Master YURI, if you were to say something to our
Italian readers, such as Musician and Artist, what would you tell them?
With an average and
growing internet usage at 3.5 trillion people, every discrete and dedicated
artist around the globe can be discovered and followed. The world now has no
more boundaries, for the better part of it ... it means we can reach the whole
planet with our creations. And beauty is beyond words, you are not limited by
the language barrier. It is a beautiful time to be an artist.
When you found to possess your talent as a musician
and composer? Which is your artistic story you would like to tell Italian
musician lovers?
As far as I can
remember, my piano teacher used to smack me with a ruler to bring me back to
the piano program, I was always playing my own compositions instead of my piano
homework. Since then, composing has been part of my daily routine for 20 years.
The incredible part is
that why and how I abandoned my music dream for 10 years.
I was raised with my
five brothers by my father alone which is a chemist. To keep our moral high, he
uses to tell us that we could achieve anything we wanted in life. Since I was
not a very good student I decided to aim for music composition. It was at the
age of 18 when choosing a music university that my father sat me down on a
little wooden chair and told me something that would change my life for the
next 10 years.
He told me that art
was not a the way to go and that artists starve all their life. He told me he
couldn't let me trash my life like that. For my good I was force into my second
most interesting field, psychology. This is the beginning of another perilous adventure
that lasted 10 years, but to make a long story short, the moment I went into
psychology I accepted peacefully that nobody would ever hear me play in this
lifetime. This situation gave me a beautiful teaching about the true nature of
art.
One of the big
question for me was "Is art still relevant when nobody is seeing what you
bring into the world?". This, I will answer during this interview.
So, I composed and
played each day, accumulating a lot of creations that maybe my grandchildren would
find one day. I always felt inspiration to be this incessant flow of fullness
into which one can tap. It is a natural part of most people. Inspiration can
use words, ideas, sounds, emotions, it is there no matter if you play an
instrument or not. I don't think it must go through one channel in particular.
In January 2015, I
decided that I would create my first music album with all my piano compositions
of the year (Walking on Water). Same thing for the year after. It was really
the second one, "The Tree of Life" that got me a lot
of attention around the globe with the internet. I'm now preparing the 3rd
album that is an awesome process.
If it was not for
the overwhelming feedback I received from my fans I would still have no clues
that there was a place for my music in the world. I never expected that. I take
it as a call from mother destiny.
I still feel
incredibly humble and lucky about the turn of tides.
Some musicians are
more talented at interpreting, others are more on composition side. I accepted
very early on that I would not be an interpreter. It was in front of majestic
and beautiful music pieces that I decided to go for composing. Strangely, for
many years, it composing was one of the main ways to feel emotions at all.
In the composition
process I like to create first the atmosphere, then the melody come out of
that. I seldom begin otherwise, that is a second nature.
A great innovator of classical music at the end of
'800 and '900 was the great pianist and French composer Claude Debussy
(1862-1918). In your compositions there is something that is inspired to the
Debussy's music?
Debussy was a friend
of Satie although much younger. They found both inspirations in one another.
Funny enough, what I found the most interesting pieces from Debussy is the
Debussy side that is more alike Satie's work. There is something mysterious and
secret about the pieces of Satie... particularly the “Gnossiennes” and the “Gymnopedies”.
My favorites Debussy's is Claire de lune. With respect, I interpreted some of
his works but and I'm less inclined to his music overall.
Before Satie, all
piano compositions that wanted to be taken for granted had to be a
demonstration of virtuosity. He dared to aim for the deepest places, where the
true questions come in. Who am I? What is my purpose? Every person suffers
these questions more than one would admit.
Have you ever done concerts in what is called the “Bel
Paese” (the Beautiful Country) that has a history and an important classical
music tradition? Great artist like Antonio Vivaldi, Gioacchino Rossini,
Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Nicolò Paganini, and many others. What do you
think about Italian classic music made by these great names?
I gave some privates
concerts but never in other countries. I wouldn't be surprised to organize this
very soon. Otherwise I consider the Italy to have hosted the cream of the crust
of composers. Very seldom do you get that many incredible musical legend from
the same womb. Most of these masters have still today, never been equaled in
their field.
Unfortunately, in
Canada we didn't got any history of the sort, it's a loss.
When will you come to Italy for a concert tour? If
yes, when and where will you do your concerts so that our readers can come to
hear your amazing music?
It would really be
an honor.
The last time I
thoughts about touring was when I was a dreamy teenager, now you take me by
surprise. Next time we see each other may well be into one your historic
concert halls.
If two children aged ten years come to you to ask with
spontaneity, innocence and curiosity: "Master
YURI please, explains us what is the Art?", How would you respond to
this question to make them understand what they want to know?
If I listen deeply
to my intuition would say that Art is to Give a form to the unseen. It's a
process of being aligned with your inner purpose. When the personal
identity is aside, there is a place for spontaneity, inspiration and clarity. That
is where art lives.
Master YURI, Thanks so much for giving me this
interview ... I hope to see you in Italy … thanks again and … break a leg!
Lol Thank you
Andrea, I hope too, Italy is one of the country I'm most envious to go (He
smiles!).
For those who would like to know more about Master
Yuri Lamarche, here are some links:
-
Author of the interview, Andrea Giostra:
.jpg)
