Life is grand for piano prodigy

There are so many TV programmes devoted to discovering the latest musical wannabes, but it’s rare that a musician with a genuine gift is found

One such is pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, who was just 11 when he won the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year in 2004.

At 18, he became the youngest-ever soloist in the history of the Proms, when he played Liszt’s second Piano Concerto on opening night, and followed this by becoming the youngest British musician ever to sign with Decca.

It’s heady stuff, and a challenge for a man of just 22 who is already on the international recital circuit. Yet Grosvenor is relaxed and friendly, with both feet on the ground.

Grosvenor admits he wasn’t that keen on the piano at first. His music-teacher mother encouraged him, but it wasn’t until the age of seven that he tried to be better than his schoolmates.

“Once I started to play more satisfying pieces, I enjoyed it much more,” he says.

When we talked, he was in Denmark, preparing for a concert that night, but happy to take a break and chat.

What is it like to achieve stardom so young? Does it make it easier or harder to move into adult performance?

“You have to keep improving, if you want to get ahead,” he says. “You always have to be at your absolute best.”

Being at your best in one field usually means giving up something else, but Grosvenor keeps a normal life. “I’m part of a large family and they’re all very supportive,” he says.

When he’s not touring, Grosvenor jogs or swims, although the primary consideration must be the care of his hands and arms. “Even carrying suitcases when you’re touring can cause problems,” he says.

And he has a girlfriend now. “She’s a violinist, so that helps, since she knows this music world and its demands.”

And where would he like to see his career going?

“At some point, I would like to try teaching. I would think that would be very satisfying, to awaken the interest in pupils.”

What delights the critics is the highly individual way that he interprets the music, combining exquisite technique with a flair for expression and colour.

“When I come to a new piece, I try always to interpret and understand the composer’s own markings.

“That’s the starting point, but Jorge Bolet [Cuban pianist] once said a composer lives for the piece just when he’s composing and then lets it go out into the world. The performer lives with it for a lifetime, in many different situations. With all of life’s experience, you might play it very differently at different times.”

• Benjamin Grosvenor is at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, on Sunday; www.nch.ie.