Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Woods.
Hi Brian, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up with what one might call a fairly standard middle class upbringing, with a bit of an overachiever twist. I worked hard in school, goofed off during the summer, played video games with my brother, acted out plays with my sister. Piano for me was something everyone did, at least for a little while. My siblings and I all took lessons from my grandmother and I learned how to read music out of necessity for a summer program. I only practiced when I had to, I much preferred sight reading Mozart and songs from my favorite musicals. I was no prodigy.
But I loved music. Pop, musical theater, classical, opera, bluegrass, you name it. When the time came for me to choose a college major, I chose piano performance only because I couldn’t think of anything else and knew I would probably end up exploring pre-law.
Everything changed when I won the concerto competition (a performance competition determining who performs as soloist with the student orchestra) my freshman year at Vanderbilt University. Suddenly, I began thinking, “maybe I’m good at this, maybe someone wants to hear what I have to say through piano playing.” I threw myself into my music, mastering the most epic and challenging pieces of the classical repertoire.
Working hard is one thing, finding the right opportunities is another. In 2017, at age 25, my life again changed completely. First, I won the Artist Presentation Society Auditions in St. Louis, one of the most prestigious performance awards in the region. Then, I began studying under my mentor John O’Conor, one of the most recognized piano teachers on the planet and one of the greatest living interpreters of Beethoven. These opportunities, combined with success in some international competitions and the courage to introduce myself to the right people, have transformed my life into an extraordinary journey all over the world as a professional concert pianist. Whether I’m performing a solo recital in Toronto, headlining with an orchestra in Virginia, or competing in Italy, I am constantly amazed at how far I’ve come from that kid sightreading Phantom of the Opera on Sunday afternoons.
I’ve even begun my journey as an artistic director, having been recently appointed Music Director for Classical Programming at the World Chess Hall of Fame in the Central West End. The sky’s the limit!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No musician can say the road is easy, each one of us has our own struggles, challenges, and moments of doubt. It’s a difficult life, to say the least. You have to have the passion and determination to make it work no matter what, but also the courage to walk away if your art is no longer making you happy or providing you with any quality of life.
There’s always a competition that didn’t go the way we wanted or a performance that didn’t receive the kind of accolades we felt it deserved. A global pandemic certainly doesn’t help, either. But I found that struggles provide clarity, I make the choice every day to follow my dream and make it a reality.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a classical concert pianist, I perform solo recitals, concertos with orchestras, and collaborative performances with singers and other instrumentalists.
While the music I perform is often very old, I am well-known for helping audiences understand classical music better, encouraging listeners to think about the pieces I play in very relevant, engaging ways. For example, I have toured the Midwest this season with a program called “Tragedy and Triumph,” a solo recital exploring how classical composers used music to cope with difficult times in their lives. Sure, Beethoven’s Appassionata sounds intense and exciting, but how much more personal and beautiful can it be when we realize he wrote the piece shortly after considering suicide? Instead of just a brooding, passionate piece of music, we hear an anthem to overcoming the dark times in our lives. It’s incredibly moving!
No one should feel dumb at a concert. My proudest moment was when I performed Samuel Barber’s Piano Sonata, a notoriously thorny and potentially confusing musical experience, at a small church in rural Virginia. A woman approached me and said, “I didn’t enjoy that music very much, but I understood why it sounded that way and I never felt confused.” What a powerful moment!
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I have many wonderful childhood memories, but I vividly recall the music we listened to on our annual family roadtrips to northern Michigan. James Taylor, Dolly Parton, and Earth Wind and Fire were a few favorites, I managed to listen to some Barbra Streisand and Wilhelm Kempff on my own time.
Contact Info:
- Email: brian@brianwoodspianist.com
- Website: www.brianwoodspianist.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianwoodspianist/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brianwoodspianist
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bwoodspiano
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf8SIx0m7ME&ab_channel=BrianWoods
