My Week in New York—Day Two

From left to right: A video of my practicing with Mr. Cosmo; an exterior photo of Trattoria dell’Arte by Nancy Brower; the Wine Room. Many times when I go there with my mother, Mr. Cosmo, and Mr. Alexander, they let us sit in there by ourselves, and it is very nice; the Main Dining Room where they feature the works of many different artists.

Having done so much research for my performances on “The Fountains of the Villa d’Este” and knowing that I would be performing it for the concert next week, Mr. Cosmo and I looked it over again in order to add a few more finishing touches. We also did a lot with color changes, and what it takes to be sure one is using the right technique to reflect as much interest and variation as possible.  His suggestions for checking my finger angles and pedaling worked brilliantly, and gave me many more opportunities for adding nuance and scope of interpretation to my performance.

One of the many things I like about working with Mr. Cosmo is that when it comes to teaching he always suggests, but never insists. He tells me all the time that while he shares various ideas and knowledge, the important thing is not to accept them at face value, but to try them out, think about them, and turn them into "my own expression."  This has proven extremely helpful for me, because it has given me the freedom to work out my own ideas, and then bring them back to him for discussion, without ever feeling that I cannot try certain things on my own.

Following the lesson we went to another Italian restaurant with my mother, Trattoria dell’Arte.  We have been there several times before, and I like it a great deal because they have excellent pasta dishes. It is right across the street from Carnegie Hall, so it is a very pleasant reminder of why I am in New York—to get ready for my debut there in the spring.

The rest of the weekend is going to be spent rehearsing and getting ready for the concert next week.  As the day gets closer, I am more am more and more excited.

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