JAN SCHULMEISTER

At just 19 years of age, Jan Schulmeister (*2006) is one of the most exciting talents of the latest generation of Czech pianists. Victories at such events as the César Franck Piano Competition (Belgium 2019), the North International Music Competition (Sweden 2021), the Manhattan International Competition (USA 2022), or third prize at the prestigious Cliburn Junior Competition (USA 2023) attest to his exceptional abilities. His Supraphon debut is another step on his artistic journey, which promises an extraordinary future. We talked with Jan about his new album just before its release.

What is the significance of the Russian composers you chose for your Supraphon solo debut?

I feel very close to all aspects of the works I chose! I have been playing music by Rachmaninoff and Scriabin since my childhood. Their music enchanted me with its harmonic richness and creativity. As a whole, those three pieces shape the album’s dramaturgy, which is meaningful to me not only musically, but also personally. It contains a balance of form and inner content, as well as a richness of expressive nuances, ranging from the epic imagery of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition or the deep introspection and subtle touch of spirituality in Scriabin’s preludes to Rachmaninoff’s Moments Musicaux, where the individual pieces exhibit shades of expression from songful or lyrical moods to tempestuous drama.

What challenges did you have to overcome in interpreting compositions as different as Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and Scriabin’s Etude in C sharp minor?

Every new composition I learn to enrich my repertoire demands patience for overcoming certain challenges, whether a purely technical challenge or a challenge of a manifestly personal, interpretive character (although I think these two aspects are more or less connected).

So what all did I have to overcome while learning these compositions? Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition is a massive, difficult work in the piano repertoire. It is a highly diverse world of tone painting and expression, requiring the personal expression of the work’s musical essence, where the psychological aspect of the composer’s state of mind also plays a major role. In an interpretation, it is very difficult to say everything that the work brings together, and to do what the music deserves by bringing everything to the surface. Here, Mussorgsky does not employ many refinements of textural invention. The piano writing here is, in fact, based on the period traditions of the latter half of the 19^th century, but the extraordinary originality of expression that he achieves using those conventional procedures is a big reason that the work is attractive to so many pianists—and to listeners as well, of course.

Scriabin’s Etude in C sharp minor, Op. 3, is clear proof that at age 15, Scriabin had already succeeded at shaping his own personal, easily recognisable style. That may be the reason why in his short lifespan he was able to progress from piano pieces explicitly inspired by Chopin to the most imaginative, most abstract, and most mystical dimensions unlocked by his later works. On first listening, it is a lovely little piece that does not strike listeners as being difficult, although the opposite is the case. But that is typical of Scriabin’s piano music in general.

How have participation and successes at international competitions like the Cliburn Junior Competition influenced your musical development?

The Cliburn Competition and its junior version for contestants up to age 17 are undoubtedly among the most prestigious and most legendary competitions in the world. Just the chance to compete was a huge honour for me, and also a challenge. The third prize I won gave me not only the chance to present myself on an international stage, but also opened the door for more amazing concert opportunities. It also was not the only competition where I have taken part. So far on my pianistic journey, I have take part in more than 40 competitions. I can say that competitions have helped me get concert experience and shape my musical personality.