Rowel Elesio Friers won the 12th Annual Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year competition.
Dubbed 'The Wonder Pianist', Friers, from Holywood in Down, has been thrilling audiences since the age of five.
Nine years’ later he made his debut in New York’s Carnegie Hall and now, at 22, Rowel has a wide-ranging repertoire and continues to perform extensively in Ireland and Europe.
This year’s Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year contest takes place before an international Jury in Dublin’s Freemasons’ Hall from Thursday Oct 9 to Saturday Oct 11.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
I always make an effort to learn a few words of the local language wherever I’m playing a concert, even if it’s just "Hello!" and "Thank you very much" as I love to engage with the audience and culture.
Sometimes it can get a little out of hand if someone thinks I can fully speak the language, though!
I love food! I enjoy cooking a lot and take the opportunity to make my favourite dishes often, I’m very partial to Chinese cuisine, with the wonderful flavours and soy-sauce based dishes.
I’ve always had somewhat of an affinity with cats. When I was in Spain we came across a few street cats near the beach as we were walking along.
I always like to go over and say hello to them, but this time I noticed that there were about thirty or so that had decided to all come over and investigate me.
My father turned around to talk to them but they didn’t seem at all interested in him!
How would you describe your music?
In terms of the music that I perform on piano, I believe that it’s a form of language and as such is universally understood.
It is often so difficult to get the point across to another person if they aren’t familiar with your own language, there’s plenty to be lost in translation, whether that be due to how the languages use words differently or simply that google translate believes that sleeping with the fishes means a nap with a porpoise.
I regard music as a bridge between people’s emotions, maybe even our souls, and this allows anyone to walk into a concert hall and understand the story of the music without a single word of explanation being uttered.
Who are your musical inspirations?
Franz Liszt was regarded as one of the first pop stars, drawing in crowds with his virtuosic playing and causing the phenomenon known as Lisztomania – similar to how modern celebrity musicians are treated, however, this behaviour was highly unusual for the period.
There were even fainting spells at his concerts, where people would be so overcome by emotion that they would simply faint on the spot.
Liszt’s compositions have a certain magnetism that I find irresistible, with the virtuoso passages and daring octaves that invigorates me to perform those wonderful works more and more.
What was the first gig you ever went to?
It was a Jedward concert in Belfast when I was 8 years old – I had a big sign that I made for it that said "Go Jedward!" or something along those lines.
It was quite a while ago so I don’t remember much, but I do remember enjoying their single Under Pressure at that particular gig.
What was the first record you ever bought/downloaded?
I’ve never really bought records, CDs, or anything of the like until very recently but I remember way back to when I was a lot younger and not a lot shorter that my parents bought me a CD with all kinds of children’s songs on it, and I would be obsessed with listening to John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt on repeat on my dad’s big stereo as I went to bed!
What’s your favourite song right now?
Right now it would have to be Masayuki Tanaka’s Katamari On The Rocks from Katamari Damacy, such a silly and fun song with a brilliantly catchy theme.
Favourite lyric of all time?
Cody Fry – I hear a Symphony
"I used to hear a simple song
That was until you came along
Now in it’s place is something new
I hear it when I look at you"
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I honestly think if I had to listen to one song and only one for the rest of my life, my life wouldn’t be very long: Variety is the spice of life and I certainly love my spice!
Where can people find your music/more information?
I have a YouTube channel and Facebook page both under Rowel Friers where I’ll be posting videos of performances and so on!
John Byrne
