TDK Orchestra Concert 2015

Special Interview: Pianist Alice Sara Ott

Pianist Alice Sara Ott

――You started playing piano when you were three, but was there a particular event that led you to take up the piano?

Alice: My mother was a pianist, so there was a piano in our home, but it was when I attended a recital for the first time and saw everyone sitting silently for two hours with their eyes on the stage not speaking a word the entire time that I really felt the enchantment of music. What if it was me on that stage playing the piano and what if everyone was listening to me? It was a pretty simple idea.

Pianist Alice Sara Ott
Pianist Alice Sara Ott

――What is your secret for having continued with the piano after all this time?

Alice: I think everyone worries over what their own identity really is, but I never really worried all that much about my identity because I had music. Indeed, it is music that gives me a sense of identity and a sense of place. So I’ve never worried that much about my identity because wherever I go in the world people no matter their nationality listen to the music and the music is something that is shared with people of different countries.

Pianist Alice Sara Ott
Pianist Alice Sara Ott

――Do you have any advice about pursuing a dream?

Alice: I think it is very important to know your limits. I don’t think one should compare oneself to others. Everyone is different. So, for me I would say it is probably what is it that makes me happy and what kind of career do I want? I think the earlier that one understands the importance of this the better. You have to be able to say “no”. This is what I have learned so far.

Pianist Alice Sara Ott

―― Thank you very much.

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