at least its funny

i wonder how our english sounding names look to foreigners?

do russians think john smith is a cool name? 

[SDL]

what about Martha & Randy Focker?!

[thracozaag]

  Of course it's important--two classic examples:

Lucy Hickenlooper--changed to Olga Samaroff

John Smith--changed to...(heh, won't reveal this one).

koji (STSD)

[SDL]

Having said that -  anyone heard of this concert pianist - this is true see website and remember those brilliant Women artist pianist that everyone seems to have forgotten such as Rosina Lhevine, Adele Marcus etc:

https://www.pianowomen.com/yesterday2.html

Fanny Frickenhaus(b. Cheltenham, June 7, 1849; d. London, Aug. 8, 1913)[A, G5]
Student of Busoni; friend of Brahms & Bartok; marr. & stopped perf. 1910; 1936 resumed concerts in Europe; 1947 U.S. debut

[Hmoll]

Hmoll is surely joking, but at least its funny

 

No, I'm serious. True story.

A similar thing happened to another friend - bassoon player named Randy Hardwick.

[lenny]

lol, id love it to be true

[klavierkonzerte]

i don't care at all about the preformers name, i don't even know the preformer on many of my cds.
i just listen to samples if i like them i buy the cd

but i do care about covers, i love hyperion's the romantic piano conceto covers

my last name is gadiri, i love it
it sounds italian like vivaldi, paganini, busoni, viotti

hopfully the violin concerto i'm working on would make my name as big as them.