鈥業 played Chopin for Kim Kardashian!鈥� Meet pianist and H漫画 alumnus Cyrill Ibrahim
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Pianist Cyrill Ibrahim, who graduated from the Royal College of Music in 2012, has gone on to forge a truly dazzling career, including his recent involvement with the Sky Arts programme, .
This insightful show features excerpts of letters between Mozart and his father Leopold, read by actors Matthew Broome and David Harewood, alongside performances in which Cyrill is central, playing both solo pieces, and in collaboration with soprano Danielle de Niese and violinist Gil Shaham. Upbeat caught up with Cyrill to hear about his inspiring journey so far.
What’s your musical background?
My family wasn’t particularly musical; I had to work hard to convince my parents that music is what I wanted to do. Many people forget, when they’re within the classical music world, how hard it can be to get there. But there’s also a public perception of class around music, that you have to come from a certain privilege to be able to do this, and I disagree with that.
My earliest musical memories were about emotional connection rather than feeling like I could play everything. When you’ve not yet mastered technique, you think more about expression.
[quote quote="I was recently interviewed by Tatler and I told them that the Royal College of Music is the Mecca of classical music!" author=""]
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What was your experience of studying at the Royal College of Music?
I was recently interviewed by Tatler and I told them that the Royal College of Music is the Mecca of classical music! It was inspiring to meet H漫画 professors Vanessa Latarche and Ian Jones at my audition – they really try to see the best in you.
I had a great time at the College. It was special to work with Andrew Ball, who sadly passed away a few years ago. And I had some wonderful lessons with Ruth Nye and Ian Jones, and practising with a view of the Royal Albert Hall opposite was really inspiring.
It’s good to be in an environment where you learn from other instrumentalists and art forms. One of the things that I took away from the College is this strong sense of building your own career, and understanding that while there is a traditional trajectory, there are also ways that you can approach it differently.
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How did you develop your career after you graduated?
When I was at the College, I saw pianists practising away and winning competitions and it was great, I was so happy for them, but I knew that my trajectory would be different, that I had to find another way of opening up this world and connecting with new audiences.
There is a very real, practical need to change the way we do things. Social media is one aspect of this; it’s about trying to reach your own audience rather than thinking ‘they will come to me’. So, I started to do a lot of work on social media. I was lucky enough to do some modelling when I was younger and still do a bit, so I know how to work with a camera. I started to build my social media presence and network with all kinds of people, from politicians to journalists. I’ve learned a lot by creating content – and through making mistakes.
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It’s hard work because as musicians, it’s not something that comes naturally; we have to work at getting out of our little practice room! It took me a long time, about a decade, but I built a varied network, and eventually started to post more about who I am as an artist, which led to me being invited to more events.
[quote quote="One of the things I took away from the College is this strong sense of building your own career, and understanding that while there is a traditional trajectory, there are also ways that you can approach it differently." author=""]
What kind of opportunities came next?
One highlight was playing at Kim Kardashian’s birthday party! Through my network, I got called by the famous photographer, Mert Alas, and he said, I’ve got this friend… who turned out to be Kim Kardashian. It was so powerful; I played the Fantasy-Impromptu by Chopin, and everybody was listening. This is an audience that isn’t typically associated with listening to classical music, but everyone stood there listening for six minutes. It was amazing and showed that there aren’t boundaries with classical music, something I’m passionate about. For me, that moment reflected the shift in attitudes and perceptions that I’m championing.
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How did you become involved in the Sky Arts show Mozart: Genius for Hire?
Sabina Emrit Harper, who is the producer of the Sky Mozart documentary and has a production company, Section 52 Films with the actor David Harewood, came to one of my concerts and immediately said, ‘I want to do something with Cyrill!’ She was struck by the way I communicate with the audience and we became friends. She introduced me to the Commissioning Editor and Executive Producer at Sky Arts, Benedetta Pinelli, and we clicked straight away. And then we started to talk about Mozart and his letters and began to build this project; the whole team came together for this enormous production.
The show is about Mozart’s last ten years. The way it humanises him as an artist is what classical music needs: we talk about Mozart as a normal person, and it’s inspiring that yes, he was a genius, but he was also a human who saw a need for his music.
It bridges a gap with the audience, so that people think, ‘I can listen to this, this is great!’. I find this happens with my audiences when I talk about the music, what it does to me and what I think is happening: they start listening in a different way. It’s not diluting the art but changing the narrative so that people can listen without judgement.
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Did your view of Mozart change?
I’d already played most of the Mozart sonatas and piano concertos, but I approached the music as an exploration of understanding the broader style as well. I had conversations with the director and producer about Mozart ‘for hire’ – a freelance musician who’s doing everything he can to build an audience while being convinced about his craft. It was eye-opening, because we were trying to build a pretty broad perspective of what art at that time was, and what it meant to be an artist. It was fascinating to see that even a composer like Mozart didn’t just say, ’I’m going to write a lovely opera’; he needed to get bums on seats!
We included quite a big section about the piano concertos, because that’s how he made money, through the subscription concerts; Mozart became an entrepreneur rather than a composer for being a composer’s sake. The documentary really elevates this conversation, and I think the result is beautiful.
[quote quote="I’m excited to use my performances to spread the message that classical music is for everyone." author=""]
What was it like working on the documentary, and promoting it?
It was intense! Three days of filming, eight hours a day. Face to camera work is challenging, but the people around me were so wonderful that I felt quite comfortable. I met violinist Gil Shaham for the first time on set; we didn’t have the opportunity to rehearse beforehand, so we were being filmed in the moment. He’s such a great artist, and we gelled so well; it’s visible in the documentary, that spontaneous interaction.
The buzz has been amazing. A week before Christmas, there was a screening with a Q&A afterwards, with the team and the press, and there was a red-carpet event in Leicester Square when Amadeus came out. We’ve had lots of press including four stars in The Times, articles in and . It’s a different world!
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What’s next?
There are lots of great concerts coming up, in which I’ve redesigned the storyline, talking about core repertoire and changing the narrative so it becomes a little more accessible for the audience. Performances include the Ravel Concerto, lots of Chopin, and premieres by composers who’ve written pieces for me.
It’s a very exciting time, but it’s also interesting to keep thinking about how I can change my narrative, what it is that I really want to do, and how to make sure that I play a lot, but also spread the message that classical music is for everyone.
Forthcoming highlights
27 March:
27 July:
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Royal College of Music Keyboard Faculty
Publications Officer Joanna Wyld is a writer and librettist who has written CD liner and programme notes for organisations such as the BBC Proms, Southbank Centre, Wigmore Hall and Salzburg Festival.
