Guinness World Record-breaking pianist to give concert in Baku

PThe musician will perform at Baku Congress Center on November 24 with "Awesome Piano" solo program.

Peter Bence is an internationally acclaimed virtuoso pianist, recording artist, composer and producer.

He is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as a pianist record holder for the speed of a repeated key press (765 notes per minute).

Tickets can be purchased at all ticket offices of the city, ASAN service centers and website: www.iticket.az

For more information, please contact:0503549054 / 0773549054

On the eve of the concert, the organizers presented to Trend Life an interview with Peter Benz.

I kind of discovered the piano for myself when I was around 2-3 at my grandparents’ house, they had an upright piano. Officially I went to music school at 5.

I always wanted to also play drums, but never had the time to take lessons, but now I realize everything I play on the piano comes from a very percussion-oriented mindset, I am playing a percussion on the piano. Well piano is actually a percussion instrument after all.

It depends what I’m preparing for, it’s not intense practice all the time, but I spend at least half my day - when I can (tours and traveling excluded) - with a piano, mostly arranging, composing or even improvising. My family? They’re fine with it :) I’d say when I’m finishing a mix or master, listening to a song for the 1 millionth times is more annoying for them probably!

I had many throughout my childhood like Mozart, Chopin, Bach or Bartok, later John Williams, Hans Zimmer, then Michael Jackson, who definitely shaped my craft a lot.

Today I draw inspiration from pretty much anybody or anything, even chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Raymond Blanc or Jamie Oliver, Gennarro Contaldo (because I love to cook a lot) and every day I find some similarities and parallels between making music and making food.

As a student I always played pieces much faster than they were meant to be played and my teachers and friends always joked I should break this Guinness World Record, “it’s a perfect fit for me”. So I only did it for fun, and as for many world records, it was about extending the human limits as well as the limits of the mechanics of the grand piano. It was more math, than music! :)

I enjoy the process of making an arrangement or writing a song, but as soon as it’s finished and published, I instantly find things I could change and make it better, thus I never feel satisfied and makes it hard to pick one. I’d say “The Awesome Piano” which will be on my new album, also named after this very song. There’s something about it that makes me happy. No, it’s too difficult to do it here in Europe.

We never know. Generally speaking at my concerts it’s always the best audience, because people come to see me, but if there’s a private event for bankers and lawyers it’s a different situation.

I don’t have favorites. It could be any food, if made well and with passion, I love it.

Usually I have a strong vision about how I want something to be, or how I want my music to sound like. Luckily I took lessons on music production, sound design and mixing while I was at Berklee in Boston, and I’ve learned so much since then too. I mix and master all my music, which counts for at least half of the work after a finished arrangement, but I’m not planning to give this up anytime soon. I love producing and I trust my ears!