While the idea of balancing a steady composure of differentiating between the life of a pianist and the life of a conductor on the brink of a burgeoning career might seem overwhelming, for Benjamin Hochman, it’s really quite simple.

Savvy New York pianophiles this season were privy to two electrifying encounters with the Kiev-born pianist Vadym Kholodenko, heralded champion of the 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. A student of Vera Gornostayeva, the legendary pianist at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and mentor to some generations of exceptional talent like Ivo Pogorelich, Kholodenko possesses a distinct sophistication, epitomized by individualistic reverberation, and palpable on the stage. He performed at Jerome Rose’s International Keyboard Institute & Festival in July, and last week at Frank Salomon’s People’s Symphony Concerts series. Highly focused on stage, Kholodenko mesmerizes listeners with a seductive, seemingly endless array of color and refined sparkle of filigree textures, fashioned with an always brilliant technique and—at times—subdued virtuosity. 

Visiting a city can be overwhelming—especially when that city is overflowing with exceptional options for food, drinks, entertainment, shopping, and places to explore. Luckily, Classical Post’s newest feature Artist City Guides is here to change that. 

Your favorite classical musicians are like celebrities to you—you’re obsessed with their music, their talent, and of course, finding out all of their favorite things. Hey, we’re no different. That’s why we took it upon ourselves to set up the newest feature of Classical Post, Artist Favorites, where we dive into what each of our favorite classical music artists love. (Yeah, you can thank us later). 

For people like us (and you, we assume, since you’re reading this) who love to sink our teeth into everything there is to know about the classical music world, there’s nothing quite as appealing as getting to know the in-depth details about our favorite classical musicians. 

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again—as classical music enthusiasts, there’s something so special to us about getting to know our favorite classical music artists. From their day-to-day routines to their mantras for performing to their must-eat-at restaurants, we love to know what our favorite classical music artists love to love.

If you’re anything like us, you’re dying to know what makes your favorite classical music artists tick. What drives their routines? Do they exercise? How do they meditate? Does a routine matter to them or did they live a chaotic, artist lifestyle? 

Tenor Brian Jagde Talks Food, Shops, and His Favorite Spots in San Francisco

As classical music enthusiasts, it’s no secret that we love to love our favorite artists in the classical music realm. But lately, we’ve been throwing an important question around—what do our favorite artists love to love? 

After stepping onto the stage for his debut concert at just 8 years old, one thing was exceptionally clear for Alexander Sitkovestky (and to all those who heard him)—he was born to play the violin. 

Birmingham born-and-raised, Alpesh Chauhan knew from a young age that his future was set on the course for one path, and one path only: music. 

When Georgian pianist Natalia Kazaryan was 10 years old, she won the Balys Dvarionas International Piano Competition in Lithuania, and the even made her realize she could make this passion into a career. It also gave her international recognition, which resulted in invitations to perform and study in Europe and the United States — her ticket out of the Republic of Georgia, where economy was in tatters following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Violinist Andrés Cárdenes has no intentions of slowing down. While he assumes his playing career has maybe 10 to 12 good years left, he began morphing into a more advisory role, furthering his conducting and teaching career, and maybe writing a couple of books. This includes developing his title as the Music Director of the Josef Gingold Chamber Music Festival of Miami.

Being from sun-soaked Los Angeles, pianist Sean Chen has a pretty easygoing personality. While he brings color and magic to his performances, he also is mathematically and scientifically inclined so there is a methodical approach to his practice.

British-born Chiara Vinci began performing at an early age, when she followed her older sister to the ice-skating rink and then the ballet studio. Chiara has worked hard for everything she has accomplished, including becoming an opera singer.

Like so many artists, award-winning British stage director Thomas Guthrie has completely embraced his craft. He recently visited the town where he sang as a boy and as an undergraduate, and realized how much these experiences shaped him.

Award-winning violinst Yi-Jia Susanne Hou has made it her mission to express the love of life, family, history, culture, and our universe through her music.

For the Vienna-based Janoska Ensemble, music is a treasured family tradition. In 2013, the group came together, founded by brothers Ondrej (violinist), František (pianist) and Roman (violinist), and their brother-in-law Julius Darvas (double-bassist).

Renowned American composer Lowell Liebermann always had a knack for creating his own pieces, even while studying piano at age 8. With his storied career and many accomplishments, Lowell’s most cherished accomplishment is just being able to make a living doing what he does with music.

Conductor Angel Gil-Ordoñez has always had a passion for music. So much so, that he convinced his parents to let him study music in college at the Madrid Conservatory of Music, as long as he would first study Engineering at the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid. He completed both degrees and then continued with his musical education and career.