Neither playing the piano is just moving your fingers, nor is talent enough to make a living from classical music. Emma Stratton is very clear about this. After a year of consolidation with her first album, the Enderrock Award as a breakthrough artist, and her debut at the Palau de la Música Catalana, the pianist from Empordà returns this August.
We sit down with her to talk about the emotional management of musicians, the search for a differentiating trait, the role of marketing, and her mission to bring classical music to new audiences.
— On August 10, you are presenting a concert at the Palau de la Música. What will the audience who comes to see you find there?
— I am very excited to return for the second time. In summer, we have a diverse audience, with many tourists. When I choose the repertoire for such an occasion, I look to offer variety and contrast to connect with both regular music lovers and those who come for the first time.
It will be a very intense program. We will start with Schumann's Fantasy in C major, a poetic work of great romanticism, with a story behind it that I like to briefly explain before playing. We will continue with Prokofiev's Sonata No. 2, with a more aggressive, physical, and dissonant writing, where I feel very comfortable as a performer. And we will close with Liszt's Spanish Rhapsody, which combines virtuosity with very recognizable popular melodies that give it a festive air.
— This practice of interspersing brief explanations before each piece to contextualize the work is not something all performers do. What is your motivation?
— Within classical music, there is a permanent debate about how we can bring this genre closer to the public. I believe there is no single method or magic formula, but in my case, I feel very comfortable giving a brief introduction before playing. I started doing it a few years ago, and the audience's feedback is very positive.
They appreciate it very much because, besides listening to music they may or may not like, they better understand what is being performed. I don't give technical explanations; I simply explain who the composer was, the context of the work, or what is special about this music. I notice that people listen to it differently. It becomes a much more lively and participatory experience, where people feel part of the concert and not just a passive spectator.
It becomes a much more lively and participatory experience, where people feel part of the concert and not just a passive spectator.
— You collaborate with a foundation to offer concerts with a social purpose in northern Germany. What does this project consist of?
— I joined it during my master's degree in Hamburg, through the Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now foundation. Its mission is to bring top-level classical music to unusual spaces: schools, foundations and, above all, hospitals or nursing homes. It's an enormous human experience that makes you play in a much more conscious way.
I especially remember a center where the audience couldn't leave their rooms: we put the piano in the middle of the corridor and they listened to us from inside. It makes you realize how lucky you are. This music works almost like therapy for people who could never go to a conventional auditorium. Combining the Palau de la Música with these concerts is, for me, absolutely necessary.
— Do you think music can be a driver of social change, or is it just entertainment?
I believe it is a driver of change, yes. With everything that is currently happening in the world, sometimes it's easy to lose hope. A concert won't directly change a geopolitical situation or a conflict, but for the audience who comes, it's a moment to disconnect, reflect, meditate, and connect with beauty. It transports you to another place.
More than the definitive solution, music is the seed. If people who do evil listened to more music or consumed more art in general, the tools of reflection and imagination that culture gives you would perhaps prevent many of the things that happen. It is a very powerful tool for social change.
It is a very powerful tool for social change.
— You say you like to explore new formats within classical music. Such as?
I studied classical dance as a child and ended up getting my intermediate degree. At ESMUC, I saw that the combination of piano and dance was not at all common, and this training has served me both to have more body awareness —piano is a very physical discipline, it's not just moving your fingers— and to investigate doing projects with dancers, as I have recently done in Pals.
On the other hand, with the popularizer Xavier Chavarria, we do a very special format: we combine a small concert with a question and answer session where the audience can ask whatever they want, from details of the works to what our daily life is like. There is no need to make great excessive revolutions because music is already fantastic, but these small things —like explaining the pieces or dialoguing with people— enrich the experience and bring the audience much closer.
— These participatory sessions where people can ask questions, where have you held them?
It's a format that Xavier Chavarria created and where he invites different artists to very varied spaces. We have done it in Barcelona, Lleida, Sabadell, near Tarragona and in different CaixaForum centers in Catalonia, with the idea of extending this network to other cities like Zaragoza. More and more venues are asking for this type of meeting because it is a very close and friendly format. It makes the audience see that it's not just playing and leaving, but that they understand all the work behind a concert.
— Have you noticed that the audience attracted by this type of format is different from those who usually go to large venues?
Yes, it's very interesting because it opens you up to a different audience. There are people who have a strong tradition of going to the Palau de la Música or the Auditori, but there is another part of the audience that for different reasons doesn't usually go. When you play in these other spaces, you see new people who may not be as familiar with classical music.
The coolest thing is that some of these people, after meeting you in a more intimate format, have ended up coming to see me at the Palau. As musicians, our duty is to play in the big halls, but when you have the opportunity to perform in not-so-conventional spaces, you open the way. It's a way to show them that classical music is not a distant art, but accessible. I feel a bit with this mission.
— You have received master classes from very renowned international pianists. What have you learned from these masters?
I believe that in music we never stop learning. When I study at home, every day is different and you discover new things, and that's what keeps me motivated in a discipline that requires a lot of repetition.
Right now I make much more of masterclasses than a few years ago. Since I'm already in the professional world, I'm much more aware of how I play and why I do it. The last one I did, for example, was with Alexander Melnikov and it was very inspiring: you already have your way of doing things, but he tells you things that are like opening a window to other approaches. In music there isn't a single correct answer like in mathematics, there are always nuances. Nourishing yourself with these visions gives you tools to keep seeking excellence on your own path.
In music, we never stop learning.
— Last season you debuted at the Palau, released your first work, and won the Enderrock Award for best classical music revelation artist. How have you digested all this success so concentrated in one year?
It was a year of many things, of consolidation. When you receive recognition like an award or release your first album, beyond the joy, you feel a great reinforcement. You see that all the work and effort behind it have been worthwhile and have been taken into account. Seeing that people like what you do and want to keep seeing you grow is a shot of motivation and gives you a lot of strength to continue working every day.
— That was your first time at the Palau and now you're returning for the second time. How have you noticed the change compared to that debut?
That first invitation was an incredible opportunity and the concert went very well, I enjoyed it immensely. But when the proposal arrived, months before, I was very excited and at the same time a little scared. It was a recital in a very media-heavy space, everyone asks you how you feel and, obviously, there's pressure and expectation for it being a debut.
This second time, although there are always the usual nerves, I feel more comfortable and with more experience. A live performance is always unique and unpredictable, but since I'm more familiar with the hall and have already been through this, it doesn't impose on me as much and I think I'll enjoy it even more.
— In 2022 you formed a duo with violinist Abel Tomàs, from the Casals Quartet. What is your experience working in this chamber formation?
It's a very enriching project. For pianists, study and career are usually quite solitary, so dialoguing with another instrument and getting out of your own head is very beautiful. In chamber rehearsals you have to talk, justify your ideas and try different options; you receive constant inspiration from the other. In the concert it becomes a conversation in which the music comes out of you and stays alive with your partner before reaching the audience. For a pianist it is a totally recommendable experience, a parallel project that works very well and that we enjoy very much.
— How do you select the repertoire for these projects?
Choosing the repertoire is always a mix between what you like, what identifies you, and the actual demand of the programming. Sometimes they call you for a specific concert and you prepare a work that you didn't have in your repertoire. For example, this season we include Beethoven's Kreutzer sonata taking advantage of the author's anniversary, and for the next one we are moving a Schubert project coinciding with the bicentennial of his birth. Submitting the repertoire to demand is not just about playing well, but nowadays marketing and knowing how to offer attractive proposals for programmers is fundamental.
— Is this aspect of communication and personal marketing worked on during a musician's training?
Unfortunately not. When you enter the professional world you realize that musical training is indispensable, but it is not the only thing you need to make a living from it. Knowing how to defend your project, find contacts, have an updated website and take care of social media makes a difference. Nowadays, a lot of importance is given to the digital presence you generate or how many followers you have. Since there are many people who play incredibly well, you have to have visibility and find your differential feature. In my case, I like to comment on the works before playing them or contribute my vision from dance.
In addition to marketing, there is all the emotional, mental and physical management behind a concert: nerves, stress, preparation... Before it was a very taboo subject, but luckily now it is talked about more openly.
Nowadays, a lot of importance is given to the digital presence you generate or how many followers you have.
— How do you take care of this physical and mental part?
— I studied the Royal Academy of Dance method in Girona and I left it at 17 to focus on the piano. When I stopped exercising, my posture worsened and mentally I noticed it a lot. There I understood the importance of the body. Now I maintain a daily routine of yoga, exercise and meditation. It doesn't magically eliminate nerves, but it gives me powerful tools to manage pressure before going out to play.
I maintain a daily routine of yoga, exercise and meditation.
— Apart from your career as a performer, you are the promoter and artistic director of the Festival Clàssic Pals. How did this initiative come about?
I am from Pals and, when I finished my studies at ESMUC, I thought it was time to try to create a cultural project in the town. In Pals there is no conservatory or a great tradition of classical music, but there is a church with beautiful acoustics. With the support of the Cultural Association and the City Council, we launched the festival, which this year reaches its fifth edition. Beyond offering quality concerts with renowned artists and supporting local talent, the festival enriches the cultural life of the town and boosts tourism.
— How do you think the classical music sector is currently doing in Catalonia?
The balance is very positive. Our situation is often compared to that of Germany, where the classical tradition is very consolidated, but in Catalonia an enormous amount of work has been done in recent years. There are more and more festivals, auditoriums and venues that are committed to varied programming.
— And in Empordà?
In Empordà there is a lot of activity and several classical music festivals coexist, but I believe there is space for everyone. When each proposal finds its differential element, the public responds and the sector is fed back.
— What do you think should be done from the sector to bring classical music closer to young people?
It's a great challenge. Classical music requires patience, listening, reflection, and time; it cannot be easily reduced to the immediacy of a few-second video. However, when you explain the story behind a composition—for example, that the work speaks of a heartbreak the author was experiencing—the young audience connects in a much deeper and more emotional way. We must accept that classical music will always be a discipline for a more specific audience, but when new generations discover a live concert, the experience is usually very positive.
Classical music requires patience, listening, reflection, and time.
— And finally, with what feeling would you like the audience to leave your next concert on August 10?
I would like them to leave excited, having connected with the beauty of the music and feeling that these works, despite having centuries of history, have a direct and living message for them today.