Hello! I am in a special situation  of having next to me a woman model for the human relationships. For her attitude, her honesty, her energy and her discipline, not only for the acceptance others personality without losing herself but also, she is expressing her opinion and her needs. With open mind, with hospitality and always willing to, today I have the honor of having a conversation from a different angle with her With… Stella Yaloglou. Stella Yaloglou I met her about a year ago and I had with her a great opportunity and experience to organize a recital at Apollon Theatre. Stella was playing piano and I clarinetto and saxophone. This is how we met. And fortunately, among her very busy program, she found time to study the very difficult pieces I had chosen. Hey Stella!

Good afternoon!

Indeed the pieces were so difficult ?

If they were difficult I wouldn’t acc… if they were not difficult I wouldn’t accept. It was I challenge, for sure was a challenge Eh…and it was a part of chamber music I had never done before, I mean with a wind instrument. So the challenge was double. Due to the program and due to the instrument

Perfect. I am glad. I small question in order to … to begin for sure now. What is the academic and official level on the piano. As a pianist player?

So… I have the piano diploma, for those they do not know, having the diploma on the piano it is the highest eh… degree that someone can have in Greece, there is a gradation between degree and a diploma.Regarding the instrument I have diploma degree and also degree on higher music theory, odikis and harmony

Odikis?! What is it?

This was a theory lesson, at older times was taught on music conservatories. To be completely honest, the use and execution its very small. It basically was a start in order to continue to harmony lessons which is much more popular and pedagogically more useful

Very nice. For now, I want to focus more on you diploma on the piano.How many hours did you study on the period you were about to give exams for the diploma?

So, that period, preparation for the diploma in spite of my memory it’s not my forte. That part of my life I can recall it with many details. Eh…To prepare for a piano diploma program with very high demands, those years the art director of my music conservatory was Dimitris Maragkopoulos who is active member of Athens Concert Hall, I had to study every day and many hours with some pauses during the day in order to get some physical and mental rest. But it was about 8 to 10 hours a day!

Ok. 8 to 10 hours. Without flags

Heavy duty and unhealthy perhaps

Ok! Nice! How do you recall that period?… what was your routine, what feelings you have about that period?

You see, because, the preparation for the diploma degree started at the age of 22 years old aproximately, which those years where… You have spent many years at the music conservatory you might have achieved to reach a high technical level, but musically you are not so mature. So, the difficult repertoire that you have been called to play, becomes difficult to understand in terms of the musical understanding. So that period, truly, my time was eh… only dedicated to that. I mean, my daily routine was how I will manage to study. What time I will eat, when I will sleep that’s it. Truly,there was nothing else beyond that. I was trying to find a balance between studying and resting and that’s it. Nothing else!

Yeah, I also was like that for my diploma. Minimum nine hours

You see, Menas, whoever came through that situation… is aware of that! I mean, there is no… there is no other way! You don’t have another choice.

No. You wake up, go, I was going at the conservatory in order to study, I was returning back, in fact i was not returning back home I was there all the time, all day. Where were you studying?

That is also a very interesting story. So that period, because simultaneously, I was studying at the Technical University on the decoration in Athens. I leaved at student residence located at Michael Votha Street, in Athens, it is sponsored by Catholic Church. So I was leaving in a room where of course I did not have a piano. So every day I was leaving from the center to visit my conservatory by public transportation, at the morning because on the afternoon they had lessons and the rooms where occupied so I couldn’t have a free room.

Which conservatory?

At “Gizi” conservatory in Athens. So, at the afternoon after some point there was a man who was brilliant, Pater Michales the headmaster of the residence who I will always remember him. He understood my struggle and he told me that there is a lecture hall at the residence. And there is also a piano and I could have a key for in order to study whenever and as much I want, even at nights because no one could hear me. So after that point I had that chance. Anyway, the problem was that I should always had to move somewhere else in order to study and not in my space.

I see! Nice! Eh…At you school, ”Gizi” Conservatory?

Yes

You had a female teacher, right?

Yes. My teacher was missis Evgenia Plieta. She was a piano teacher with very important studies abroad studies with a German teacher, Unfortunately I can’t recall his name. Eh… We found her, by luck, through a common person because she comes from Syros. Eh… The part for the preparation for eh… my exams was with her And… the chamber music I had to pass before also the concerto with two pianos we played at the exams we also had the help of the violin player Galinas but I also can not recall the surname, she was at the “Orchestra of Colours” as a first violinists. Anyway they were very good teachers with high expectations and demands of course

And how was… your lesson, I would like to… copy some ideas, how she was at your lessons?

Ah, missis Jeny, because Jeny we were calling her. The lesson started, let’s say that your lesson was at seven, but you didn’t know when was the end! It wasn’t like lesson 7 – 8. You were going with days lesson and because of course you were not playing the hole program in one lesson. You were working on a piece per lesson. And you didn’t know when you were dismissed. You were starting and she was, not just page by page, not to say bar per bar and I sound extreme. I will say line per line and she was stopping at every little detail. And again and again and again and she was correcting every little detail that you can imagine

Eh, and she took you over from which level?

By the time I left Syros I was at the 3rd class of the high level. For those they don’t know that is almost the last level at the music studies. But because the level in Syros those days was not to say low, was very low. The transition to a high-level school in Athens was not easy, so it took a year of preparation and adaptation in other words. I did not directly start the program, the preparation of the program. It became a period of adaptation, technique, music, perception, everything.

You didn’t had exams to enter the diploma class?

No, no. Because when I left from here, I had an education certificate for my level of the 3rd class of the higher level and also what was my knowledge on the theoretical part. And from that point we continued but typically because  they were some things we had to correct.In order to continue to the preparation for the diploma exams.

With missis Jenny eh… Did you ever get angry with her? Because me for my diploma there was a time and a day that I couldn’t stand it anymore at the lesson and I left. I was angry, this is what I mean

You see, me in general am a very patient person. Very much! She was not an easy teacher. And I am talking about her character and not pedag, I mean her knowledge was a lot, I mean a lot. Some times maybe here expression was strict, a bit hard, some times she couldn’t understand my anxious and things were conflict. In those cases I always, always I would stand back. Me leaving the lesson never happened. I mean, patient . Patient because I had a purpose,I was very focused on my purpose and I didn’t want to deviate from that, and because I had gone through a lot to be in that place. I wanted our relation to be smooth.

Your purpose was to take the higher, the diploma. Eh… What made you… I am interesting on what made you want, to conquer that higher knowledge?

You see, just like you are aware of it, there is a difference between the degree and the diploma degree for the instruments. Eh… The simple degree it’s a first level of certification, for example. Eh… In order for the listeners to understand what I mean, the owner of a piano simple degree can teach until a level. Obviously, can not teach all levels student. Can not teach things the he has never been taught. The owner of a piano diploma degree can teach all levels. Those years, considering my vocational rehabilitation, maybe a reason was that. From the other hand I loved it I mean I adore it. I was sitting on the piano, of course they never told me to study, I want it to. So in my mind I wanted to reach the higher level. So that I have gain the most of it, at list in our country.

Yes. So allow me to say, without pain eh… you started… learning piano, without your parents make you to, because you liked music I guess

Yes there where no, only encouragement from my parents. Great support. Ethical, phycological, material. I mean I was from the very lucky kids that… if not on the second, on the third year, at the beginning of the third year eh… my dad said to my mother: “Dimitra, the kid must have a piano. She can not study on the electric one, on the keyboard” A small keyboard I had at the house. We went with mother in Athens, of course i would have had a new one. I mean, the best I could have they gave it to me very very soon

Very important

Very, very important. The instrument is a thing that we must mention to the parents. In general parents must keep it in mind, that lots of facts count for the kids to grow in music. A lot. One of them is the instrument. I mean it’s a great motivation. Because when the student comes for a lesson and plays at a piano with a tail and study at home at an electric keyboard. Eh… somethings is wrong!

Eh, it just won’t study

Yes, there is no motivation. Because, first of all music is a listening pleasure. The first stimulus we have, is acoustic. So if what the kid is listening does not make it happy, eh, it won’t hang on it

Yes, right! I would like to continue… When you started, it was your demand to start music or your parents told you, took you?

No it was just a touch, on my own. Eh.. There was music in the house, because my brother was playing the guitar. But piano as a listening was not in the house. Despite that I can recall being a little girl and just happened to watch a piano concert on the TV, a lady was playing the piano and I stack. It made a great impression on me what I was watching and what I was watching and how what I was listening was coming through that image and I said that simple to my mother: “I want to learn piano” And just, you know, we start. That simple. But in the end became life’s purpose.

As a, as a teenager eh… What music you were hearing, as a teenager?

My hearings, to be completely honest to all humans, it was definitely not classical music. Wright? I was listening to rock, artistic. But very specific. Even now my listening are not a lot. I am not from those that tell you they hear everything. Despite those, classic music I wasn’t listening. Only if they were some tracks that was falling in my hands, I was looking to hear them, and of course it wasn’t as easy as now. There wasn’t YouTube to hear 10 different plays of a sonata. But even if it existed I think the same, we were in a different mood back then

The parents were hearing music?

Yes they do, definitely not classic music. I mean, they had no, no touch with classic music. There wasn’t even as a listening at the house. Even that, from the time a start studying, from the beginning until now when you ask me what you like to listen with piano, it’s only classical music. You know!

Of course, great tracks they have composed!

I thing that music no I mean, someone must not taken as stacked, not even eh… let’s say, snob. Wants to hear classical music. It is a part of music, that is, we must leave it by the side because we can not reach it, it’s so unique. And from that time no one could do something like that. So…

For sure. To compose tracks that lasts 20 minutes non stop and more. Concertos, Sonatas

And you don’t get bored on those 20 minutes

Different. Something unique. Did you have a chance to watch lice a pianist player? First here in Syros as a teenager and perhaps as a teenager again not in Syros

First of all the chances here in Syros are a few till none. At young

I am sorry, the theater was not been used for such things?

Look, from, us a student, let’s say, we should recall that the theater was not as it is now

Ah ok

You might miss that

Definitely i do

We are talking about that when we were watching a non – professional theater the theater was with cements and without roof so absolutely there was no piano inside

What do you mean?

No, we are not talking about a conversation so many years before

No it’s ok

It was not the way it is now, at last, and there was no piano. Now, maybe the first, if I remember, classical music concert I watched with a piano solist was “Dimitris Sgouros” here at the theater. In addition what really impressed me, I haven’t seen a lot to be honest, because to watch a concert that plays a pianist with global fame you should visit Athens or abroad wright? Before 2 or 3 years if I remember well, I saw Evgeny Kissin at the Concert Hall that was an amazing experience. It’s the time that you can not believe that one man, alone, one man can make all those people thrilled and hold them without breath

When did that happened?

I thing it was 3 years before at Athens Concert Hall. Amazing night, amazing, great. And we should not forget that at the festival: “Meet the violins” last year we had the honor and the pleasure to host an amazing pianist here in Syro, Victor Stanislavsky.Great school next to him. Great School. Amazing. Extraodinary. Whom, we give a teaser, we would have the chance to watch him and this year at the festival

Ok! Hope for the best! We are looking forward to!So, the previous years, again as a teenager in Syros eh… what was the chances to watch, to  entertained someone with live music here in Syros. We had theater? we had the stores?

Look, the truth is, as I can remember that period perhaps because it was a part I wasn’t so musch into, I do not have such memories. The hangs out were, Saturday night, you know, a walk at the square.. Eh… maybe for a coffee. The things we could do were a few. I can not remember, I mean, If they were store with live musicI really can’t remember any but also I don’t, you know, I wasn’t look for.

When and for who you enjoy playing music, playing the piano?

Ehm… So music is something that every person has a different way to express himself. At first I like playing piano for me. I mean I can play piano for three hours and I enjoy it so much that I fill full. At first I enjoy play for me. From that point forward, the circle gets wider,  I really enjoy playing for the kids, for my students. I like very music to play with a different instrument, with you, with Alexanro Gkelia with whom we play many years together. And of course with, as the circle gets wider, the audience gets also more. The people you are willing to play for

At eh… your family you were playing, playing at home?

At home a was playing a lot, because from the moment I had my own classic piano inside the house, at my room,every free  time I was there. So or my parents and my brother were hearing just like simple listeners doing something else simultaneously. My mother was many times that she was sitting next to me

She was sitting eh?!

Yes listening. She was just sitting next to me while I was studying. Many times

Ok

Many times

Very nice! That is very nice!

Yes because it’s something you know, out of the blue popes out in the family, she was seeing a progress and, obviously as a proud mother, she was very happy and she enjoyed it, a lot It’s a very nice feeling as I am thinking about right now to have someone on your family that accepts that. Not just accepts it but also supports it with every possible way right?! Or this is…. Because in order to sit next to your kid and give the satisfaction : “what you are doing is very important so you have my attention and make me feel good watching you” it’s a huge help for the kid

Me when I was studying at home I was closing every time the door I was like. I didn’t want anyone to annoy me

On piano, you know, even to close the door not many things changes

Through the wall travels in all the house. Yes! Great! You have left Syro… about what age?

Ninety…

You understand… I try to ask you your age

Yes, yes, yes! 94 the year 1994. Yes

The 1994 and your age?… 18;

17

17

Ναι

17 years old. Great!

When I finished Lycium I had Panhellenic exams, I entered the Techical Univercity which I watched and finished also,  but music won

Music, music, musica. And when did you come back in Syros?

In Syros I came back on 2000 when I finished with my diploma, Eh… inspite at the beginning when I moved to Athens the first year I said: “Ah, I will never go back to Syros” Those that, very usual. We hear it a lot.  Eh… Eh… Of course Athens didn’t hold me as… Not as environment neither as way of life, so it was my choice, with conscious choice, I mean,  I came back on 2000 in Syros

Stella I want to ask you how many years you are teaching piano or theory… theory lessons?

Professionally from 2000 I came back in Syros.We do not count the… the uncountable hours practical teaching we had at the conservatory for the grade of the lesson: “practical teaching” for the diploma. Many hours. So from 2000 eh… I am doing it professionally, I mean, and according the instrument and the theory and also on the kids preparation for the Panhellenic in musicology and the last three years I have my own school in Ermoupoli the place you were coming for rehearsal.

Where there is that beautiful piano and beautiful place

This is very important. We have to mention that, it is very important. The experience that you provide to a kid when it starts music, from the first minute to feel that is…, I mean the sense of touching the instrument and the sound due to play in any kind of instrument you find by luck. Just that, you know, it makes a good  impression, the mass is impressive, the way it works is impressive and after that the capabilities, I mean, as much as you can you give motives, this is very important

Ok! Motives, ideas

Exactly!

Imagination, thoughts. The children why they are leaning music?

It is very pleasant that in Syros, you are aware of that, there are many many children that they are interesting in leaning music. I’ll talk about piano. Eh… In my opinion, even now we are speaking that there is a, the piano is a trump card meaning that it is so beautiful in solo playing, what shall we do it is! Also solo is like an orchestra. So, eh… very easily impress a child. Compared with another instrument that maybe is more, you know, at first the mass is impressive. Piano is an instrument that can fill a whole room. So on child’s eyes it is very impressive. I am considering that’s why it starts music plus that here in Syros is very ordinary instrument.I mean, listening to piano is a common sound

The piano. Yes

From that point forward a very big road starts. Because there is a huge space between I want to learn piano until, not to be a soloist or take a degree or a diploma, until you play for joy, because I want to reach a level. This is a long way

Even to play a track on a tempo, in one beat, with phrases, with dynamics, more silent, louder and to express your shelf is a long way

Ah, this is

Especially on the wind instruments

You are talking about even further. Because to gain at first

Further?

Yes further. Because at first to gain a good touch with the instrument. And we are talking about a small kid. I have kids that they are 1st grade, they are very young. Even to stand on the stool and to manage with their little fingers to produce a sound is a long way and in my opinion the relationship you will develop with any kid and the way you are teaching and I mean that you have to prepare esp, especially for every lesson and firstly, look at the personality of the kid and afterwards “A, I want to teach him that”. No it is not like that. I have that kid and that kid wants to lean music. How I will adopt? I must adopt to the kid and not the kid to adopt on some old standard that they are not upgrades decades now, for example

That, that you are saying, the last one especially for the teachers adoption to the kid, I guess for the first years

Yes, after… it is very important to gain the trust of the student. If you do that it is over… after that everything goes smooth. You don’t have to care about that. You can concentrate on other things. But if there is not trust relationship, as much as you try or as much a kid studies, I thing that it will not reach the result you want Just to exist a good, I mean, a better… touch…

Basically to have a essential touch between teacher and student

Bravo. Exactly with the wide meaning. You are not strict the piano teacher. You are a teacher that some time the student will tell you something that bothers it and it’s completely out of Acceptable and we ask for it. Like that the boundaries will be a little more loose and will feel more free and also a kid that is shy will become more extroverted in order to become more extroverted in music

I see. Ok. Very, those are very nice. Those are hints, just saying, tips after experience

That’s true, that’s true those things you will not learn them in conservatories. You should know that

They don’t teach them in Universities

Ah, you have, of course. You, you certainly kn… you can tell us exactly about that

Let’s continue… are there any moments, days, hours that you were saying, you would like to, you would like not to had started playing music. Any black days in different words

Especially those black days you are saying: “I am glad I have music” I have experienced it very strongly some difficult times in my life. Now, many times I discuss with Alexandros, while we are preparing for a future concert and I am telling him: “Po po, can you imagine that I wasn’t playing piano?” It is just like I can not introduce myself. Something like that

Amazing. Amazing. Now that you mentioned Alexandro… That period you are preparing… do you want to tell us, in short words, what you are preparing with Alexandros?

Of course

He plays

He plays violin

Alexandros Gkelias

Fantastic violin. Not just violin

Orthopedic we must

Yes, a doctor by profession a musician at heart and soul. We are preparing e very, very difficult project for Big Wednesday. I thing is

Ok

1st of May

Ouaou. It’s soon

That day if I am not wrong. It won’t be a public holiday due the postpone of it. The project… shall we announce it?

Whatever you want

We will.

So… it’s… It is about a, the view of a silent film of 1924 “The burglar of Bagdat”

Before 100 years. Tsoup, by luck?

In which we will play music, the music for the movie live on the stage.

I mean it is, at the end, a representation of the way that used to view movies that they had musicians on stage, and they were playing, the soundtrack of the movie, let’s say

Perfect

Live. There are

Perfect

so many difficulties for that. Lets exclude the technical difficulties of the Korsakov compositions that they are a lot. Because the music, I didn’t say that, is completely Rimsky Korsakov. If we exclude, so, the… demands of the tracks, there is a second obstacle that you have to overc… to overcome, because we will not only play music and the movie will be shown and on 1,5 hour the movies ends among with us. Every minute of the movie, not to say second is adopted with specific points of the tracks so on the specific second of the movie we must play at a specific bar of the track. And this as you can understand requires uncountable rehearsal, because we have to know every time that in that moment: That he comes down of the magic carpet, I should play that specific point. So…

How they managed those years. Nowadays he have forward and backward easily

Yes, that thing now

Amazing

I am not sure if

Bravo!

What we are doing, we have select a few Korsakov’s compositions. It’s not only from “Sehrazat”. The basic, the basic structure that we are listening is from “Sehrazat” but in order to play in the whole movie, 1,5 hours, we select and from more collectionsAnd we have

For the same movie? Sorry!

Yes for the same movie. In order not to play again and again the soundtrack of “Sehrazat”we select some compositions to accompany the movie. We select them… the arrangement is ours. I mean the time and point we are playing the tracks is our choice. We haven’t copy what is playing at the original movie. We have adapt it. I am not aware of the old time whether they were just playing a piece in the whole movie and that’s it. I don’t th… I don’t know if they were so much synchronized at a specific bar to be at a specific second.

Look, I don’t know the movie but I can imagine like if there is a sound from a pot for example, I don’t know the movie, and by the time there is a sound for the pot, just saying,the cymbals must be heard. This must be….

For sure but

In time!

I don’t know if

But ok

It was like that. I mean, a very characteristic part is a moment in the movie were a bee comes out from the flower and that moment tak we should play “Flying of the bumblebee” of Korsakov, if you are not with the bee… that’s not profession

And without a maestro… Very hard

Very very hard

Very hard

We must… at first we must communicate both of us. After, each of us we should check simultaneously at the screen in order to check if we are at the correct bar and second that we have pinned.

I wish you lots of patience

We have, we have

We are reaching the end of my questions and I would like to continue with, we are upon the stage now. You are playing a piece just like we did at the Theatre Apollon and I would like from you to share with me, if you like of course, to share what was the feelings that moment or every time you play at the theatre. What do you feel, how do you understand the moment?

So the… the part of being a soloist naturally, as you can understand and you are aware of, is something completely different from pedagogically. It’s another story. It requires lots of preparation.Now the pay off upon the stage it’s huge. You just have to, it’s a click that has to be done. To do it on early time, the click will be done in my opinion. To make it happen on early time so you are completely focus at your instrument and your music in order to have the maximum effort mostly musical stats and not so much the technical ones. To be clear, the audience in my opinion is not coming to, not only to see how fast you can play the octaves. The audience is coming to enjoy music. So if you managed to do that click and you be one with the track, after that what you are sharing with the audience is something extraordinary. And with the one you are playing with, if you are. Eh… and always when you are playing upon a stage in a so beautiful place like the theatre with brilliant acoustic….The result is fantastic. It’s worth the struggle and the hours of studying I mean.

And this is what you gain, right? You achieve. A pleasure?

Lots of pleasure and satisfaction and acceptance and I saw, we saw together that the Eh… community in Syros need happenings like that because it is not ordinary. Two people from Syros go on stage and play Brahms, Mena!

No.. don’t

When this is not there only work. I mean, you have lesson all day, me too. I mean the part of being a soloist is… It is very important in this small community that we are leaving to have varieties for the audience. The choices to hear classical music in this small place, the truth is that they are limited. Unless if someone comes abroad. And I will referred to the festival that it was a huge luck to have those musicians here. Whoever watched them they realized it. So our choices abroad are also limited. In conclusion the people, the urban force let’s say, we can, to be proud of it

Allwright, this is, I will also say mostly like a classical eh… player When you have to read a part eh… it was and it is still is much easier to… to spread the music, What I want to say… especially older time there was, let’s say, a part from Italy for example and you knew how to read the part. You didn’t have to hear it. So you could play Italian songs for example, I am just saying. Eh.. this is just a language, anyway, Eh.. that… can easily spread and can be played. We will continue with some last question from Proust’s diary.Eh… Three questions. Which is your biggest fear?

Eh… Related to music I guess

Whatever you like. Yes to music

Look, the truth is something that I will be afraid of is eh…. something happens and I couldn’t play. Because, you will say, allwright. If something happens and you are not able to do some things, ok that fear we all have. Of course. But by force for some reasons or practical or… I don’t know what else might be and prevent me to be… able, yes this is what I, I fear most let’s say

Yes I understand.  What trait you dislike mostly at yourself and what mostly on others?

Eh… what I dislike. Maybe sometimes… ehm… I rush of making decision for some people. Generally I am impulsive and I stand on the first impression from a person and sometimes I stack to it, without giving a second chance. May a second but third I don’t.

E, yes! That’s good

But on the majority of my choices, I mean that it came true. I mean it’s a good path for me. But not always. I’ve made mistakes, of course. So that, maybe I should, I don’t know how… to manipulate it differently and I do not get carries away by the first meeting or the first touch. Eh… About the others eh… what I dislike is not being consistent and boringness. There are two things that…I mean when a person… I don’t like at all. I want to, the other like, because exactly I am consistent on what we set for goal and reach to an agreement: “We start to work that” I want the other, I demand I mean, to be as consistent as I am. And if you have to either it’s a work or a project or anything else and demands time and work from the both of us, the other must work that’s the only way. Nothing else. By magic can not be done.

Amazing. Very good. Last question and thank you so much for that amazing experience that also helps me and make me better and I thank you very much. What you appreciate most on your friends?

Eh… What I appreciate on my friends and eh… makes me feel very nice is that… they understand who I am, Ehm… that I am not a multi – sides, weird, difficult personality, I thing Eh… and I like that they can see it clearly so there is a smooth tube of communications. We communicate doing things together without second thought, second thought or to say: “Oh what he will thing if I do that.”. That Is not on my calendar with my friends. My close friends. We express ourselves and act freely and this is very  important because you do not have to give energy as you are with your friends. With your friends you spend time to rest. So that relaxing

I wish you the best, much patient. Eh… nice playings

You too, get ready. We are going to do more things together

Ah yes

That’s enough. Eh we are not going to show, e we are not going to reveal everything now

Take care!

Thank you very much!