Imitation or Innovation

[Alisdair Hogarth]

Actually, I do think the influences with the biggest impact for me have come from within classical music, but often not necessarily through other pianists. Because I work with singers so much, that has really helped with keeping the melodic line flowing when I play, and breathing with the music too. In some ways, the jazz I've been working with recently has been a huge influence. Creating music at the same time as playing it makes you perform classical, written-out music in a different way; you kind of hear it through another pair of ears and you listen more deeply.