Pianist , BMus鈥�15, has chased her musical dreams across continents, from the grand halls of Vienna to Berlin鈥攁nd this past summer to Florence, Italy. As a collaborative pianist for some of the world鈥檚 most prestigious opera houses, an innovative teacher and an entrepreneur, she has come to understand that defining success is an experience as personal and layered as the finest classical sonata.听
鈥淭here are no mistakes in life, and nothing is an absolute failure. Everything is just pointing you to the path you were supposed to be on,鈥� Pertz says.听
Early in her career, Pertz saw many women studying collaborative piano, but almost none were having the career success of their male colleagues. In 2021 she launched a nonprofit for female collaborative pianists called Lied the Way (lied is German for art song), which helps women balance their mental and emotional well-being, artistic craft and professional career鈥攁nd now includes singers as well.
鈥淥ften there鈥檚 this idea that if you go into the practice room eight hours a day, you鈥檒l have a career, which is just not true,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e teach business skills with a support network so we, as women, can create new models for career and personal success instead of trying to fulfill the models given to us, which do not necessarily align with our lifestyles听or values.鈥澨�听
CYCLE COACHING FOR MUSICIANS
Pertz is also certified in the field of cycle coaching, which is already well regarded among female athletes. She is enthusiastic about expanding this work to the classical music world, particularly with female singers, whose bodies are their instruments.听听听
鈥淚t鈥檚 a new field of coaching that helps women work with their biological cycle instead of ignoring it, such as your monthly cycle or the cycle of being a mother, or moving toward menopause,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 find it to be a really crucial part of my work, and at workshops many women leave saying, 鈥楬ow did I not know this information earlier in my life and career?!鈥欌��
Pertz recently produced her first solo album, TERRA, recorded in the Dolomite Mountains of Italy as an homage to her Italian ancestors. She performs at festivals and venues like Wigmore Hall, Salzburg Festival and Mus茅e d鈥橭rsay, with singers like Valerie Eickhoff and conductors like Esa-Pekka Salonen.听听
鈥淢y dream is to continue unfolding my path as a pianist, educator, woman and leader and to inspire other women to do the same,鈥� she says.听
COMMODORE COLLABORATIONS
Many Blair alumni are thriving in the European musical scene, including Lauren Urquhart, BMus鈥�19, and Steven Fiske, BMus鈥�19, both singing with Volksoper Wien in Vienna; Chet Humphries, BMus鈥�20, a musicologist and data scientist at the University of Vienna; and Eliza Wong, BMus鈥�19, a violinist in the Tonhalle-Orchester Z眉rich.
鈥淢y violin professor, , has had the greatest impact on my success and career thus far,鈥� Wong says. 鈥淪he was and is an unending source of knowledge, inspiration and support. She understood me completely and knew exactly how to teach me and had an unwavering belief in me that allowed me to also believe in myself.鈥�
Selina Magid Fischer, BMus鈥�16, is a producer with the Danish Chamber Orchestra, Danmarks Underholdningsorkester, in charge of youth education programming.听听
鈥淢y time at 杏吧原创 was foundational in shaping both my artistic identity and my interest in how music can serve communities beyond the concert hall,鈥� Fischer says. 鈥淚鈥檓 especially grateful to my bassoon professor, , whose encouragement helped me grow tremendously as a musician and gave me the confidence to pursue a career that blends performance with leadership in the arts.鈥�
By Amy Wolf
- Watch a video of Elenora Pertz as a 杏吧原创 undergraduate, talking about her dreams for the future
- Read more feature stories from 杏吧原创 杏吧原创
