The Perfect World - Interview with Amateur Pianist Ricker Choi
- QI Post, by LK 2013
Berlin Philharmonie concert hall - 2010
Ricker Choi was my junior high school classmate in Hong Kong. After we each went abroad to study, we lost touch. In recent years, we reconnected on Facebook. Talking about the old days naturally led to discussions about the piano. Although more than 20 years had passed, there was no sense of distance between us at all.
Today, he has reached a peak in the art of living: By day, he is a full-time financial risk management consultant at Manulife Financial in Toronto; after work, he is a pianist who once performed Liszt's Totentanz in front of an audience of 2,500 at the famous Berlin Philharmonie, winning second place in the Berlin International Amateur Piano Competition.
Furthermore, Ricker differs from other musical talents in one key respect: he was never what people would call a child prodigy. At age 12, his first encounter with a musical instrument happened simply because his school, St. Paul's Co-educational College, required all students to learn one. Reluctantly, he picked up the erhu—only to discover a whole new world that changed his life forever. An artist was unexpectedly born.
Interviewer: Thirty years ago, you were admitted to a prestigious traditional school with plenty of academic pressure. Looking back now, are you grateful to your alma mater?
Ricker: I am! My musical life began in the school hall and in Ms. Chan Ming-ying's music classroom. Ms. Chan introduced classical music into my soul. Her passion for music left a deep impression on me, and my emotion for music grew from there. Even now, I still remember the first time I heard Chopin’s Heroic Polonaise during a morning assembly, and the thrilling sense of majesty when I first heard the choir singing in harmony live. It was truly moving and a wonderful memory.
Interviewer: I remember Ms. Chan too—she would be overjoyed to hear you say that! Many outstanding musicians travel the globe as touring concert pianists. Why didn't you choose that path?
Ricker: Being a touring concert pianist looks stylish and impressive on the surface—and of course, it really has a certain aura—but the pressure isn't something everyone can handle. Performing normally brings pressure, of course, but performers love being on stage, so they don't mind it too much. However, if you become a full-time touring pianist, just thinking about maintaining peak form and mood across dozens of concerts a year—or even multiple shows a week, each lasting one or two hours—can be daunting. Ruining a single detail could impact your reputation and career. A concert ticket costs as much as 5 to 10 movie tickets; when audiences buy a ticket to enter, they naturally have high expectations.
Having a stable full-time job and employer is completely different. Not only do you not have to worry about income, but the company also provides plenty of work opportunities. While it requires problem-solving, you mostly just need to work hard without having to invest personal emotional turmoil into it. So when I concentrate on practicing the piano, it actually feels like a rest. Of course, playing the piano is an exercise of willpower and an expression of emotion—completely different from work. Therefore, piano playing and financial risk management complement each other perfectly.
Compared to the lifestyle of a touring musician—constantly traveling and facing various challenges—I see familiar faces at work every day. After work, I can freely schedule dates, meet close friends for dinner, and enjoy my own personal time.
Interviewer: That sounds enviable! What importance and benefits do you think finance work brings to your personal life?
Ricker: I love numerical analysis—it gives my left brain a workout. My job also requires frequent communication with clients to understand their needs and actual situations, which gives me a better grasp of market conditions compared to just reading news reports. Sometimes I also handle system interface design, which tests my imagination and design skills—it’s quite fun. Whether my design is good or bad directly impacts client institutions' financial asset risk management, so making a mistake would be serious trouble!
Interviewer: Fascinating! Talking with you helps me understand how a concert pianist's practical life differs from us office workers. But do you think the caliber of an amateur pianist can compare to a professional one?
Ricker: The top amateur players can indeed compare with professionals. However, don't forget that a professional's baseline standard is extremely high. If you compare them based on just one or two specific pieces, it’s possible. But a professional pianist holds over a thousand pieces in their memory to meet performance demands—something an amateur simply cannot match. If there’s an emergency and an organizer needs a last-minute substitute, a professional pianist has to master an entire concerto within a few weeks, or even a few days, and perform it live with an orchestra. Moreover, professional means professional: performing the same piece on tour more than ten times, making it sound best and most captivating every single time, even when feeling unwell.
Interviewer: Conversing with you and reading your writing makes me feel that even as a musician, you can talk about music from an outsider's perspective. Could you share some of your thoughts on this?
Ricker: Not having to face music day in and day out gives me the free space to reflect. In the past, I often felt anxious about making mistakes during a performance—and the more scared I was, the easier it was to blunder. Now, I’ve surrendered. I no longer pursue a "perfect" performance; I only ask that my physical movements closely align with the music's rhythm, dancing along with it and enjoying who I am in that moment. That's probably what self-forgetfulness means—not taking oneself too seriously.
This mindset has also transformed my outlook on life. Don't strive excessively for perfection, and accept that there are many things in life you cannot control. An overbearing ego only limits you. Isn't this what Buddhism teaches us? Try to let go of the ego and accept life, including its mistakes, sadness, pain, happiness, and joy—learn to rise and fall with the great flow of reality.
Interviewer: Well said. So, in what mindset should we attend your anniversary performance this Saturday?
Ricker: You? Just come to support a friend! The concert will be held at Toronto's famous Glenn Gould Studio as a charity event raising funds for the SickKids Foundation. The hall meets Canada's top specifications, and I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to perform there almost every year, so I am very familiar with the venue.
As an amateur player, I can take a long time to prepare for a concert at my own pace. After the performance, I can relax completely—even step away from the piano for a whole month to enjoy the summer sunshine. To me, music is important, but I also thoroughly enjoy the simple pleasures of everyday life! If I couldn't eat without playing the piano, performing definitely wouldn't be this much fun!
Interviewer: Thank you! Wishing you a successful performance and every success!
Ricker Choi Charity Concert
Date: April 13, 2013, at 7:30 PM
Location: Glenn Gould Studio, 250 Front Street West, Toronto, Canada
http://www.qipost.com/canada-toronto-glenn-gould-studio-ricker-choi-2013/
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