June 2008

Hi everyone. Yes it has been a while since my last entry. I suppose a quick update is in order. Well, I have started to work more as a periodontist. Partly because I enjoy doing it, and partly because I have to start working off my enormous student debt. I have not stopped playing the piano. Even though my concerts are more spaced apart (see: September and October of last year on my Live Page http://www.thomasyu.ca/page/live/), I am still working hard at the piano. New repertoire awaits...in fact, I will be testing out a new big work this weekend at a private recital in Toronto. Those invited may be in for a wild ride!

This also means that my health continues to improve. I know I have not gone into the details of my health, but rest be assured that I am still striving to get my physical and mental strength back to 150%, as it used to be. The concerts back in April in Vancouver and Montreal have been a step in the right direction. I now look ahead to my “triumphant” return to Paris. This will be my 5th or 6th time in under 3 years. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I’d be so lucky to travel this frequently.

The recital is part of the inaugural International Piano Amateurs Festival (IPAF). The masterminds behind this project are Dominique Xardel and Julien Kurtz. I met Julien at the Paris competition in 2006. It is a festival that celebrates the “piano amateur”. May I remind people again, that an amateur pianist is not a reference to the quality of playing, but rather that we have other careers in addition to our passion for music. There will be many finalists and winners of amateur piano competitions (Washington, Boston, Berlin, Paris, etc), of whom many are my good friends. I am looking forward to seeing everyone!

The concert will be recorded by Radio France, at Le Maison de Radio. I am excited to perform there, as the recording will be top-notch. I was a supporter of this festival right from its conception. The purpose is to bring amateur pianists from around the world together to share our love for music in a non-competitive environment. For more information on this great event, check out http://www.ipaf.fr.

I will also be travelling a little bit this trip. I will be heading to Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris then to Andalucia and the southern coast of France. Be sure to check in on my next blog! Here is a picture of Cadiz, one of the oldest cities in Western Europe. It is located in the south of Spain, where I will be in July! Can’t wait…