Pianist Javier Perianes on Performing Saint-Saëns with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Art of the Short Siesta, and His Four-Word Definition of Success

<p>The Spanish pianist <a href="https://www.javierperianes.com/index.php"><u>Javier Perianes</u></a> is racking up quite a lot of frequent flyer miles these days.</p> <p>This season alone, his concert schedule has him zigzagging the globe to perform with the <a href="https://www.laphil.com/events/performances/1804/2022-11-25/shostakovich-and-saint-saens"><u>Los Angeles Philharmonic</u></a> and Dallas Symphony here in the States, Europe's Budapest Festival Orchestra and the Oslo Philharmonic, and a whirlwind trip to Australia for concerts with the Melbourne and Sydney Symphony Orchestras, among many other engagements.</p> <p>And while the thrill of making music with friends and colleagues around the world is a key driver for Perianes's career, his extensive travels also provide a key element that fuels his creativity: new life experiences.</p> <p>"When you're with a piece, you have big emotional landscapes — death, pain, suffering, hope, joy," Perianes shares on the latest episode of the <em>Classical Post</em> podcast. "Where can you get all those feelings to convey? You can't get that from others' lives. You can't imitate them. You have to have them deep inside you."</p> <p>That authentic approach to performance has served Perianes well. A prolific recording artist, he's released <a href="https://www.javierperianes.com/discografia.php"><u>20 critically acclaimed albums</u></a> on the Harmonia Mundi label — and he's performed with many of today's leading conductors, including Gustavo Dudamel, Klaus Mäkelä, Daniel Barenboim, and Vladimir Jurowski.</p> <p>Next up for Perianes are <a href="https://www.laphil.com/events/performances/1804/2022-11-25/shostakovich-and-saint-saens"><u>three performances</u></a> of Saint-Saëns's Fifth Piano Concerto — also known as "The Egyptian" — with the LA Phil and conductor Gustavo Gimeno. In this episode, we talk more about how he's preparing the Saint-Saëns concerto and what he hopes audiences in Los Angeles will enjoy about this seldom-heard work.</p> <p>Plus, Perianes shares how