12. Paul Wee: balancing life as a barrister and pianist, preparing for a recital vs preparing for court, and the difficult decision to not pursue a music career
05/14/24 • 51 min
Paul Wee is an internationally-acclaimed pianist with a love for celebrating the hidden gems of the piano repertoire. His recordings for BIS have been met with great critical acclaim, including being shortlisted for multiple Gramophone Awards. Not your average pianist, Paul also happens to be a very successful barrister; he was called to the bar by Gray's Inn in 2010, and currently practises from Essex Court Chambers in London. Paul performs around his professional commitments as a barrister, both in London and internationally, and will be making his Wigmore Hall debut in June 2024.
In this episode, Paul discusses fitting the piano around life as a barrister, and his reasons for recording the repertoire he has so far. He also talks about wondering whether the success of his earlier recordings were due to the 'novelty' factors, and shares just how difficult it was to adjust to the sudden change of path from music to law.
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Pre-order Paul's new album, Henselt & Bronsart: Piano Concertos (out May 31st)
Tickets for Paul's Wigmore Hall debut (June 15th)
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Paul's links:
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Follow The Classical Circuit on Instagram
Did you enjoy this episode? If so, ratings and follows help a lot with visibility, if you have a spare moment... *bats eyelashes*
No offence taken if not.
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This podcast is also available to listen to via The Violin Channel
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Music: François Couperin - Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les Maillotins
Performed by Daniel Lebhardt
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The Classical Circuit is made by Ella Lee (producer by trade, pianist at heart).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Paul Wee is an internationally-acclaimed pianist with a love for celebrating the hidden gems of the piano repertoire. His recordings for BIS have been met with great critical acclaim, including being shortlisted for multiple Gramophone Awards. Not your average pianist, Paul also happens to be a very successful barrister; he was called to the bar by Gray's Inn in 2010, and currently practises from Essex Court Chambers in London. Paul performs around his professional commitments as a barrister, both in London and internationally, and will be making his Wigmore Hall debut in June 2024.
In this episode, Paul discusses fitting the piano around life as a barrister, and his reasons for recording the repertoire he has so far. He also talks about wondering whether the success of his earlier recordings were due to the 'novelty' factors, and shares just how difficult it was to adjust to the sudden change of path from music to law.
-------------------
Pre-order Paul's new album, Henselt & Bronsart: Piano Concertos (out May 31st)
Tickets for Paul's Wigmore Hall debut (June 15th)
-------------------
Paul's links:
-------------------
Follow The Classical Circuit on Instagram
Did you enjoy this episode? If so, ratings and follows help a lot with visibility, if you have a spare moment... *bats eyelashes*
No offence taken if not.
--------------------
This podcast is also available to listen to via The Violin Channel
--------------------
Music: François Couperin - Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les Maillotins
Performed by Daniel Lebhardt
--------------------
The Classical Circuit is made by Ella Lee (producer by trade, pianist at heart).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode
11. Timothy Ridout: formative musical experiences, tools for handling an intense schedule, and his BBC Proms debut
Timothy Ridout is one of today’s most sought-after violists, being a former BBC New Generation Artist, a Borletti-Buitoni Fellowship recipient and winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artist Award. As well as having performed with many major orchestras and conductors worldwide, Tim is a celebrated chamber musician, bringing programmes regularly to the likes of Wigmore Hall and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam. He records regularly for Harmonia Mundi, and his recording of Elgar's Cello Concerto (as transcribed by Lionel Tertis) and the Bloch Suite for viola and orchestra - with Martyn Brabbins and the BBC Symphony Orchestra - won the Gramophone Concerto Award in 2023.
In this episode, Tim speaks about his formative experiences with the viola and how he stays on top of his game amidst a hectic performing/travelling schedule. He also spoke about his long-standing relationship with Walton's Viola Concerto and the journey to his Proms debut in 2021, plus a little insight into his methods for blowing off steam in the face of frustration...
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Tim's links:
-------------------
Follow The Classical Circuit on Instagram
Did you enjoy this episode? If so, ratings and follows help a lot with visibility, if you have a spare moment... *bats eyelashes*
No offence taken if not.
--------------------
This podcast is also available to listen to via The Violin Channel
--------------------
Music: François Couperin - Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les Maillotins
Performed by Daniel Lebhardt
--------------------
The Classical Circuit is made by Ella Lee (producer by trade, pianist at heart).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode
13. Alexandra Knight: the role of an artist manager, psychological models seen in high-level performers, and sexism in the workplace
Alexandra Knight is the founder and CEO of classical music agency Knight Classical. After reading Music and then Law at Oxford University, Alexandra joined the artist management world, working first at Harrison Parrott, then at International Classical Artists - where she later became a Director at the age of 28 - before launching Knight Classical in January 2020. In her career so far, Alexandra has worked for renowned artists such as Janine Jansen, Neeme Järvi and Sir James Galway; built swiftly rising careers for artists including Alena Baeva and Joseph Bastian; and signed young prize-winning talents such as Anna Tsybuleva, amongst others.
In this episode, Alexandra talks about the role of an artist manager, and how the manager-artist partnership is much like a marriage; she reflects on the moment she realised she'd taken her first client from day one through to their debut with the New York Philharmonic; and she shares some thoughts on the psychological models that can often be found in high-level performers. She also talks very openly about dealing with imposter syndrome, and her experiences of sexism in the workplace.
-------------------
Knight Classical's links:
-------------------
Follow The Classical Circuit on Instagram
Did you enjoy this episode? If so, ratings and follows help a lot with visibility, if you have a spare moment... *bats eyelashes*
No offence taken if not.
--------------------
This podcast is also available to listen to via The Violin Channel
--------------------
Music: François Couperin - Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les Maillotins
Performed by Daniel Lebhardt
--------------------
The Classical Circuit is made by Ella Lee (producer by trade, pianist at heart).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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