Andrea Lam, a native of Sydney, Australia, went to the MLC School, a private day school in Sydney. She started playing piano when she was 5 years old and “can’t remember life before I played the piano.
Lam has her undergraduate degree from the Yale School of Music. At Yale, she studied with Boris Berman and won the Woolsey Hall Competition.
She received her master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music. There, she studied with Arkady Aronov and won the Roy M. Rubenstein award.
In 2009, she was a semifinalist at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Also that year, she was the silver medalist in the San Antonio Piano Competition.
She is with Astral Artists.
Lam will be the guest artist with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra on Saturday.
We spoke to Lam last week about her life as a professional classical pianist. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Did your parents make you take lessons?
No. I was very curious about the piano. My mum played a little at home and when I was little, I kept on asking her to teach me. Eventually, she found a teacher for me and the rest is history.
Do you feel you lost part of your childhood because you were inside playing piano while your friends were playing outside?
Although piano was a very significant part of my childhood, it wasn’t all I did. I loved school and having fun with friends.
Was there another instrument you would have liked to play?
I would love to play percussion. However, one of the best aspects of being a pianist is that we are able to play with almost every other instrument. I love exploring the different timbres and colors of other instruments and one of my great joys is playing with singers, string players, wind players, brass players, percussion.
What is the one thing you did to get out of practicing that you got in trouble?
We had to learn scales for exams in Australia and my teacher told me I had to do 20 minutes a day to prepare for the exam. I would change the clock to fast forward time when I was practicing scales -- but I never got caught!
When did you decide that playing professionally was the thing you wanted to do?
I always loved music, but only thought about doing it professionally toward the end of high school.
Do you remember your first professional performance? How old were you and were you nervous?
My first big performance was of the Shostakovich “Second Concerto” with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra when I was 13. It was nationally televised and very exciting. I wasn’t nervous -- just excited and wondrous about the thought of playing with an orchestra with all of the sounds and colors only an orchestra can make. The nerves grew more with age.
Before playing with a symphony like you’ll be doing here in Columbus, how long do you rehearse?
It varies. For this performance, we start rehearsals on the day before the concert.
Have you played the Barber piece before? Is it part of your repertoire?
I played it in 2003 with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Michael Christie. It is a wonderful piece -- full of beautiful melodies and energy.
I’ve always wondered: How do you and the conductor decide on what piece you’ll play. Did CSO conductor George Del Gobbo give you several choices?
I was contacted by Mr. (former executive director JJ) Musgrove, who asked me to play the Barber. Usually, the piece is determined through discussions between the conductor and soloists or what works best in the program.
If you could play anything, what would it be?
As a pianist, I’m incredibly fortunate to have such a wide and varied selection of music to choose from. It would take many lifetimes to explore all of the repertoire, so I tend to love whatever I’m playing at the time. It is great because I have a short attention span. At the moment, it’s Barber, Mendelssohn, Prokofiev and Granados. Some all-time favorites are Schumann, Mozart and lots of modern music.
What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?
I love music and performing. I would love to have a good balance of concerto performances, recitals and chamber music. If I’m still doing that in 10 years, I’ll be happy.
What’s your favorite part about traveling and performing?
I love meeting new people and exploring new cities. It always amazes me how foreign some places feel, but there is the common thread of music that brings everyone together. Also, I love eating and wine, so it is always fun to go to places and experience different cuisines.
What’s your least favorite part about traveling and performing?
Jet lag is sometimes problematic.
When will you get here, and how much time will you get to rehearse?
I arrive on Friday afternoon and we rehearse in the evening.
In the hotel, if you wanted to go over a certain part, how do you practice?
They (the symphony) have given me access to the piano in the hall while I’m there. But, I long for the impossible -- it would be amazing to travel with my instrument and be able to play whenever I’d like to.
