Debut: an interview with pianist and composer Talon Smith
Talon Smith is a pianist’s pianist. Each note matters. Shimmering virtuosity and thoughtful understanding support a seamless, selfless, musical communication that speaks to both head and heart. The winner of over 40 piano competitions, twenty-three year old Smith plays with a maturity beyond his years. These qualities alone earn him a place on world concert stages so it’s astonishing that he’s also a gifted composer. And it’s a testament to the quality of his compositions that he chose to avoid the traditional route of recording standard repertoire on his debut album and offer his own music instead.
TALON SMITH: DEBUT, which features his 24 Preludes, Opus 1 and Sonata in C Minor, Op. 2, is an open-hearted, beautifully crafted answer to those who dismiss all modern virtuosic piano music as dissonant and difficult to listen to. Smith’s music is drenched in the tonality of the 19th century. In his hands, youthful enthusiasm and soulful melodies remind listeners that classical music with a tune and a beat is still being written today. His music dances and mourns. Beautiful moments flow like water from his fingers. These pieces remind us that elegance, nobility, hope and graciousness are timeless. It’s an honor to feature Talon Smith and his music on No Dead Guys.
I understand that you began learning the violin at age 4, the piano at age 5, started composing at age 8, and that by age 14 you began competing in and winning piano competitions. What was it about making music that gave you such a singular focus at such a young age?
For as long as I can remember, classical music touched me deeply. Looking back at myself even when I was very young, I appreciated the structure and beauty of classical music and was intrigued by the ability of sound to evoke so many emotions. I resonate with music in ways I cannot put to words—it’s just a part of who I am. I also found making music to be fun. This was especially true where the piano was involved. The piano never felt like a workstation, but rather an opportunity to participate in something that I really enjoy.
Congratulations on having competed in and won over 40 piano competitions! In what ways do you feel they contributed to your current career as a concert pianist and composer? Also, did you ever find competitions musically restricting?
Thank you very much! One useful thing about competitions is that they motivate you to push yourself to your limits. You don’t want to leave anything on the table or to give the judges any reason to disqualify you. That can be both a blessing and a curse. There is certainly a motivation to win, and so it can be tempting to conform your performance to what you think the judges might expect of you rather than what you truly feel is most suitable to the music. But I ultimately think an artist’s art is their own. More important than pleasing the judges is being true to how you hear and feel the music because one of the greatest gifts to your audience and yourself is authenticity. Still, I’m grateful for the season of my life when I participated in these competitions. I feel that my time in competitions was extremely valuable. I grew a great deal as a musician in the course of competition preparations, and I know that this growth will remain with me throughout my post-competition career. I also met some of the finest musicians in the world, many of whom I hold dear to my heart as friends and/or mentors.
As a 23-year-old pianist raised in the Central Valley of California, you were exposed to all forms of music. What was it about classical music that spoke to you so deeply that you chose to make it your career?
All genres of music certainly have their strengths, but none of them reach the expressive heights attained in classical music. I think it was the emotional depth of classical music that captured my heart. Of course, I wouldn’t have called it that when I was a young child, but looking back I can see that classical music excited me because of the feelings it inspired.
Your expressive, virtuosic playing more than earns you a spot on the world’s concert stages, regardless of what you perform. When you’re not performing your own music, which composers do you feel most at home playing?
I can usually find myself feeling at home playing virtually any of the greats. Particularly, I love playing the music of Chopin. The lyrical beauty of his oeuvre has never been surpassed, in my view, at least where the piano is concerned. I’m also astounded by Mozart’s work and would like to program it more frequently in my concerts.
How has your compositional life influenced your concert work, and how does your concert career influence your compositions?
The most obvious way my compositional life has influenced my concert work is that I usually try to perform at least one of my compositions in any given recital. Conversely, the fact that I am a concert pianist inspires me to write mostly piano music so I can include it in my concert programs. (That being said, I also write for other instruments from time to time—and I have composed a piano concerto that I intend to perform in an upcoming concert season.) Thinking as a composer has helped me to better understand the music that I perform, and my time spent at the piano has given me greater insight into how to write for the piano.
In another interview you stated, “I like making good music. I want to make the best music that I can—for myself and for my audience.” Can you elaborate on this?
I love music, and so when I learn a new piece for a concert or compose new music, I’m motivated to give it not only my best effort, but create a shared experience with my audience. Music is a language that has the ability to communicate in ways words cannot, so when I perform, I want my audience to experience something rather than merely spectate.
You’ve also been quoted as saying, “I don’t care what you do, even playing classical music can be spiritual music because it glorifies God.” How has your faith directed both your performing and composing careers and why do you feel that music is a language through which to glorify God?
Ultimately, I think music is a language that glorifies God because God created music. David the Psalmist often dedicated his Psalms to “the chief Musician”—many Bible scholars believe this epithet to refer to God Himself. Music is a gift to humanity that allows us to express and experience emotions that cannot be described by words, and its beauty reflects the even higher beauty of its Creator. My faith influences my musical career in the sense that I strive to perform and compose music with excellence, not only for my physical audience, but also as an offering of thanksgiving to the chief Musician. I do want to emphasize that these are my personal beliefs, but I also know that those who believe differently share the same musical experiences. Music is a universal language for all to participate in and enjoy equally.
Congratulations on the release of your first recording, TALON SMITH: DEBUT. Why did you choose to feature your own music on this album rather than standard classical repertoire?
Thank you! It’s been an exciting project. I featured my own music because someone had to be the first to record it—so why not me? I hope others will record it someday, and I also look forward to releasing subsequent albums featuring other composers’ music.
TALON SMITH: DEBUT is a beautiful album, both for your masterful playing but also for your lyrical, well-crafted music that is firmly rooted in 19th century Romanticism and classical forms. Tell me a bit about your choice to make music this way in a world drenched in modern sounds and experimental techniques.
I deeply appreciate your kind words. It’s interesting, I don’t necessarily feel like I made a conscious choice to hearken back to Romanticism when I composed the Preludes or the Sonata—I just wrote what I heard. That being said, I do generally prefer the harmonic language of Romanticism. I like plenty of modern-sounding music as well, but I never find myself inspired to write in that style. When I compose, I hear more consonant harmonies and lyrical melodies. But I do enjoy occasionally composing in rhythmic patterns more closely associated with modern music. I think there’s a lot to explore in the marriage of consonant harmony with modern rhythm.
In both your Sonata and your 24 Preludes, I was struck by how you fearlessly embrace exuberance and joy in your music and how you well you express sentiment without ever being overtly sentimental. How much of your music is melody driven and how much does form dictate what you write?
Thank you—that compliment means a lot to me because the line between focused expression and oversentimentality is a fine one. With regard to your question, I would say that form is essential to my compositional style. I would consider my music largely melody driven, but structure is key in my mind because it has so much to do with the passage of time.
We wouldn’t have music without the passage of time. And much of the expression in music derives from the use of pauses for rhetorical effect. By pauses, I don’t necessarily mean silence, but I use the term more generally to refer to breaks between melodies. It’s a lot like public speaking; sometimes pauses serve to emphasize a point, but overuse of pauses defeats this purpose, while underuse of pauses dilutes an argument. Also, pauses cannot be too regular because this destroys momentum. Form in music, at its most essential, is the means by which music becomes a language rather than a cacophony of noise. And everything must be carefully plotted out so that it sounds effortless and natural in performance.
Your 24 Preludes feature very short pieces and I understand that they are meant to be played as a set. Given the brevity of each piece and the rapid mood changes between them, how would you advise other performers to approach the energy shifts between movements when they perform this collection?
Timing is everything. Some Preludes will require a winding-up or winding-down period, others are more effective when plunged into suddenly, and still others feel almost like an extension of those that come before. Ultimately, the performer has to go with how the music makes him feel.
Do you offer sheet music for your music? If so, where might we purchase it?
Absolutely! You can purchase the sheet music for the Preludes and the Sonata on my website.
What current or future plans are you most excited about?
I’m probably most excited about finishing and publishing some more compositions. I won’t divulge any details at this moment, but I do have some new music on the way that I look forward to including in future concert programs and perhaps a commercial recording in the not-too-distant future. I think I enjoy concertizing the most since that’s when I get to connect with people, both during and after performances, about music that we share a common interest in.
What advice can you offer other young musicians seeking to be both performers and composers?
Don’t be afraid to explore both worlds! You may have been told that it’s not possible in the modern world for a musician to be both a performer and a composer. But I feel that I have benefited as a musician by pursuing both these forms of musical art. There is no reason why a musician should limit himself to one form of expression. I also would encourage young composers to be true to their own voice. Write what you hear, not what others expect of you.
Internationally acclaimed, award-winning 23-year-old virtuoso pianist and composer Talon Smith inspires audiences with his emotionally moving, intensely poetic, impeccably colored, and technically stunning performances. Talon won his first international competition at age 14. From there, his career continues to soar with an abundance of triumphant achievements including garnering more than 40 top prizes—1st place almost exclusively—in over 40 competitions.
Most recently, Talon became a “two thumbs up” Gramophone favorite winning their highest praises—they described Talon as a “master pianist with an old soul...lifting the music...into the opera house, as if there were a great orchestra in tow.” In addition, 24 Preludes, Op. 1 by Talon Smith was just published in January 2023. Laura Brodian, Announcer/Producer of KMozart Radio, wrote, Talon Smith’s “24 Preludes, Op. 1 are a stellar addition to the piano repertory. I foresee them as quickly being popular and becoming a must-study for serious students of piano and composition.”
Talon has performed many sold-out concerts as a soloist, chamber musician, and guest artist with various orchestras resulting in extremely enthusiastic audiences in America, Europe, and Asia.
Talon is a private student of Eduardus Halim and Piotr Paleczny. He has participated in numerous masterclasses and/or lessons with outstanding pianists, including Garrick Ohlsson, Dang Thai Son, Sergei Babayan, Natalia Trull, Jerome Lowenthal, Kevin Kenner, Ewa Pobłocka, Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń, Olga Kern, Alexander Korsantia, Awadagin Pratt, Simone Dinnerstein, John Rink, Margarita Shevchenko, Oxana Yablonskaya, William Grant Naboré, and Boris Slutsky.