WALK YOUR TALK interviews

ARTISTS WHO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE: L I L Y M A I S K Y

When I met Lily Maisky for the first time, even her smile at age three was dashingly intelligent; her brother Sascha a toddler, their mother Kay a beautiful, poised woman with a musical hand at the cello as in the kitchen, their father, yes, he was a superstar. Traveling the world as a highly coveted cellist, no less than any of the greatest, one of the uniquely praised performers who cared as much for his family as the fame bestowed upon him. While Lily grew up with legends rehearsing with her dad at home and the accompanying family often abroad, the cello, violin and piano danced on her earlobes. Major orchestras and famous conductors, grand concert halls and opera houses became the decor to the upbringing of the kind of princess many children dream of being. Will I be an actress, a soprano, a ballerina or a concert pianist, a question while her brother preferred soccer, Lily grew familiar with the instrument that enriched all others and was in a way an orchestra all its own: the pianoforte.

I am not sure that then both children realized they would be instrumental in creating a parental dream come true. Mischa Maisky, as renowned as he would become, imagined his family together in a piano trio and one day his busy schedule would make space to make this happen. By 2005 the talented teenager had grown into a beautiful young woman who was ready to accompany her dad in his chamber music recitals. This professional path was a blossoming garden of challenges met, and Lily started enjoying more frequent appearances with a vast range of other international musicians and even singers or poets. When her brother Sascha joined and The Maisky Trio established itself successfully both in the realm of chamber music (including quartet, quintet and sextet) as with orchestra, making Beethoven’s Triple Concert for orchestra and Piano trio, a signature piece.

A lioness of a fighter Lily turned physical disadvantages into weapons of change with a courage she kept deeply hidden. Yoga classes and a health-oriented life made a dramatic difference, in developing her own pianistic talents and to grace the international stage of chamber music world-wide. Lily is a Steinway & Sons artist admired on many recordings for Deutsche Grammophon, EMI and the Belgian label Avanti Classics. A voice on European and Asian radio broadcasts, international festivals as well as on television, Lily was featured in several documentaries. BBC Music spoke for all international press and enthusiast public alike: Lily Maisky establishes her credentials as an exceptional pianist. https://www.steinway.com/artists/lily-maisky

WalkYourTalk: Your career started at a very young age, what was your first souvenir of a musical accomplishment? Lily: My first full professional performances took place in March 2005 in Italy, Imola, Trieste and Ravenna to be specific in duo recital with my father. I grew up playing in student concerts and symbolic appearances here and there but these were my first full recitals as a concert pianist. Our first Maisky Trio tour took place in Czech Republic at around the same time and I have such clear and fond memories of that moment still, though in a way it feels like a lifetime ago.

WalkYourTalk: Your home was privy to your father’s many illustrious colleagues like Martha Argerich and this inspired you or got you scared knowing the family wanted you to be a musician? Lily: There wasn’t ever any massive pressure to become a professional musician, of course I was provided with lessons and pushed to work a sufficient number of hours but it all happened rather organically and naturally. As a child one is not so conscious of such things as a career. I rather really enjoyed my exotic surroundings and encounters with wonderfully eccentric musicians, once again then I didn’t even necessarily understand that some of them were superstars, they were more like extended family. I consider myself so incredibly fortunate for my upbringing, childhood and youth, these were really enriching formative years.(Mischa, Lily, Sascha: The Maisky trio-photo Deutsche Gramophone)

WalkYourTalk: How did the fact you were expected to work with your father change your life? The responsibility must have been weighty, and one expected a lot, right? Lily: Once again, I was not so conscious of this at a young age, we played little pieces together for fun and it was only later in adolescence that I probably became aware of this hope to create our trio, however he always said that he did not hold his breath as it is extremely challenging to successfully raise young classical musicians, to find the right balance; it doesn’t often work out that children of musicians end up being professional musicians themselves. I was 16 when we spontaneously tried to play together at a gathering at our house, a Sonata that we had never tried before, and it went so incredibly naturally and spontaneously, we were both surprised and excited and this was the moment that we decided to give it a shot and try performing recitals together. It turned out to be the most precious gift, more than I ever could have imagined.

WalkYourTalk: When you reflect on your youth, how did it affect your life as a professional artist? You are/were very close to your mother, do you feel she raised youto be a survivor and it worked? Lily: My parents are extremely contrasting from such different backgrounds yet very complimentary. Both provided very different forms of wisdom and guidance over the years. However, as my father was often away on tour it was indeed rather my mother who supervised our musical paths on a daily basis. We were and still are very close and I have indeed learnt so much from her on a human level.

WalkYourTalk: Comparing for example the Opera world with the concert scene, it was very male-dominant. That seems to have changed. Your thoughts? Lily: I would say that there has been a similar pattern in the classical music concert scene, although there have always been so many wonderful female musicians it was indeed traditionally a more male-dominant field in the past as were most. At this point it’s the opposite, music schools and conservatories have far more female students and the same goes for competition winners and “rising stars.” There has also been a recent wave of female conductors which was extremely rare in the past. (Live @ Verbier festival 2024 including Martha Argerich, Lily & Sasch Maisky, etc.)

WalkYourTalk: I remember you at the house at the Lake, but I don’t remember you playing with dolls. You seemed almost serious and committed to playing. Did you always love the piano or was it the music first? Lily: I practiced the piano of course, this was a major part of my daily life, but I also had many hobbies as a kid. I always loved reading, writing and creating things with my hands, making jewelry and collages which is something I still do today, not so much with dolls indeed, I actually think that I never really owned one! I would play a lot with my brother Sascha as well. I have always been and am still obsessed with animals, I form very strong bonds with the animals in my life and this began in childhood already.

WalkYourTalk: Who had the most important influence on you during the time you became little by little a “public figure”? Lily: I guess it would have to be my father for sure, those first years I spent primarily playing with him learning so incredibly much, mostly directly through playing and not so much verbal communication. Little by little I began attending more and more festivals, meeting new people and forming new collaborations. I was lucky enough to attend many editions of Julian Rachlin and Janine Jansens festivals over the years and perform with them, they were my favorite violinists growing up and this was so inspiring to get to make music with them. Similarly, I attended Progetto Martha Argerich in Lugano every year for over a decade and made so many lifelong friendships and special musical collaborations there. (Photo private collection: Lily in recital between two violinists extraordinaries: close friend Alissa Margulis & boyfriend Yossif Ivanov)

WalkYourTalk: It is never easy to create a family when you are travelling nonstop worldwide, from one capital to the other, you have a totally new life now and fortunately you are close to your father performing with him and sometimes your brother too. Family is a priority and friends are important, but would you like to create your own? Lily: Well, that’s a rather forward question (smiley). But not as a matter of fact, I never wanted to have children, the lifestyle of a musician is just one of the many reasons for which I took this decision a long time ago. I however dream of being able to have a dog at some point in my life, even that would require a more stable lifestyle with less travel; I also have many siblings, there are 6 of us the youngest being only 9 years old, and we are very close, I feel so lucky to have a big, beautiful family already. (https://music.apple.com/us/album/opera-breve/718571765)

WalkYourTalk: After the hip operation how are you recuperating after the surgery? Your mum teaches yoga does she help? Lily: I did indeed recently got through my second operation and hopefully final hip replacement surgery; it was a long time since my hips were extremely damaged having had severe arthritis in that area since birth. It taught me a lot in terms of wellbeing and body maintenance and pain management. Indeed, through my mom I got into yoga at a young age which changed my life. I can’t understand how anyone survives without yoga at this point! I am almost fully recovered from the surgery and am starting to get back to work. I can’t believe that this is all behind me and still can’t really grasp the reality of life without pain which I have endured since as long as I can remember, this is truly life changing.

WalkYourTalk: What do you want to convey to the new generation of young musicians, and would you like to teach one day? Lily: I have had the occasion to give many chamber music masterclasses, a few of which implied playing with the students and teaching in rehearsals which I find particularly direct and effective. I don’t have plans to teach piano solo classes but I do have a lot of information in the major chamber music repertoire to transmit that I have learnt over the years. I would say that, in this day and age, one has to be brave and tough to devote one’s life to music, to feel as though one cannot live without it.

WalkYourTalk: Thank you so much for this lovely interview and may your life continue to be fortunate in health and all future projects. (Lily with her father & brothers Manu & Sascha, violinists Michael Gutman, Yossif Ivanov. Photo: Bernard Rosenberg)

Spotify & Apple music https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/lily-maisky/268392663