A pianists SKILLS?

[pianowelsh]

What do you guys think is really important nowadays for pianists. I have heard it said that a career in performance is NO longer about how you play but much more about how you comminicate and network! This may seem an extreme statement - I reckin the truth may lie somewhere in the middle. But your comments and thoights please! From both the viewer side (as consummers of the artists product) and as pro and semi pro performers which things are most important in your minds!

[pianonut]

that's the business side of it.  (which i wouldn't know about yet)  i've noticed the same thing in almost every field.  on the one side you have the 'geek' (knows everything) and then the other side the person who knows barely anything and is the 'communicator.'  maybe it means we have to hone our sociable side.

[steinwayguy]

It seems to be all about publicity and marketing these days. i.e. Kissin, Lang Lang, Yundi Li

[Grane]

Believe the idea is that given so many well-trained, accomplished, virtuosic students graduating from good schools, there are more excellent pianists than gigs available to them.

So...the ones that make it probably use their personality in some way to distinguish themselves.  Don't believe anyone is being successful without the talent.

[pianowelsh]

would you like to speculate about some of these ways of standing out?

[pianonut]

ok. take victor borge for instance.  he COULD play, but chose to see the funny side in piano.  his career took off and he was successful for a lifetime.  i still remember seeing him and watching his first act with looking for the seatbelt.

i think many pianists today ARE talented.  it's not really that naming names is going to get you anywhere with learning about publicity.  perhaps it is having an astute agent, and help from others who have been there.  some pianists are so smart, they do their own booking (from reading other posts) and make more money.  i think networking has to be it.  to keep a little book with important names and keep in contact in some way (like you insurance agent does - by sending a calendar yearly) and keep telling people about what you do and what you want to do.

[pianowelsh]

So which qualities do you think might be present in a sucessful artist then?