– Kay Zavislak
“I love teaching just as much as performing. It’s really thrilling to witness someone acquiring new skills, gradually becoming independent, and finding their voice through music. I feel extremely lucky to be surrounded by the most amazing students and families.”
How did Bellingham become your home?
My husband and I moved to two separate towns in the Pacific Northwest because of our jobs. Between two towns in the region, we chose Bellingham as the place to start a family.
Tell us about your journey to becoming a pianist?
Initially, I learned piano for my mother who had a dream of learning the piano but didn’t have an opportunity in her youth. She took me to a local piano teacher’s home in Tokyo when I was two. Guess what, I was rejected! We were told that I needed to be able to count well and were advised to come back when I could count and read. My mother took me to the same teacher again when I was four, and that is when I started piano lessons. We had an electric piano at home, and I’d come home and play songs by ear that I had learned at school.
I studied with the same piano teacher for 14 years in Tokyo. She was trained at a conservatory and had high standards. When I was 15, I got the opportunity to prepare for the entrance exam to the same conservatory that my teacher had attended, to study with my teacher’s teacher. I passed the exam and became a “piano major” in my first year of high school. I think that getting into this school was one of the decisive moments of my musical career.
My time at the University of Michigan, where I earned three degrees in music under the same teacher, was also fantastic. I met a number of people who became important to me during this time. The education that I received at U of M has been extremely valuable.
Although my musical journey started as my mother’s vicarious dream, playing the piano evolved to become part of my identity. I’m grateful for the opportunity my parents gave me—who knew I’d still be playing the piano more than 40 years after I took my first lesson!
Do you remember a time when you were young and something musical just grabbed you?
When I was 9 years old, my mother and her piano teacher friend took me to listen to Dang Thai Son, gold medalist of the International Chopin Competition, perform in Tokyo. He played all 4 Ballades by Chopin, and No. 3 stood out to me. I was so fascinated by that piece and started learning it although it was completely beyond my reach. I’m happy to report that I eventually finished learning/memorizing it, and it is still a go-to piece of mine to this day.
Where did you complete your musical studies?
At Toho Gakuen High School of Music in Tokyo, Japan, and at the University of Michigan.
Are there any musicians or teachers in particular who have played important roles in forming your thoughts as a musician?
I have the highest respect for all the teachers I studied with. My strict Japanese piano teachers gave me a wonderful foundation—to be able to learn pieces carefully, accurately, and to play with clean technique. My American piano teachers pushed me to find my own voice to be creative and expressive.
Share some of the musical moments that have most inspired you? Performances you’ve watched or been involved in or both.
The first time I got to play a piano concerto with an orchestra was absolutely magical. I was beyond myself with sheer excitement for this opportunity and feeling the energy from the orchestra, but also knowing that I was performing on the same stage as renowned pianists such as Rachmaninoff, Horowitz, Rubinstein, and Schiff gave me shivers. The performance was at Hill Auditorium at the University of Michigan.
What are your (current) favorite classical pieces with and/or without piano?
Chopin has always been my favorite. His Polonaise-Fantasie is at the top of my list. In the last season of BCMS, I had the pleasure of playing the Dvorak Piano Quintet, and I loved the piece so much, just as much as the experience of performing with fantastic local musicians.
What was a most unusual performance you were involved in?
The experience of performing at an elementary/middle school in a remote place in the state of WA made a strong impression on me. An opportunity came to me to perform in front of 400 kids in a school gym equipped with the shortest brown spinet that had no piano bench. I had to stack 4 chairs to reach the right height. I played a Chopin ballade and a few other things along with a couple other musicians. The kids were so ecstatic and intrigued by what we did.
Tell us your thoughts on the art of chamber music?
Enjoying chamber music is a newer thing to me. I love the energy and sense of camaraderie. I also appreciate the variety of timbres as we practice and how different ideas from each player and different timbres blend and at times clash.
If you teach, what do you love about teaching?
I love teaching just as much as performing. It’s really thrilling to witness someone acquiring new skills, gradually becoming independent, and finding their voice through music. I feel extremely lucky to be surrounded by the most amazing students and families. It is also an opportunity to study more repertoire—I enjoy assigning pieces to students that I have not played in the past so that I can study the piece together with the student and possibly learn it myself later.
How do you spend your time outside music? Other interests?
Traveling is something I enjoy a lot—just breathing in the air and looking around in a new place is uplifting to me. I also appreciate the time I spend with my friends and family.