debussy solo piano performance

Question

I apologize if this is not the proper forum, but it does seem like the crowd I am looking for.

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I am an amateur piano performer, focusing exclusively on assorted Debussy piano works for the last several years. I am at a point where I have several strong pieces that I want to really polish. Since I am not an expert on Debussy interpretation, I often refer to other performers for direction.

I have been listening to several professional recordings for each piece, all through digital recordings (spotify). Live recordings are the most helpful but usually have AT LEAST minor quality problems (someone coughing). Studio recordings sound the best, but it is harder to feel out the original sounds from the engineered sounds.

While digital recordings have been extremely useful, I think I need to take the next step: attend concert performances. Finding these has proven to be more of a challenge than I thought. I have found a few, but they are all European performers (my budget limits me to the US).

The Question(s)

• Can you provide known concert pianists, who tour in the US, with focus on Debussy solo works?

• If you really want to find specific performances for concert piano (even if not Debussy), how do you track down venues/dates?

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I was really hoping there was a better way than crossing my fingers that something shows up at nearby venues.

Answer 1

There are many sites that list upcoming live performance. This page for example lists all upcoming concerts involving Debussy in the entire world, including the US.

As for picking the "right" pianist in that mix, this is more of a difficult and very much personal question as it will depend of what you are after. I personally stay away from the "best" interprets and "experts" in a given composer and look instead for a diversity of interpretations, as there is (almost) as much to learn from listening to something you don't like and understanding what it is that does not work for you, as there is to listen to an interpretation that pleases you.

If you don't feel like wasting a trip to a concert that may disappoint you, you can always listen to recordings from the interprets of these upcoming concerts I pointed you to, and decide among them which ones you would like to listen to in person.