Guildhall questions: William Bracken answers

The Guildhall Wigmore Recital Prize annually awards an exceptional musician from Guildhall School of Music & Drama with a Wigmore Hall recital. The winner of the 2022 Prize, pianist William Bracken, gives his debut Wigmore Hall recital on Tuesday 16 May with a programme spanning three centuries, including Beethoven, Liszt, Fanny Mendelssohn and Unsuk Chin.

We caught up with William ahead of this concert to find out more about the pieces being showcased, how he’s feeling about performing at this world-famous venue, and his top tip for aspiring musicians.

Can you tell us a little about the repertoire you’ll be performing on 16 May?

I can't wait to share a selection of pieces which are very dear to me. Perhaps most exciting is the first piece on the programme, Fanny Mendelssohn's Easter Sonata – I believe this piece will also make its Wigmore Hall debut as it is still only just beginning to receive the attention it deserves. I am really looking forward to being able to share this wonderful piece with a wider audience and hopefully play a small part in helping it take its rightful place in the repertoire. The first half then closes with some incredible pieces by Liszt which are directly inspired by Petrarch's sonnets and a painting by Raphael.

The second half is made up of two pieces which kept me company during lockdown – a short and brilliant etude by Korean composer Unsuk Chin, followed by Beethoven's Epic Hammerklavier Sonata. This piece is something of a pianistic mount Everest, colossal enough in its structure to allow it to traverse an enormous emotional landscape and guide the listener towards a deep and profound awareness of the human condition in all its aspects, positive and negative – a quality which is central to Beethoven's late music.  

You recently featured as piano soloist in Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie with Guildhall Symphony Orchestra at Barbican Hall. What was that experience like?

It was probably the greatest night of my life. Certainly in the top three! 

How have you found your time studying at Guildhall School?

I couldn't fault my experience at Guildhall. The environment has always been perfect for me to develop creatively – to not only work on my playing in the practical sense, but also to be exposed to such a great diversity of approaches to music-making, to mix with other students and professors with their own wide-ranging and distinct artistic personalities, has been a constant inspiration. I have no doubt that I will look back on my time at Guildhall with nothing but positive feelings.

Who have been some of your biggest inspirations in your career?

There are so many... All of my teachers past and present, my parents who are musicians, my wonderful grandma who is a pianist, all of my friends and family who are unwavering in their support... And some of my favourite pianists, at the moment they include Daniil Trifonov, Alfred Brendel and Vladimir Horowitz.

What do you enjoy most about performing?

I must admit that I have not always enjoyed performing – striving to achieve mastery of an instrument can easily lead to stress and anxiety when performing in front of people, especially in an environment surrounded by other musicians! But I am happy to say that the element of performance that used to scare me is now actually the one which I take most pleasure in – the unpredictable nature of performing. Going on stage one can never be sure what is going to happen, and every single time it is different – this is an unavoidable certainty. It's always a surprise! I have found that embracing this spontaneity has given me enormous joy. 

What are your passions outside of performing?

I love cooking and eating, although recently I haven't had much time to cook due to all the practice! 

If you had one piece of advice for young musicians today, what would it be?

I believe the most important thing for any musician is simply to love music. It might seem strange to say, but I know that dealing with music critically on a daily basis can sometimes lead us further away from our instinctive and personal relationship with music – if this relationship is always cherished and nurtured, it can only lead to happiness and fulfilment as we will appreciate how lucky we are to be involved in this magical world.

William’s Guildhall Wigmore Prize Recital takes place at Wigmore Hall 7.30pm on Tuesday 16 May 2023. Tickets available here.