Harriet Stubbs returned to Rye having just finished a concert series at The Cutting Room NYC. She played to a warm and appreciative audience at the parties to celebrate Phillips and Stubbs 30 years in the property business. She received rapturous applause on the two nights she played.
What was it like to return to Rye and play the piano after 22 years?
I last played in Rye in 1999 and it was lovely to be back. The audience was warm and welcoming. There were a lot of people who remembered me growing up, which was nostalgic.
I started playing when I was two-and-a-half and touring with concerts at the age of four. I never remember not playing.
What advice would you give a youngster starting out today and wanting to be a concert pianist?
I think you have got to really know why you want to do it and what you want to do with it. Be prepared to take pleasure in the journey as much as the result because it is a long journey. The journey itself teaches us so much as human beings and it is better to really immerse yourself in that journey rather than being goal-focussed. Enjoying all the lessons you learn along the way makes it more meaningful.
How many hours do you practise each day?
It really depends on how many programmes I am balancing. I travel a lot too, so it is never the same each day. It can be six to eight hours a day. Three or four hours a day is good for maintenance but ideally five to six.
Do you always play without music as you did at the weekend?
It depends upon the repertoire and how long I have had to internalise it. If it is chamber music, I will use music and very contemporary classical. My preference is from memory because it gives you a certain amount of freedom.
Do you have a special concert that stands out in your memory?
They are all special to me. They are exciting because you are giving your all each time.
Do you have a favourite venue to play in?
I just like the people that are in the audience. It really changes everything. You can feel their warmth and those are the most exciting to play to. You can feel the energy, you can pick up and receive it and give back too.
Do you have anything special on your bucket list that you want to do?
I always do have lots of big projects that I am working on and trying to achieve. During lockdown I was training to swim the English Channel. I want to help to rebuild coral reefs in the Caribbean. I have lots of projects to work on in the future.
Did you swim the Channel?
I am still training to be able to do that. Since lockdown I haven’t had the same amount of time to give to training, but I will do it one day.
Can you give me three words which sum you up?
Tenacious, audacious and compassionate.
What do you think your legacy will be?
I hope that it will be to have helped to develop classical music’s future into a viable, sustainable and flourishing profession for all that want those who want to go into it.
Natasha and her husband Sergio attended the party along with many other Rye couples and Natasha spoke to me after the concert, “Harriet’s talent is prodigious. She seemed as comfortable bringing Beethoven to life, as she did McCartney’s Blackbird, or Bowie’s Life on Mars. She made each piece sound as epic and masterful. I particularly love when modern music is heard through a classical variation. She reminded us that every era produces extraordinary musicians.”
Image Credits: Kt bruce .