Everything More Than Anything: an interview with pianist Stephen Gott
Pianist Stephen Gott has had a career trajectory rarely encountered in classical piano. Self taught until the age of fourteen, he entered Trinity Laban Conservatoire and just three years later he found himself being named a prodigy by the BBC when he competed in the famed Leeds International Piano Competition.
Over the past few years Gott has built on this dramatic start to his career by establishing a reputation for himself as an interpreter of standard repertoire, particularly the music of Franz Liszt. Yet when he decided it was time to release his first recording, he chose to work with the American film composer, James Sizemore. Their collaboration, Everything More Than Anything, showcases a completely different side of Gott’s playing. This evocatively cinematic music is pictorial. It hints of stories. The spare nature of the notes gives Gott and Trio Fadolin—string players with whom Gott collaborated—room to let the music breathe. It’s an example of how much can be said with just a few notes. I’m delighted to share Stephen Gott’s recording and his interview on No Dead Guys.
I understand that you didn’t start formal piano lessons until you were fourteen. With such a late start, what (or who) gave you the confidence to decide that music was a viable career choice for you?
Yes, that is correct. I did not start formal lessons until the age of 14 in 2006. Before this, I was self-taught and picked up music rather naturally until I realized that would only get me so far without actually understanding music theory and I soon realized music was my passion in life and was the right career choice for me.
It’s astonishing that you entered Trinity Laban Conservatoire after only three years of piano instruction. What repertoire prepared you for this and with whom did you study?
I really wanted to study at Trinity Laban Conservatory because it was in London and one of the best music colleges in the United Kingdom but I wanted to especially study with Penelope Roskell. She helped me with freedom at the piano, both technically and artistically.
Congratulations on being named a prodigy by the BBC! How old were you when this happened and what were the circumstances that brought you to the media’s attention?
Thank you this happened during the 2009 Leeds International piano competition. I was inspired to play in public for the first time at Leeds train station where there was a piano for anyone to play. BBC Television just happened to be there at the same time and I was broadcast on TV later that day.
As a pianist known for your interpretations of Baroque, Classical, and Romantic repertoire (especially the music of Franz Liszt), how did you discover the music of American film composer James Sizemore and why were you drawn to learn and record it?
This is a really interesting story. While in the UK lockdowns, I discovered James Sizemore’s previous albums Frameworks, While Being, and his solo piano works from his Treatise album. His music was perfect study music while I was working for my Master's degree at the University of Huddersfield. I was struck by how emotive his music is and yet fairly simple and effective. He is very knowledgeable about classical music composers, especially minimalist composers like Phillip Glass and Steve Reich. I was sold by the fact his music is tonal and really nice to listen to even casually.
Congratulations of the release of Everything More Than Anything. Why did you choose to record Sizemore’s music for your first album rather than the established repertoire you’re best known for as a performer?
I believe it’s important for classical music to evolve and look for new ways we can reach new audiences or else it will die out. I believe James Sizemore’s music can have wider appeal than the more traditional classical music. We need to explore new ways to grow audiences and I don’t see the harm in this for my career. It is good to have another genre of contemporary composers to work with alongside my standard classical repertoire.
Who first had the idea for Everything More Than Anything and how long ago did you and Sizemore begin planning the project?
This was my idea. James seemed quite happy to just focus on his work for Howard Shore, but I encouraged him to write more music as it was too good to just be placed on the shelf, never to be heard or see the light of day. We developed a mutual respect for work and cultivated a relationship between the composer and the performer. I appreciate his respect for the classical composers such as Bach Debussy and Ravel but also the more avant-garde like John Cage, Arvo Pärt and Eric Whitaker.
The pieces on Everything More Than Anything are evocatively cinematic—both in their titles and the pictorial nature of the music itself. What can you tell me about the inspiration for these tracks, especially the two solo piano numbers, “Betwixt and Between” and “Homecoming”?
Movie music is James Sizemore's background. I wanted people to be introduced to James’s own compositions, rather than his work for Howard Shore, but yes they are very much cinematic. Shostakovich, I believe, is another composer who dabbled in movie music, playing piano for silent films. Some of his solo pieces are rather reminiscent of the late James Horner.
Given that for most of your career you’ve appeared as a solo artist, what challenges (if any) did you find when collaborating with the excellent string players featured on Everything More Than Anything?
This was my first time performing with a string quartet and I think we clicked into place rather quickly. We only had a two-hour rehearsal together before the 6-hour recording sessions. Even then we pretty much had every piece of music nailed together after 2 or 3 takes of each piece of music. It was really helpful to have James conducting, and also to use a click track to help me not rush in some of the solo piano pieces. Maria Im and Trio Fadolin members Sabina Torosjan, Lev “Ljova” Zhurbin, and Valeriya Sholokova were fantastic to work with and helped me play at ease. I can strongly recommend working with this quartet in the future if anyone is looking to record in New York.
I understand that all of the tracks on this album were recorded in one day. How did this kind of sustained focus on the music shape your performances of the pieces?
I only had 6 hours to record 11 pieces of the album and this meant I had to be sensible with the time and my preparation beforehand. I completely cleared my schedule of my normal classical repertoire and prepared James' music for a good 6-8 months so that when it came to the session it was nailed on tightly together.
Tell me about the decision you and Sizemore made to release Everything More Than Anything one track at a time rather than the entire album at once. Why did you choose this approach?
The idea behind this method focuses on inbound marketing and in-depth research to establish a step-by-step process for digital marketing. It is the waterfall effect in action, where one thing leads to another, which leads to another, and so on.
Will Sizemore be offering sheet music for any of these tracks? If so, where might we purchase it?
His music is available from his website directly. James Sizemore
One of the things that impressed me about the creation of Everything More Than Anything is how you and Sizemore raised the money for the project. What advice can you offer other musicians who are seeking funding to record albums of their own?
Use Kickstarter or GoFundMe. I can’t praise them highly enough. You need a great pitch video, have people already willing to invest in your recording, and be prepared to give unique rewards for their pledges. I have offered to give private house concerts and even special personalised thank you messages, but also pre-release the album to investors so people really could feel a part of my musical journey. I would emphasize it is more important to put work in the “Crowd” than just simply asking for funding. You do need exact figures though so people fully understand what is going where.
What future projects are you most eager to pursue?
One of my future ambitions is to perform a concerto with an orchestra, although I am not sure which concerto yet. I am rather content with my current repertoire of Bach’s “Toccata in C minor”, Beethoven’s Sonata, Opus 109, Liszt’s “Transcendental Etude 8” and “Valse Oubliee” and Rachmaninoff’s Preludes Opus 32. I do want to record this with Mill Media Co. on my first solo album.
What advice can you offer other young musicians seeking to establish careers for themselves?
Some of the best advice I can give is to really listen to your playing and be very critical. Be very careful of what you post on social media as it can so easily leave a bad impression of your playing. Never quit though, no one who is doing well in music will ever tell you to quit. It is a hard field and industry to work in but we do it because we love the music we play. To quote my colleague James,“You must fall in love with music, before doing it as a career”. If an opportunity is too good to be true it usually is! Always seek legal advice before doing anything.
Stephen Gott is a talented and accomplished concert pianist with a particular focus on the music of Franz Liszt. His participation in the Liszt Society 2019 Piano Competition and subsequent role on the board of trustees suggests recognition and respect in the classical music community.
The collaboration with composer James Sizemore, known for his work on The Hobbit movies, is noteworthy. Their meeting at the NTD International Piano Competition and subsequent Kickstarter campaign for their album "Everything More Than Anything" speaks to their commitment to exploring and expanding classical music boundaries.
Stephen's passion for bringing classical music to new audiences is commendable, and the success of their Kickstarter campaign indicates a positive reception to their innovative approach. The fact that he's sponsored by Santander UK and The University of Huddersfield Enterprise Team also suggests support and recognition for his endeavours.
Performing in London, and New York in 2024, along with the release of his first album with James Sizemore, demonstrates a busy and exciting schedule for Stephen Gott. It's always inspiring to see artists actively engaging with their audiences and collaborating across genres to create unique musical experiences.