We are deeply grateful to concert pianist Nurry Lee for sharing these five insightful tips on preparing for a performance.

Nurry Lee

Practice: When I have a big concert or performance coming up, I definitely need to feel on top of my playing. So, practice is essential. I need to feel sharp with my fingers and mind so that on stage, I can flow freely. Practice is probably the most important thing for me and actually soothes my nerves the most. If I have access to a piano before the performance, I don’t feel as nervous. Ideally, I’d love a long time to practice on the piano that I will perform on, and in the hall where I will perform, so that my fingers become familiar with that piano. Because every piano is so different, it’s important to have some time to adjust. It’s crucial to know which parts of the piano respond differently and where you have to alter your playing depending on the piano and the room.

Sleep/Eat: I try to get as much good sleep as I can before the night of the performance. Of course, this is not always easy! Sometimes I’m traveling to a different country, so there is the jet lag and the travel tiredness. But I try to sleep so that I can feel on top form for the performance day. I also try to eat well. Just before the performance, I definitely need to eat a lot so that I have the energy to carry me through. Playing in a concert requires a lot of physical, mental, and spiritual strength…so I definitely perform my best when I have eaten enough. I usually make sure I have a protein or carbohydrate before, for the slow-releasing energy.

Listen: I like to listen to recordings of performers and my idol pianists and musicians. Before performing, I like having these inspirational artists and my idols as my guideline, to keep me in check and in focus. Sometimes, when you practice and perform by yourself so much, you can get a bit lost and wander into a direction you don’t necessarily want to go towards. Listening to your idols and great performers keeps your eyes steady and on the track that you want to be on. It’s almost like a North Star, or eyes at the summit of a mountain, so you don’t wander off and get lost.

Record: This is actually also a type of practice I do before concerts. When I was at music conservatoire, I would have lessons with my professor or be able to play to other musicians to get feedback. But when I’m working, I am usually by myself in the practice room or traveling, so I don’t always have the luxury to play to people before the performance. I like to record myself playing and performing all the pieces so then I can hear how it sounds like from an external perspective. I like to perform the whole concert programme through, like a performance to know that I have the stamina to do it, and then I would practice certain parts. Then also listen back to the recording of it, to see which parts I could improve.

Zone: Just before the performance, I mean a few hours, or minutes or so before, I like to be in the zone. What I mean by this, is to sort of focus on what I am playing, the sort of feeling and sounds I would like to produce and the message I want the audience to receive, how I will start, if I know the pieces properly and can recite them in my memory. There’s a lot to think about, especially with solo piano concerts because it is just you and the piano on the stage, creating the whole performance. You can’t rely on anything or anyone else apart from yourself. With this comes a lot of responsibility. I have to get into the zone of the pieces, feel the emotions of each piece, and focus my mind on the coming performance, without distractions or anything that could potentially distract my mind beforehand.