Posted by Maxim Lando, on Jan 16, 2021

For almost 10 months, I have gone unchecked. There is a reaction when you play a concert for a live audience. Sometimes there is an unspoken moment of understanding. Other times there are the roars of audience approval, or in less successful performances – the sense of a miss. Always, there is that wordless dialogue between audience and performer; an energy that permeates the venue, however large or small. You have no idea how much I miss this.

Still, these past 10 months have not gone by without music. Early on in the pandemic, I performed over 35 solo virtual concerts, either through livestreams or prerecorded means. I created performances for presenters such as The Violin Channel, Gilmore Keyboard Festival, Manchester Music Festival, Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Young Concert Artists, Johns Hopkins University, Cosmos Club, Candlelight Concerts, Lang Lang International Music Foundation and many other smaller organizations. I was proud to present my own livestream concert series to raise funds for civil rights organizations. I also enjoyed virtual collaborations with other musicians. Then there have been the few concerts that have been performed live to small spaced out audiences: an outdoor Huntington Arts Council performance, several programs with Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, and a few livestream performances that allowed a handful of audience members. It was fun recording my own arrangement of Stairway to Heaven at Cipriani for Lang Lang’s inspiring Reaching Dreams Through Music video. Recently there was even a fun-filled recording of 5-piano arrangements at the NY Steinway Factory, to be presented virtually for NAMM’s Believe in Music Week.

Nothing replaces live performances, but I am extremely grateful to have been able to communicate these months through music – even if only virtually. I am also, like many, appreciative of the time to explore music in new ways. For me, this has been in the form of improvisations, arranging, and my biggest passion lately – song writing.

Mostly I am thankful that I am writing this short blog about the frustrations of not performing live – a luxury I have, only because I have been safe at home with my family. We have been happy in a home filled with love, warmth, food, and most thankfully – health. I wish the same for all of you. This has been a difficult and strange year for absolutely everyone, but for way too many – it has been beyond devastating. Please stay healthy, and let’s all look out for each other. Happy New Year!

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