FL: You speak Mandarin. Does Chinese music and culture impact your work?
BL: I think all these cultures surrounding me have an impact on me. Chinese would be the traditional side. I don’t want to go too deep into the psychological or philosophical aspect, but I feel like the history of Chinese culture – Confucianism, Taoism – is in my blood. I grew up in Canada, so I’m also heavily influenced by the openness and dynamism of North America. I have ties with Europe through my work, and from European culture I like to take historical refinement. You know, in Europe you can easily find something that’s 600 years old, while in Canada, objects that are 100 years old are considered ancient.
FL: Do you know how many times in the last months you’ve performed the Piano Concerto in E minor, Op. 11 – the piece you played in the finale of the Chopin Competition?
BL: I haven’t counted, but probably around 15 times…
FL: Tell me about your relationship with the concerto.
BL: Sometimes I love it, but at other times, I really hate it. But I never really get bored with it, as this relationship is always changing. I would never force myself to play something that I don’t want to play, basically.
FL: What about Piano Concerto No. 2 in F-minor, Op. 21?
BL: It’s one of my favourite pieces by Chopin. It was written before the 1st, but published later. It really shows his innocence. There is a very direct feeling, direct passion in it. The second movement is the most beautiful thing that he ever wrote. I didn’t play it in the finale for different reasons. I guess I feel more confident in the first. The second concerto requires more maturity from the pianist, and you need to devote more time to it to really understand what’s inside.
FL: Are you excited about the North American tour with the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra and Andrey Boreyko?
BL: Of course! I can’t wait to go to the beach! [laughs] We are going to play Piano Concerto in E minor seven more times in Florida, so I’m sure we’ve a lot of conversations and new inventions ahead of us.
FL: In comparison to other conductors, what is it like to work with Maestro Boreyko?
BL: When we had our rehearsals during the finals, the amount of attention he devoted was rather impressive. He really listened to the pianists. There were eight of us, each instrumentalist completely different. He adapts incredibly quickly. Playing with him feels safe and comfortable, and that’s probably the best feeling you can have as a pianist – to have somebody following you and listening to you. Each performance with him is different, so there’s a degree of spontaneity as well, which I like.
FL: Is there some venue you’d really like to perform at? Or perhaps someplace outside the traditional halls?
BL: That’s a good question, I’d have to think about it! Maybe the top of a mountain would be nice?
FL: Sounds great. Last question: Are you interested in the Chinese zodiac? You're a wooden ox, I checked.
BL: I’m actually an ox in both zodiacs, because I’m a Taurus in the Western zodiac too – it’s basically the same animal. It’s quite a good coincidence. That's why my nickname in Chinese is niu-niu which basically means ‘beef’. [laughs]