'I was so lucky to have Ivan Monighetti as a teacher and mentor from the age of ten. I studied with him for eleven years, first in Madrid and then in Basel. He treated me as a daughter, and helped me to develop my personality and construct a balanced life. I remember every time I went to Madrid, he would buy books for me to read. He, together with my parents, became part of my inner crew who would treat me with love as my career grew: something you can’t expect from the music business. This helped me to develop a sense of self-security that made me feel untouchable on stage. I had too little agenda to feel swayed by external forces, which can often make young players forget who they are. The biggest statement you can make is in a concert – not by becoming a product for the market.
We need to be careful about superficial success. It always feels great to get a good reception from an audience, but if you feel you didn’t play well, there’s still something to do. Looking back, I would tell myself never to give up, especially when things become difficult. Your career is not about quantity of concerts, but your technical and musical level, and the way you share this with others. There are many things that we think we control, but we don’t. Today I’m calm even if a concert doesn’t get a great reaction, but I know I delivered something strong and played well.