Dutch pianist Liam Nassereddine (12) won the Royal Concertgebouw Competition on Sunday, a competition for musical talent between the ages of 9 and 14. Liam’s sister Amy (11, saxophone) was also one of the six finalists. They live in the Belgian town of Hamont-Achel, just across the border south of Eindhoven. Liam is in the second year of the bilingual VWO at Het College in Weert.
What was it like to win the final in the Concertgebouw?
“I didn’t expect it at all. Everyone played very well and I thought that there were still some things that could be improved. The award ceremony was a real surprise.”
Have you been playing the piano for a long time?
“About six years. At first I just played a little, half an hour a day. But a year and a half ago I got chest pains and it turned out I had a congenital heart defect, my carotid artery was pinched. I immediately had to undergo open heart surgery and because I couldn’t do anything I listened a lot to classical music on my headphones. Especially to the Sonate Pathétique van Beethoven, which I was practicing before my operation. Then it occurred to me that I wanted to be a concert pianist.”
Have you fully recovered?
“Fortunately. And because I had to undergo that operation, my parents gave me a grand piano. I had seen it once when I went with my uncle to a piano shop, but it was actually much too expensive.”
Do you still want to become a concert pianist?
“Yes. My mother said: concert pianists practice at least three hours a day, do you want that? So since I can play again I practice three hours a day. I almost always like it, but I also do it when I don’t feel like it.”
Where do you take lessons?
“Since this school year I have been studying every Saturday at the Young Musicians Academy in Tilburg with Hülya Keser. She is very nice and a very good teacher. She teaches me technique, but especially how to play something. For example, she says that a piece is as deep as the ocean or as high as the sky. That suits me well, I always have a certain feeling with different parts of a composition, for example hope or disappointment.”
Your sister Amy was also in the final. Do you come from a musical family?
“My mother studied Music in Education at the conservatory. I am the eldest of four children and she introduces us all to the piano. But Amy didn’t like playing the piano, she switched to recorder and when her teacher brought a saxophone, she wanted it. She used to play a rental sax with broken valves, but my grandfather promised to buy her a nice saxophone if she kept it up, and she has one now. Amy is also at the Young Musicians Academy.”
Do you also play together?
“Yes! We actually wanted to participate in the Concertgebouw Competition as a duo, but that is only solo. I did guide Amy through the finale. And recently we also participated in the Archipel Muziekconcours in Muziekgebouw Eindhoven. I won first prize and together we came third.”
Who are your musical heroes?
“I think Fazil Say is a great composer and pianist. I have his work black earth played during the final: it starts with very dark sounds, you really have to push the hammers into the strings. You can put a lot of feeling into it. My favorite pianist is Lang Lang. Everything he plays is beautiful. On June 1st we were at his concert in the Concertgebouw, there were a lot of people, but because he is interested in young talent I was allowed to take a picture with him. He was very nice.”
What did you want to be before you wanted to be a concert pianist?
“I think inventor or something.”