Derek Hartman ’21MM ’27DMA on Beethoven, competition, and growth

Pianist Derek Hartman ’21MM ’27DMA recently took home first prize at the Beethoven Competition in Vienna. Here, he reflects on the path that led him to this achievement — his early experiences with music, the pivotal moments that shaped his artistry, and the passion that drives him forward.

You can watch Derek's award-winning performance here. 

-- 

For the competition, the repertoire consisted solely of works by Beethoven. Two pieces of my chosen repertoire were particularly special to me. The Appassionata Sonata, which I performed in the first live round in Vienna, was the first Beethoven sonata I ever heard. The last movement’s chaotic bombast and stunning virtuosity mesmerized me as a kid, so the chance to play it in Vienna two decades later was an amazing experience. 

The relationship between logic and expression in Beethoven’s music was so satisfying to me from an early age, to the point that I'd attempt to write sonatas in his style. Even as I've grown to love music of all genres, styles, and eras, I always feel that I have something to say with Beethoven’s music, in particular.

I played the Fourth Concerto in the final round — another piece which is very close to my heart. When I first learned the piece as an undergraduate, I wrote a cadenza for its first movement, which plays out like an homage to Beethoven’s entire output for the piano (it plays with motives from both the Concerto and the Appassionata Sonata, which were written around the same time). 

I’ve gained a lot of inspiration from pianist Robert Levin, who has absorbed the style and syntax of eighteenth-century music to such a degree that he frequently composes and writes cadenzas for Mozart and Beethoven concerti. Levin happened to be on the jury of the competition, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share my own cadenza with him.

Playing Beethoven in Vienna was a long-awaited dream come true for me. Sitting at the piano to start the Fourth Concerto, I remember feeling extremely nervous to play the opening chord. But I also felt grateful to have the opportunity to fill the Golden Hall of the Musikverein with music, and to be a small part of the history of incredible music-making that has taken place in that space.

It has given me confidence to know that I have the support of Professor Slutsky and the entire piano faculty at YSM. They’ve always encouraged me to express myself more earnestly and with more conviction — advice which I felt came to fruition in the Beethoven Competition. My peers in the piano department inspire me daily through their ambitious pursuits, career achievements, and most of all, their love of music.

When you apply to a competition, you do so with the knowledge that you will likely be disappointed and discouraged at some point. I, along with so many of my esteemed peers, apply to many competitions, so I've experienced so many setbacks and moments of doubt in my abilities. I think those experiences instill both a sense of humility and inner confidence that helps shape us as artists — if we let them. 

This article is part of our First Person series, where students offer an inside look at the School of Music through personal stories about classes, recitals, collaborations, and life in New Haven.