Phyllis Chen began studying the piano at age 5, learning from a strict, traditional teacher who taught her the standard repertoire.
She was a passionate musician, but sometimes wondered how much of her playing was artistic, rather than purely athletic.
Her teacher, the virtuoso pianist André Watts, was a Liszt specialist but encouraged her to pursue her own interests.
Once, Watts tried Chen’s toy piano; the keys were so small and his hands so big that he struggled to play a single note at a time.
“I was very excited to be able to explore without all of the traditional boundaries being tied to it,” she said.
Persons:
Phyllis Chen, “, ” Chen, André Watts, Liszt, Watts, ”, ’
Organizations:
Indiana University