Paul Lewis: Music Is More Important Than Performer

In a refreshingly candid statement, renowned pianist Paul Lewis has revealed  that he is not interested in the ‘celebrity culture’ that exists in the world of music performance and that the music itself is always more important than the person playing it.
The Liverpool-born musician gave the statement ahead of his participation in the BBC Proms in July, at which he will become the first pianist to play all five Beethoven piano concertos over the duration of the summer event, which takes place in the Royal Albert Hall.
The unassuming musician believes that it is important to let the music speak for itself during his performances. Speaking to Reuters, he explained “I wouldn’t try to put anything extra between me and the music and the audience,”
“Some people like to go to a concert to see ‘so and so’ but that doesn’t work for me, not when you’re dealing with music as great as this, that is always going to be more important than the performer.”
The BBC Proms concerts take place from July 16th through to September 11th.
In 2000, Lewis became a Professor of Piano at the esteemed Royal Academy of Music.
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