Music & Me with … Igor Longhi

- 01 Apr 2017 -

Image: Igor Longhi, pianist and composer from Trieste, Italy

When were you first introduced to music?

I started to study music and play the piano, when I was 7.  As a family we’d just moved from the big city (Trieste) to a small town, and it was there that I fell in love with the sound of the harmonium (aka reed organ) that I heard being played in the local church.  Seeing my enthusiasm, my parents approached the organist and the next thing I knew I was having some lessons. It was true love … and it unleashed a passion that has evolved since that very first day I stepped into the church as a young boy.

Tell me about your favourite music teachers.

Over the years, I have had a good many different teachers. But the one whose memory I carry most deeply in my heart is Alessandro Bojkow, who helped prepare me for admission into the Conservatory “Giuseppe Tartini” here in Trieste.

Alessandro was totally in love with music, and his teaching style was absolutely perfect for me. During our piano lessons, we had time for classical, jazz and rock as well. It was this wide outlook to different genres and techniques that definitely helped me become open minded about music in the largest definition of the term. What’s more, he was the first person to teach me that absolutely everything can be represented with the piano. Any melody, any arrangement… any feeling, without exceptions. I’m very grateful to him for everything he taught me.

What are your fondest musical memories?

Well, for sure, one of my fondest memories is the first time I played on a big stage to an audience of almost 3.000 with my reggae band – Makako Jump. I was scared and excited at the same moment with pure adrenaline pumping through my veins. The energy that flowed between us and the audience was just amazing.

Another great memory I have was the day I got to hold in my hands the master copy of my first piano solo work, The Flow. It signalled the start of a new musical life … a more introspective and deeper journey into music.

What is your favourite TV theme tune and film soundtrack?

Without any doubt my favourite theme is the one Bonetti used to play at the end of the episodes in Tequila & Bonetti TV show.

What was the last download/ CD that you bought?

This was John Williams Conducts John Williams: The Star Wars Trilogy (Star Wars, The Emperor Strikes Back, Return of The Jedi). And wow, it’s genius.

You have been given a voucher for £250.00 (say €275.00) to spend on equipment, CDs, DVDs or tickets. How will you spend it?

I would definitely spend that money on concert tickets. For me, concerts are brilliant for learning new things … whether that’s the music itself, the actual show, or indeed anything else related to music … and because concerts feed the soul.  It’s something about the energy transmitted between artist and listener that I find so compelling and enjoyable.

How do you balance your music with other obligations?

This is really the toughest part. I have a full time job and two small children, one is 6 years old. and the other is only 18 months. This means that the little time I have for playing, studying, or composing music is mostly limited to evenings or nights!

Happiness is … A stranger that smiles at you in the street.

LINKS

Web: http://www.igorlonghi.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/igorlonghipiano

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/igor_longhi

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7m19QokImp5BPScQNdfBpW


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