by Alexis Harrison
At the age of
nineteen, Jane Coop won First Prize in the CBC’s national radio competition and
prizes at New York’s Kosziusko Foundation Competition and the Washington
International Competition. Recital debuts at Wigmore Hall and Carnegie Recital
Hall and performances with the Toronto Symphony, the Calgary Philharmonic, the
Victoria Symphony and the CBC Vancouver Orchestra were followed by a tour as
soloist with the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Canada. Subsequently she has
played in over twenty countries and been a jury member for the Governor
General’s Performing Arts Awards, the Glenn Gould Prize, the Hnatyshyn
Foundation Developing Artists Grants and various Canada Council grant awards. Three
of her many critically successful recordings have earned Juno nominations and
in 2012, Jane Coop was appointed to the Order of Canada.
Nanaimo Conservatory of Music: to whom or what do your credit
your childhood interest in becoming a musician? I understand your sister is
also musical and won a national award for piano. If it’s something of a family
tradition or something your parents originally orchestrated, what about outside
of the home? Did public school or a Conservatory (or similar organization) have
any part in it?
Jane Coop: think it was actually a few different things.
Although they weren’t musicians, my parents were ardent music lovers who took
us to the symphony and introduced us to the great composers. We weren’t under
any pressure from them to become professionals; in fact, I think they were
amazed that not one, but both their daughters studied music to the extent that
we did! I also have to credit my excellent early teachers: as a twelve year
old, for example, I studied with a young woman who had just graduated from Julliard. She
had a great sense of humor and she just made music fun. As I grew older, the local chapter of Jeunesses Musicales
became a cornerstone of my musical network. We gathered in members’ homes for
house concerts, listening sessions, and discussion groups. I really felt like I
was part of a community of like-minded people there, unlike at my high school,
which was heavily sports-oriented. I didn’t make it known that I played piano
and even picked up the double bass to play in orchestra: just so that nobody
knew that side of me! Because I didn’t have a conservatory or a high school of
the arts-type experience in my own adolescence, running summer camps for
teenagers has brought me immense satisfaction.
NCM: to speak to that last point, the
so-called decline in popular interest in classical music is constantly
mentioned in the media and cutting arts programs is often cited as a factor. Do
you think this is a real threat to the art form, and if so, what do you think
we can do about it?
JC: what interests me is that in the face of all these cuts and negative statistics, I have never seen so many amazing young musicians out there finding innovative ways to make it work. It’s become a given that big concert performances alone won’t guarantee you a career—unless you’re Lang Lang—and so people have taken to smaller venues, smaller audiences, and other alternatives, like playing in bars and restaurants. I think this is actually a good thing as far as revitalizing classical music goes, because when there are only thirty people in a room, every single person is engaged. You can’t not feel a profound connection to what’s happening, unlike in a massive symphony hall. Actually, some very memorable recitals for me took place in a Norwegian coffee shop and a bar in Berlin!
NCM: your biography really can’t be
matched in Canada and you’ve ostensibly cemented your place in our country’s
musical history, but I read that you’re in the process of removing yourself
from the teaching world in order to perform more. Having kept a “day gig” in
academia for three decades, do you think your second debut as a full-time
performing artist will be different? Do you find yourself more open to risks or
new directions?
JC: I’m actually all done! It was a three year
transition and I am now officially out of UBC. I absolutely loved teaching,
especially being part of the academic community because it granted me access to
a high standard of diverse, non-musical thinking. It’s invaluable as a musician
to keep a sense of perspective, and talking to experts in other fields really
helps. Although I always thought that a university career would be a good
thing, I didn’t really have a plan on getting there, until one day in Toronto I
walked past a notice board with the job posting. I had family in Vancouver and
thought, why not? Thirty years later, I consider myself equal parts performer
and educator.
That being said, it’s time to re-immerse myself in playing. I don’t foresee any radical twists in my career, but I do need space to focus on my own projects, instead of trying to cram recording sessions into my winter breaks, for instance. Also, my husband and I bought a little place in New York City and I’ve been taking advantage of this new freedom to collaborate with the talented musicians there. So, I guess my departure from academia isn’t a case of taking new things on, so much as taking old burdens off.
NCM: as a born and raised Canadian,
can you share any insights you’ve gained from performing internationally; for
example, how do audiences differ by culture? In general, how do you think
Canadians match up in terms of mainstream views towards classical music or the
arts? From a musician’s perspective, is it better or worse abroad?
JC: I have noticed a few general trends: in Western
Europe and North America, concertizing has less novelty. Audiences are passive
because they know what to expect and the experience is somewhat taken for
granted. That contrasts spectacularly with Eastern Europe, particularly before
the Wall came down. Even those who had never before heard my name came out in
droves, I think because they saw art and beauty as necessary to keep morale up.
I haven’t experienced such attentiveness as I did in St. Petersburg: imagine an
enormous concert hall full of riveted people. Once again, I had an utterly different experience in China. That country is producing some of the top musicians in the world right now, but there doesn’t seem to be a great concert culture. Audience members talk over the music, get up to leave midway through a piece, and often won’t even applaud. I gave a master class and the students, who were incredible musicians, played to a seemingly indifferent room, so I ended up coaching their audience on how to clap.
In general, I really like to play small concerts, even in people’s houses. They’re great for trying out new programmes and the emotional connection is invaluable. One of my favourite performances ever was in rural northern Manitoba, where I played in a pizzeria owner’s living room for a crowd of people who otherwise spend their free time hunting and fishing. It was amazing! They were so appreciative and genuinely cared about the music, as evidenced by them driving for hours to be there. There’s nothing better than that.
NCM: on a somewhat non-music related
note, I’ve read that you enjoy hiking and making the best of living on the West
Coast. “Serious” musicians are sometimes glamorized in film as having love-hate
relationships with their instruments, serious emotional issues, or even
sometimes substance abuse problems. You’re clearly someone who likes fresh air:
is this a completely separate part of your life in music, with all its accompanying
intensity or does being active in nature play some sort of role?
JC: I find all sorts of ways to get out there. Growing
up in Calgary allowed me to hike in the Rocky Mountains and life on the West
Coast also certainly lends itself to that pursuit. I even built a kayak! I was
guided by an expert in his shop at Granville Island (and, yes, it is seaworthy).
I do think that reconvening with nature plays a role in my musical practice.
The mountains and the ocean inspire in a way that the great churches of Europe
do. Overcome by their magnificence, you’re struck with the fundamental need to
express that, to try to reflect it in your art. I think that the sublime in the
natural world is very similar to that found in practicing piano and creating
beauty with music.
NCM: finally, a little about the
music: you’ve been referred to as “Canada's premier Mozart pianist,” but
there’s no Mozart on your Nanaimo programme--and that’s ok! Can you tell our
students a little bit about how you curate your concerts? Is there a piece
we’ll hear that is a particular favourite of yours?
JC: I actually don’t really self-identify as a “Mozart
pianist,” although 18th Century Music Person might be right! Yes, I
love Mozart, but also Beethoven and Haydn: their work speaks to me in a very
personal way. I’m also a big fan of the pianistic composers who came a little
later, too; such as Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, and Rachmaninoff. As far as my
Nanaimo programme goes, I’ve divided it into two. The first half includes
Beethoven’s Sonata in D major and four selected sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti,
which don’t require a fantastic piano to sound good: you could play them on an
upright and it would sing. The second half, on the other hand, will put the
Port Theatre’s Steinway to work: I’ve selected Brahms, Chopin, and Rachmaninoff,
each of whom reveled in the instrument and sought to fully explore its nuances.
I like that you use the word ‘curate’ when you ask
about planning my concerts. It is indeed comparable to the process of
researching, selecting, placing, and presenting works associated with art
galleries. I obsess over my programmes for days, weeks, and even during my
dreams. A good programme is crucial to maintaining the audience’s attention and
ensuring that the recital works as a cohesive whole with strong internal
structure. I consider what will grab my listeners from the start, just as I
plan what they’ll be hearing in their head as they leave. It’s one of the most
challenging aspects of my job! I’ll also take some time to speak a little about
the music, share some interpretation notes. I really look forward to the
Beethoven in particular, because it’s a sonata I’ve taught for years but didn’t
make part of my personal repertoire until quite recently. For ages, I just kept
putting it off: there were other pieces to learn, students to mentor, and administrative
emails to send. I’m happy to say that I finally got to it, and I’m thrilled to
perform it at the Port!
Nanaimo
Conservatory of Music presents JANE COOP, Sunday, February 16, 2:30pm at the
Port Theatre in Downtown Nanaimo. Tickets are available from the Port Theatre
Box Office at 250-754-8550. Observers are welcome to attend her master class
for advanced piano students, taking place the day before on Saturday, February 15 at
2:30pm at Nanaimo Conservatory of Music. The fee is $10 and you can call the
Conservatory at 250-754-4611 for more information or to make reservations.
