With everything going on in the world today, music keeps us all a little more sane.

It all really started with my mom — she wanted to make sure that both my older sister and I had a good musical education. My earliest musical memory was watching my sister tinker away at the piano.

I had quite a “normal” upbringing: I went through all levels of traditional schooling and academic studies, which one might expect of a non-musical household. But music was always a serious presence in my life, even without any knowledge or expectation of it blooming into anything more than a hobby; and growing up it was something I loved very much.

Piano was always my main instrument. When I was younger I dabbled in a bit of flute, but only as a hobby. In terms of a career, however, it wasn’t until I was close to my college years that I made the conscious decision to pursue music.

The best thing, and the thing that makes the piano unique, is that it has the ability to imitate a whole orchestra. Having access to both solo and accompaniment voices, as well as a limitless palette of sounds and colour, allow it to create a complete world of its own.

In 2016, less than a year after I won a prize at the Chopin Competition (which essentially started my career), I developed a serious hand injury that forced me to stop performing for several years. I had to work through much physical re-training and therapy, and though I was eventually able to return fully to playing the piano, the recovery process remains one of the most difficult and psychologically challenging periods of my life.

Orchestral Baroque repertoire keeps me in my highest spirits — Bach cantatas especially!

I find I listen to lots of Beethoven, Brahms and Schubert during difficult times.

I think it is always a bit difficult to define things objectively in the current moment. In a few more years I will probably have a clearer idea; for now all I can say is that these works, by Brahms and Beethoven, felt spiritually and emotionally right for me to record at the time that I did.

I marvel at just how extraordinarily beautiful these works are, and how great the composers are who created them. They both detail an emotional journey of their own.

The most euphoric moment I recall experiencing on stage was immediately after the final note of Chopin’s Concerto No. 1, in the final stage of the Chopin Competition. I had felt such dread during the moments leading up to the performance, that I was imagining and was completely certain I would experience a memory slip, or some sort of mishap. Emerging from that mostly unscathed was truly a relief and miracle.

At the moment, my favourite city in the world is Tokyo — because the environment is so wonderful, and the food so unbelievably good.

My favourite sport is figure skating!

There is an actress I have recently come to admire very much: that actress is Jessie Buckley. She recently won the Academy Award for Best Actress.

If I could travel to the past, I would love to have a drink and chat with Robert Schumann. I’m sure many musicians would…

TRADITION OR INNOVATION?
“It is difficult, and sort of depends… but I will go with tradition because it informs everything after it. Innovation does not exist without tradition.”

PREPARATION OR IMPROVISATION?
“Even though as a performer the ultimate goal is to reach a level of freedom with the work, getting to that point requires thorough preparation.”

SMALL MUSIC OR BIG MUSIC?
“I personally love the intimacy. Not only are the works written for a smaller stage often more intimate, but I also find the connection between performer(s) and audience far more direct and palpable.”

PASSION OR PRECISION?
“Music will always be more about emotion, and not perfection.”

BACH OR BEETHOVEN?
“He is the father of all music that came after.”

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Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. The things that truly mean the most are self-improvement, and the well-being of loved ones.