Catching up with #AmericanPianistsAwards finalist Steven Lin | #TeamSteven
When we last checked in with American Pianists Awards finalist Steven Lin, he was at home in Philadelphia putting in long hours for practice and telling us about some of his inspirations including friends, teachers, 20th-century music and basketball. Since joining this special cadre of finalists, he has been busy traveling the world, while finding practice time in any available venue. Along the way he also learned to make a mean s’more—read on!
Steven traveled to the Rocky Mountains in July for Bravo Vail, named a “Top 10 ‘Can't Miss’ Classical Musical Festival in the US” by NPR. Outside of his performance dates, he found time to make friends with the Aspen Police patrolling the beautiful mountains:
2013 American Pianists Awards winner Sean Chen’s Labor Day wedding ceremony to his bride, violinist Betty Zhou, drew a supremely talented crew to Connecticut. Among the attendees joining Steven were American Pianists Association CEO & Artistic Director Joel Harrison and fellow Awards finalist Henry Kramer:
Last month, Steven spent some time in New York City. On September 14, he and the other four finalists gathered as a group for the first time at Steinway & Sons headquarters for lunch and a career workshop.
During the workshop, one topic of discussion was an artist’s need to promote his individuality—what are the distinguishing characteristics among artists who all demonstrate mastery of technical playing skills? Creativity, beauty, uniqueness and artistic growth are important. Connecting with audiences on a more personal level is also a critical need.
Following the mission of the American Pianists Association, the aim of this blog series is to assist our finalists in promoting their stories to a broader audience. Additionally, Steven actively seeks out other opportunities to gain exposure. This video from Performance Today is a fine example:
Back in New York on the evening of September 14, all five musicians performed for a gathering of media and industry VIPs at Steinway Hall:
At the end of September, finalist Henry Kramer performed the first Premiere Series concert of the 2017 Awards. Steven, Alex Beyer, Sam Hong and Drew Petersen joined Henry in Indianapolis the next day for a fundraising event, and each finalist met his host family for the competition. After the event, Steven joined a small group around the campfire to roast marshmallows and enjoy the unique camaraderie that develops among the finalists during the 13-month long competition:
Most recently, Steven has been in Korea performing and sightseeing:
Finally, here are a few more shots from the summer found on Steven’s Instagram:
Steven returns to Indianapolis next month for his first juried performance of the American Pianists Awards. Through long hours of practice and a busy performance schedule, he should be in top form for his solo recital and concerto with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra on November 6. We can’t wait to welcome him back!
