After winning the 2006 Steinway Piano Concerto
Competition, Jeremy made his orchestral debut with Maestro Alan
Heatherington and the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra performing Prokofiev's
Piano Concerto No. 1. He made his European debut six months later with
the Czech National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Music Director
Maestro Paul Freeman. A repeat performance was given in 2007 with the
Chicago Sinfonietta at Symphony Center. An active composer as well as
performer, Jeremy's Fantasie No. 3 for piano won first place in the
Music Teachers' National Association's Young Composers Competition, and
his Nocturne for Piano, Oboe and Bassoon was premiered on NPR.
Jeremy studied piano with Matti Raekallio on the Howard & Ethel B. Ross Scholarship, the Bruno Raikin Memorial Piano Scholarship, and the Van Cliburn Scholarship at The Juilliard School.
Both of my parents are musicians. Some of my aunts, uncles, and cousins are also musicians. Since I was surrounded by it at an early age, it was only natural for me to join the club.
I hope that I can eventually create a genre of music that is widely popular, easily understood, and still artistically valuable. This is an enormous goal. If I reach it, I will be more than satisfied.
I love all music so much that it's very difficult for me to choose a favorite composer or piece. But the composer I most admire is Ludwig van Beethoven. After losing his hearing (perhaps the most important thing for a career in music) he continued to achieve unimaginable goals. Many people would have despaired, but Beethoven used his inner ear and his love for music to create some the most beautiful art the world has ever known. If he could surmount these difficulties, then so can we.
Just for kicks, some of my favorite pieces are Beethoven's Piano Sonatas Op. 101, 106, and 110, Chopin's Fourth Ballade, Bach's Christmas Oratorio and St. Matthew Passion, Wagner's Gotterdammerung, and Scriabin's piano sonatas.
The performance of Prokofiev's first Piano Concerto with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra is by far the most memorable. It was my first time playing outside of the United States, and only my second time playing with an orchestra.
I love to play basketball and swim. I also have a huge interest in physics and really enjoy building things.
Perhaps the most important thing I learned at CMD is that preparation is essential for a successful performance. I often performed on studio recitals and I realized that I would always perform better if I practiced carefully and thoroughly. This may seem like an obvious conclusion - but it helps to keep this in mind while practicing. You know that if you practice well, your performance will be great. That's always encouraging.
She taught me that a successful performance only comes through attention to detail. Though each one may seem small, they work together to create the elaborate tapestry that is the entire piece. This concept is one that is universal. Even Horowitz and Rachmaninov had to do it - and it always works.
My advice would be to listen to as much music as possible. Absorb everything valuable from the music that you can, and then apply it to your own musical goals. By learning from the musical past you can plan a future for yourself and be instrumental in the development of new music.
Try to learn about composers and the pieces that you are playing. You will often find that the story behind the music can make it more interesting to practice. By knowing what the composer was trying to achieve, your interpretations will become clearer and more profound.