Congrats on the announcement of this big event! It’s great to see artists I’ve worked with being featured. What does it mean to be an artist, particularly a composer or pianist, in today’s music industry?
Anna: “I think that first of all any artist should remain himself, follow his intuition and inner voice. A pianist on stage is always one-on-one with the audience. It is useless to try on masks or pretend. Because everything secret and hidden will become obvious sooner or later. Only the truth will win. And the piano music is always about this. You need to look for the authenticity in yourself, and express this essence through your art, bringing it to the listeners.“
What are you most excited about regarding the Piano Revenge Festival?
Anna: “A festival is always a celebration. The most interesting thing is the unknown. What unexpected surprises will this first festival in June bring to all of us? For all participants, this festival is a chance and happiness to play in Paris, and long-awaited meetings with other artists and the Parisian audience.“
Can you tell us more about the history behind neoclassical music?
Anna: “This is a good question, since neoclassical music is not quite what many people today mean by the term. Neoclassicism is a music-historical term for a movement in 20th-century academic music whose representatives imitated the style of musical compositions of the 17th and 18th centuries, especially early classicism and late baroque, contrasting this style with the emotionally and technically overloaded music of late romanticism. Neoclassicism peaked in popularity in the 1920s and 1930s. For instance, Alexander Scriabin and Erik Satie, bright representatives of the non-classical style in piano music of the beginning of the 20th century.“
Is there a meaning behind the chosen location for the festival?
Anna: “Yes, it is not a simple coincidence Theater is famous for its piano concerts, and all thanks to the fact that the theater houses a piano, an instrument that previously belonged to the great pianist and composer, Alain Kremski. Alain used to perform often on the stage of Théâtre de l’Île Saint-Louis. I was lucky to know the musician in person. Alain Kresmki’s piano art is an inspiration for our festival. It was twenty years ago, when I first came to the Théâtre de l’Île Saint-Louis to hear Alain play. And last year, I myself gave two piano solo concerts there. That is when the idea of the Piano Revenge Festival was born.”
Anna’s live performance at Théâtre de l’Île Saint Louis:
How would you describe the neo-classical music community in three words?
Anna: “Love. Piece & Kindness.“
What advice would you give to those just launching their music career?
Anna: “Listen to yourself, the heart always knows!“
What are the festival’s prospects?
Anna: “We don’t want to set any limits, and I, as the artistic director and founder of the festival, can well imagine that we can hold the next festival in another city, and in a different country. Music is akin to infinity, and this is our motto.“
You can find out more about the Piano Revenge Festival here:
Where to buy tickets: PianoRevenge – International Neoclassical Music Festival
Anna’s Instagram: ᴀɴɴᴀ ʙᴏɴᴅᴀʀᴇᴠᴀ (@annabondarevaofficial) • Instagram photos and videos
The festival playlist:
Piano Revenge – playlist by ANNA BONDAREVA | Spotify
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