[Interview] Ádám György - "... being talented is a hard work already"

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• published: 01 Jan 2013
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Renowned pianist, Ádám György, who recently performed for the opening of the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, sits down with Imagine TV Network for an interview. Despite having released multiple recordings and performed in many countries, György has no airs and is down-to-earth and easy to talk to. Understanding the audience and being able to connect with the audience is something György always strive to do. Whenever he holds a concert, he uses his piano improvisation to connect with the audience and present them with his "honest self" by picking a theme that is relevant to the culture of the place he is performing in. By choosing to improvise songs that the audience know and can identify with, he feels that it allows him to build a deeper connection with the audience. Terming it a "historic event", the classical pianist speaks of his collaboration with DJ Karmatronic for the opening ceremony of the UEFA European Football Championship in Warsaw, Poland, and how different genres of music - ranging from folk, classical, dance tunes and a symphonic composition - came together. Wanting to be faithful to classical music, György says that his performance of a Chopin Étude in a minor (Op.25 Nr.11) was not set to a drum or disco beat and that he is not a big fan of "popularizing" classical music by adding elements of other genres into it. In 2002, while performing and teaching master classes in South East Asia, he became inspired to help develop the talented pianists he met during his travels and later set up the Ádám György Foundation, and subsequently the Ádám György Castle Academy. The academy celebrates its fifth birthday this year and György shares that more than just providing piano lessons and master classes, he wants the students to be inspired and to find their individual strengths and weaknesses. The 10-day Summer Music Academy, which accepts a limited number of applicants each year, also provides programs that allow the students to experience the Pomaz countryside in the Pilis Mountains and Budapest, the capital of Hungary. The aim of the academy is to find talented pianists and help them to become better and the award-winning pianist shares his own perspective of how he sees talent. Some people might feel they are not born a talented pianist but György says, "Talent, being talent, is a state of mind. I don't think it's something you're born with, I think it's something you aim to be like." Even if someone is born with a gift for music and has the potential to be a great pianist, the person still spends hours learning and playing the piano, leading the classical pianist to add, " You work hard even for your talent... being talented is a hard work already".