How do you become a professional pianist?

Question

know this question has been asked but I was wondering what EXACTLY it takes to be one - like what age (we should) to start from, repertoire, music schools? And how is it like trying to be get a professional CAREER when it comes to the piano? Like any idea about playing in piano concertos or being just a solo pianist?

Haha I hope I can get good answers from you guys - any first hand information I would certainly find useful. I'm currently working on my diploma and trying to expand my repertoire - I love many composers, in particular Chopin and Beethoven. I also love The Well-Tempered Clavier, though the fugue sometimes takes me quite a long time to fiddle with before I get it accurately.

Cheers!(:

Answer 1

hummm.... well... I started taking piano lessons when I was about 5 and performed my first recital at age 7... I started my first group when I was in High School... so I was maybe 14 or 15 at the time... then picked up the guitar and by the time I was 17 and out of High School, I was a street musician in Europe with the Guitar during the day time and playing piano in bars at nights for the tips... and I did that for 3 years... so I guess that made me a professional musician at age 17 or less.



I still play keyboard, but it's mostly for composing or sight reading an unfamiliar piece before trying it on the guitar.



As a practical matter, I have found that my ability to play Buffett can put a lot more food on the table than playing Beethoven and that I can pay the rent better by performing Coltrain than Chopin.

Answer 2

The term "professional" covers a lot of territory - from someone who plays jazz tunes in the local bar, to someone with an extensive concert career. it is NEVER easy to make a living in music, unless you are very talented, VERY well-educated, obsessive about DAILY practice, and also have good business sense. Of course, the more education, the better - unless you are one of those people who stays in college FOREVER, getting degree after degree, because you are afraid of The Big Mean World out there. Plan on living near a big city - there are far more opportunities ( and also more competition) - rural place will not have the MINDSET or atmosphere to support the arts. You will end up doing a LOT of accompanying of collaborative piano work. You MAY pick up some students, but this will not be enough to live on, unless you are part of a big teaching situation connected to a large music store or school. Most of us put together some of this, some of that. I built my life around my school teachings - no worries EVER about $$ or benefits, etc - and played and taught privately WHEN and WHERE I wanted. I make over $100,000 a year doing this - now. I retire from school this year - YAY!! I will still do accompanying, and I work in chamber music as a flutist - my husband is an excellent pianist. We busted out BUTTS to be where we are at age 57 - but now we are two happy people. We each have multiple undergrad and grad degrees from fines conservatories - that wasn't easy OR cheap - but we did it.

Answer 3

Well, i think there no age limit but the younger, the better



And conservatoire, music academies, etc is a great help in being recognized...especially in the exclusive ones.



Being professional is being devoted to music and piano, express music in own ways, and performing on public ofcourse not alone in house



That is all