Fazıl Say

In past centuries, it was nothing out of the ordinary to be a composer and interpreter at the same time: Mozart and Beethoven were; we know that Bach was a brilliant improviser on the organ, and piano legends like Chopin or Liszt wrote most of their compositions for their own hands. But this double talent seems largely to have disappeared in today’s generation of pianists – with one notable exception: Turkish pianist Fazıl Say has been in the limelight for some years now with unconventional interpretations and compositions from his own pen. Improvisation has formed part of his daily musical programme since his childhood, and in this way he ensures that he always has a fresh approach to well-known pieces.