The Balance of Confidence and Preparation

Ever had one of those “I’m a total failure, and I’m never going to be invited to play with these folks again” moments?

In this month’s chat, pianist Orli Shaham shares a deeply personal story about a performance at the Spoleto Festival in Italy, where rehearsals went so badly, that the piece she prepared was pulled from the program. It felt like a “complete failure” at the time, but the experience prompted her to evaluate her preparation process. Which eventually led to one of her career highlights - a performance of John Adams’s first piano concerto, in Carnegie Hall, where Adams came onstage during the applause and gave her the greatest compliment she could have asked for, as he said “You got it. You really got it.”

If you’ve ever struggled with feeling out of your depth, this episode is for you.

Get all the nerdy details right here:
Orli Shaham: On Overcoming Setbacks and Learning to Trust the Process

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