Q&A with Alice Sara Ott

Pianist Alice Sara Ott possesses a seemingly limitless imagination. Whether she’s playing on second-hand pianos in Icelandic bars with avant-garde composer Ólafur Arnalds, designing a signature line of luxury bags for JOST  or gracing concert halls the world over, she brings her profound musicality and intensity of focus to every project she’s working on. On May 30-31, Ott will display her piano prowess at Orchestra Hall in her Minnesota Orchestra debut performing Beethoven’s fiery Piano Concerto No.3 with conductor Jonathon Heyward.   

Born to a Japanese mother and German father, Ott began playing as a child and eventually ended up studying at the Salzburg Mozarteum by the time she was 12, winning prizes at important European piano competitions along the way. At 19, she became a Deutsche Grammophon exclusive recording artist and set to disc many of the standard works by the standard composers one might expect a young pianist to record: Chopin, Liszt, Beethoven. Seeking something new, she began to expand her repertoire to include composers of today, which led to the recent premiere of a concerto written for her by Bryce Dessner. A recent album pairs the relatively unknown complete nocturnes of 19th century Irish composer John Field with accompanying music videos, which Ott also had a hand in crafting alongside other creative partners. (Field is widely considered as the inventor of the nocturne genre). She recently took time out of her busy schedule to answer a few of our questions about the evolution of her creativity, and which video games she likes to play to warm up her hands before a long day at the keys.  

What drives your musical creativity? How has it evolved over time? 

Because the majority of the music we play as classical musicians comes from past centuries, I was educated with a rather traditional mindset. In my early 20s, I was afraid to experiment with ideas and formats that strayed from the “this is how it’s always been done” approach. Now, in my 30s, I constantly reflect on the what, why, and how. Whether it’s collaborating with an architect for a multidimensional concert, creating music films in an LED studio, moderating my own concerts, writing texts, or designing album covers — as long as I can ensure the quality and deepen the experience, I’m open to all possibilities.

 What are some of your favorite video games?

Hollow Knight (I’m eagerly waiting for the sequel), It Takes Two (one of the most beautiful co-op games I’ve ever played), Stray.

What three words best describe the Beethoven concerto you’re playing with us?

Mystery, transcendence, urgency.