What do you do if you’ve been dubbed “the most important of all Egyptian musicians by your country’s flagship publication; have won a string of international awards, and performed with the greatest classical musicians in the world’s top venues?
If you were Ramzi Yassa, you would go to Spain, Russia, Macedonia, Belgium, France, and Kuwait, for a typical couple of months, and then head home to Egypt for some down time with family and friends.
Unless, that is, you’ve been invited to accompany the renowned British Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) during their performance in Egypt as part of their 60th anniversary world tour.
“It’s a big event to reach this caliber … it puts Egypt on the world’s classical music map, Yassa told The Daily Star Egypt.
But Yassa is not surprised that the RPO is coming to Egypt. “All big artists like to come here, he says, “it is culturally very important.
While he does not like comparing countries, Yassa does believe that Egypt stands out as a country that values the arts very highly. This type of cultural exchange is crucial for Egypt to continue excelling in this field.
“Artists don’t work in isolation, says Yassa, adding that artists need to play abroad, and gain media coverage, contacts, and communication to continue raising their standard and international profile.
Yassa would know much about this, dividing his time between France – where he is a pianoforte professor at the Ecole Normale de Musique, founded by the famous pianist Alfred Cortot in 1919 – and Egypt, where he is the artistic director of the International Music Center at the Manesterly Palace in Cairo.
Although the world watched France’s immigrant community riot against alleged discrimination within their adopted country, Yassa rejects this scenario as unrepresentative.
“The French love Egypt, he says, “What happened in France was perpetrated by a minority within a minority, but when we see these images we think everyone’s like that.
He believes people who isolate themselves will face problems. Instead, he thinks people should work to correct their incorrect images.
Still, Yassa thinks the negative effects of security measures and suspicions because of the war and turmoil in the region is expected. “It can’t have a positive effect, he says.
On the whole, however, artistic and cultural communities are closer than they were 20 years ago.
Yassa recalls the time he studied at the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire and worked in Moscow: “We didn’t know anything about what was going on outside the Soviet Union then. But today, with satellite television and the Internet widely available, and despite the differences, the world is becoming a kind of global community, says Yassa.
The direct effect of that on the arts, he says, is that Arabic music is now known world-wide and collaboration has increased.
Yassa’s specialty is European music though, not Arabic. He will be performing Chopin, one of his favorite composers, in his pending RPO appearance.
“Romantic, emotional and expressive, Chopin’s music is both sophisticated and accessible to the public, he says.
But does a musician who memorizes and practices the same piece repeatedly still feel emotion when playing in front of an audience?
“Of course, says Yassa, almost surprised by the question. “[A musician] is there to communicate emotion, not sounds. He is there to communicate the music he loves to people who are not professionals.
Yassa also loves the structure and form of Beethoven’s works. “You can play Beethoven your whole life and still discover new things. After ten years you still have a new reading of his oeuvre.
Yassa played the piano as a child, encouraged by a family of artists. His mother and sister were both musicians and his father was an art lover and photographer, despite being a doctor by profession. Art was “very important, in the house, he says.
At 15, Yassa decided to become a professional pianist. He admits an artistic career demands a lot of sacrifices but that “you have to know what you want from the world.
On Jan. 30 the piano virtuoso will be performing Chopin’s Concerto No. 1 in E minor with the RPO in Cairo, followed by another concert in Alexandria on Feb. 1. This would be his third time collaborating with the RPO.
He has won awards in the Marguerite Long and Viotti competitions, as well as the First Grand Prix in the Paloma O’Shea International Competition and the Franz Liszt Centenary Commemorative Medal, amongst other prizes and honors.
His many recordings include works by Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Chopin, and Beethoven.
