[INTERVIEW] 'Playing music with someone you love and respect is a joy'

Duo-pianists Sylvia Hong and Michael Rector / Courtesy of Michael Rector

By Anna J. Park

Pianist duo Sylvia Hong, 37, and Michael Rector, 37, first met at the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio when they were both freshmen majoring in piano in 2000. Since then, they have been together for almost two decades, continuing their music studies together at Vancouver Academy of Music and the University of Maryland. Later, Hong received a Graduate Performance Diploma from Peabody Conservatory of Music and Rector received a doctoral degree from the Manhattan School of Music.

They married in 2011, and from the following year, they began performing together as a duo. They won the 2nd prize at the Ellis Duo Competition in 2013, one of the major events for two-piano teams, and have toured extensively in the U.S., Korea and Europe.

"There were many things in common between us as we were both piano majors. We also shared our own music world with each other as well as challenges. We got to understand each other better and our hearts opened and we got married. Since we are both pianists as wife and husband, we understand each other better," Hong said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.

Rector also said one of the great advantages of performing as duo-pianists is by practicing together, not only their musicality improves but also their personal relationship as a married couple becomes stronger.

"Even when practicing, we help each other working in perfect harmony. Otherwise, it would take far more effort in performance. … Now that we spend so much time together on our journey, our relationship is even more intimate than ever. Playing music with someone you love and respect is a joy. Not that we agree on everything all the time; that close connection forces me to be a better musician and a better person," Rector said.

Sylvia Hong, left, and Michael Rector practice piano pieces at a practice room in Korea. The photo was taken in 2013, ahead of their performance with the Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra. Courtesy of Michael Rector

The two pianists arrived in Korea last week for their upcoming concert at the Far East Art Hall, Friday. During the concert, the couple will present three piano duet pieces: "Divertissement a la hongroise" which is Shubert's piano work on four hands, as well as Copland's "Suite from Billy the Kid," and Ravel's "La Valse," both repertoires specially made in duo arrangements. Each of them will also play a solo piece; Hong will play Godowsky's "Symphonic Metamorphoses on themes by Johann Strauss," and Rector will play Debussy's Etudes V and XI.

"The Schubert is an original composition for four hands at one piano ― Schubert is really the first serious composer for four hands and still the greatest. The other two pieces ― Ravel and Copland ― are transcriptions of orchestra pieces that the composers created themselves for concert performance. Both work beautifully as piano music," said Hong.

"Mostly we wanted to pick music that we love, and that we felt we had something special to say by playing it. Beyond that, there's a kind of ballet theme in the program. La Valse and Billy the Kid are both transcriptions of ballet scores. Sylvia's solo piece features some well-known waltzes and the Debussy pieces I'm playing have strong choreographic elements in my imagination," Rector said.

Michael Rector, left, and Sylvia Hong laugh during their practice session. Courtesy of Michael Rector

The pianist couple are also educators; both currently teach at the University of Wisconsin in Green Bay. Rector is a music professor there, and Hong is teaching as a lecturer. She is also a special artist professor at Belhaven University. Rector stressed both performing and teaching are equally important and precious to them.

"Teachers should be patient and love their students and always try to understand the students. It is a together project, not just a one-man show. Teaching requires far more responsibility than performing," Rector said.

He added the element of a genuine, special connection that teachers need to build with their students led him to the profession.

"I'm not sure that the best musicians are always the best teachers, but the more experience I have the more convinced I am that the best chamber musicians are in fact the best teachers. That element of communication in music making is really at the center of why I chose this profession. When I am on the stage as a musician, I can just focus on myself. However, when it comes to teaching, it is a different story because we should be connected to each other and it is not just my part," he said.

Sylvia Hong and Michael Rector pose for the photo during their master class in Korea, a few years ago. Courtesy of Michael Rector

Their music adventures and journey as talented performers and teachers continue to sail on together. They have plans of going to London as Rector will be going to the city as an exchange professor soon, where he is planning to perform with the London Symphony Orchestra. Wherever they are, the pianist duo say they hope to continue to share their passion for music in concerts and in teaching.

"Our desire is to not lose the passion for music as musicians. Our daily prayers are that even when we reach eighty, the dreams and passions we have will remain unchanged," the duo-pianists said.