Mariinsky Promoting New Talent

It's always up to debate whether musicality is an inborn gift or an acquired skill. The question is even more interesting in the case of a 9-year old pianist playing at a level of virtuosity unmatched by most adults in her field. Ju-Hi Lim (Джу-Хи Лим), a child prodigy hailing from South Korea, made her debut performance at the Mariinsky Theater Concert Hall, playing two concerts back-to-back on the 22nd and 23rd of June.

I had a chance to attend her second performance, where she played Haydn's Piano Concerto No. 11 in D major with none other than Valery Gergiev (artistic director of the festival and the Mariinsky Theater) conducting. She was in good company to say the least, and she more than lived up to the occasion. Her playing was fluid, displaying remarkable skill and maturity. Gergiev calls her "phenomenal," which is a rare feat these days, while the credit for her discovery keeps changing hands.

And where do we attribute credit for her talent? Nature or nurture? Good genes or good parenting? An uncontrollable fervor within or the strictly regimented discipline surrounding her? I say both. Regardless, her talent is one in a million and whatever it takes to fulfill her potential is fine by me.

Her parents, who barely speak English (and even less Russian), already have a lot to be proud of, and even so, they don't plan on slowing the breakneck pace of her development. She practices at least four and a half hours day, sometimes more, and isn't missing out on any opportunities (even if it means staying up until the late hours of the night just to be in the company of Gergiev and his guests). What she needs now is a break from the hectic schedule of rehearsing and performing, so that she can rest and be her 9-year old self. She deserves it.

With the legendary Maya Plisetskaya (more on her later):

Impressions of St. Petersburg

My memories of the city are still hazy after a four year absence, but as I walk the city streets, once again rediscovering all it has to offer, these memories trickle back into consciousness. Along with the historic gravitas of its imperial past, it welcomes me with nuances that point to another era in the country's rich history. The cold, bureaucratic (in)efficiency of Pulkovo airport, the layers of dust filling the streets, paint peeling along decade-old cracks in centuries'-old buildings--these are unmistakably the remains of Soviet rule. Reminders of this bygone era follow you around the city, adding a charm all its own.

I enter my new home on the prospect of Rimskovo-Korsakova. A damp stench fills my lungs as a cup filled with hundreds of cigarette buds catches my eye. I make my way up to the fourth floor and a familiar doorway leads me into an even more familiar apartment, where I'm now re-energizing for the days to come. The apartment is just as I left it four years ago, and my room is cozier than ever. It's 5 a.m. and daylight has never left my eyes, as if jetlag wasn't disorienting enough. I'm excited to see what the next day brings. It seems like I have a lot in store for myself (and hopefully for you too) as I refresh my memories and create new ones along the way.

Goodbye New York, Privet Petersburg!

I am finally here--in one of the most cultured cities, during one of the most cultured music festivals, scrambling through one of the most cultured theaters in the world. This is the White Nights Festival of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.

It's hard for me (and I suppose, for you, as well) to fathom the opportunities that abound from this day forward. One whole month among the ranks of world-renowned conductors, musicians, opera singers, and prima-ballerinas. Brushing shoulders, translating from the domestic, spoken Russian to the international standard, English, and simply absorbing the artistic flare that embodies the majestic city.

I have an incredible source of insider info at my fingertips, from offstage artist anecdotes to interesting production tidbits that escape the public ear. Don't get me wrong, though. I'm not attempting to pose as an Access Hollywood to the Mariinsky. I'm after something that strikes much deeper. What interests me is the internal mechanism propelling the artistic product to completion--in other words, the muse that brings together the theater's performers, illustrious guests, and production team into a cohesive whole.