NEWS

The young piano virtuoso Inna Montesclaros recently played Live from the Lyric Piano Gallery on the afternoon of Oct 1, 2021.

Long supported by Lyric, Inna was in the Lyric Piano Gallery since that Friday’s morning to prep for upcoming performances and pre-recording pieces on video as part of a piano competition requirement. Reminded that she will be featured Live on the Lyric Facebook page post-practice, she gasps for a moment, “Wait, I’ll be streamed live? Oh no, what will I play?” She seemed exhausted, as one would be after practicing for hours; it was charmingly disarming for a world class talent. She thinks for a moment, then smiles an “Okay!”

Inna rubs and shakes her arms that are probably feeling sore after playing challenging pieces for hours on end, taking only brief breaks (and skipping lunch altogether). Sat behind a Shigeru Kawai baby grand, she closes her eyes, and delivers a passionate reading of Ravel’s “Ondine” from Gaspard de la Nuit (the performance begins at  the 3:35 mark of the video).

While her first teachers in the Philippines were Prof Cecile Basilio Roxas and Dr Raul Sunico, Inna was educated at the Royal College of Music in London with a Bachelor of Music Degree and earned her Master of Arts Degree at the Royal Academy of Music, also in London. Just a taste of her accomplishments: Inna has performed in London, Chile, and New York and has competed in national and international music competitions in South Korea, Vietnam, and Malaysia and awarded Bronze Prize at the Rising Stars Grand Prix Competition in Berlin with her partner, Polish violinist Ada Witczyk. 

As with nearly all musicians, the global pandemic temporarily derailed her local and international commitments. While Inna’s schedule is beginning to fill up again, she admits to making the best of the break imposed by the global lockdowns, including helping care for her father. Montesclaros says she used to practice anywhere from six to twelve hours a day. Inna took the time to focus on creative matters outside of music; she dabbles in watercolour and acrylic landscape and abstract painting. 

Although a performer of “serious music,” she admits with a giggle: “I like K-pop.!" (She’s not part of the BTS Army though, and prefers girl groups like Blackpink)

Inna practiced and performed at the Piano Gallery with a Shigeru Kawai SK-2 baby grand that she loves. For ‘Ondine’, “…that kind of ‘watery’ sound is doable with [the Shigeru], the sparkle, but it also has a really nice big bass sound. I just love how versatile it can be.” 

For her second Live From the Piano Gallery piece, she chose Albeniz’s Triana from Book 2 of the piano suite Iberia. An Impressionistic piece, she explains, “Triana is meant to be a Gypsy town, lots of, like, ‘woooohhh’ (she dances a bit and laughs)… sorry!” Her light-heartedness and sense of humor were stark contrasts to her seriously passionate playing. If she was exhausted from her grueling day or anxious about the livestream, it never showed as her hands and fingers danced nimbly and fluidly, fiery and elegant in equal measure across the keys.

(words by Francis Brew Reyes)