Bötschi asks Andriy Dragan "As with football, there is a lot of discipline behind playing the piano"

Andriy Dragan is a Ukrainian-Swiss dual citizen. The pianist has lived in Basel for 20 years. A conversation about piano music, the presence of war and the strange feeling of not being in Ukraine.

Andriy Dragan, I'm going to ask you as many questions as possible over the next 30 minutes. And you answer as briefly and quickly as possible. If you don't like a question, just say "go on".

Okay.

Coffee or tea?

Coffee.

Mountain or valley?

Mountain.

Sun or rain?

Now it gets more complicated (laughs). When it rains, it's easier for me to spend time with the music.

So you don't think it's so bad that it's raining so often this summer?

Not really.

Your fingers are to you what French footballer Kylian Mbappé' s feet are to him: The great happiness, the gift with which you express your art.

They probably are. But as with football, playing the piano takes a lot of work and discipline. The greatest gift for me is to make my listeners happy with my music.

Do you play any other instruments besides the piano?

For a while, I studied conducting with Howard Arman at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Later I also practiced it a bit - today I concentrate more on playing the piano.

About the author: Bruno Bötschi

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blue News editor Bruno Bruno Bötschi regularly talks to well-known personalities from Switzerland and abroad for the question-and-answer game "Bötschi fragt". He asks them lots of questions - always direct, often funny and sometimes profound. It always remains open until the very last question as to where the fast-paced ping-pong will lead.

Are you a football fan?

Fan would be an exaggeration. I regularly watch the highlights of the European Football Championship. I used to be more interested when I was still playing football as a teenager.

What position did you play?

Striker - and occasionally in midfield.

You are a dual Ukrainian-Swiss citizen: which team do you root for during the European Championship?

For both teams.

Your shoe size?

42.

Do you always wear the same pair of shoes during your concerts?

Most of the time. Good concert shoes often accompany a pianist for a lifetime. This has to do not only with their quality, but also with the emotions associated with them. As soon as I put on my concert suit and shoes, I immediately get into a different mood.

The German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter wears sleeveless dresses so that she can feel her violin better against her skin. Do you prefer to play the piano in a T-shirt or a suit?

In a suit.

How highly insured are your hands?

(Laughs) They're not insured yet.

How do you keep your fingers flexible?

Unfortunately, I don't have a secret recipe. Practice makes perfect.

Until what age can you continue to improve as a pianist?

I'll probably be able to answer this question better in 20 years' time. I just hope that my career as a musician will last as long as possible. There are plenty of examples of pianists who have achieved great things well into old age - Artur Rubinstein, for example.

You grew up in the Ukrainian city of Lviv. In 2004, you moved to Switzerland at the age of 17 to study at the Basel Music Academy.

I was looking for a new challenge so that I could develop as a pianist. As a 12-year-old, I had the opportunity to perform as a soloist in Switzerland with the INSO Lviv Symphony Orchestra, which was founded by conductor Gunhard Mattes. So I already knew the country a bit. Later I attended a master class with Adrian Oetiker. He is a professor at the Basel Music Academy. I then decided to continue my studies with him in Basel. This resulted in a long-term collaboration.

What are the biggest differences between the two cities of Lviv and Basel?

Oh, where should I start?

Perhaps the architecture.

The architecture of Lviv is similar to that of Vienna - not least because western Ukraine was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. I feel a deep connection to both cities, which is why I find it difficult to compare them.

You were still a teenager when you came to Basel without your parents. Were you homesick?

I am a person who likes to travel. Nevertheless, as a young adult I traveled back to Ukraine several times a year to play concerts and meet up with family and friends.

What memories do you have of February 24, 2022, when the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops began?

I was in Basel at the time of the invasion, which began at around 6 a.m. Swiss time, and I was fast asleep. When I woke up a little later and found out about it, I thought I was stuck in a nightmare.

Have you ever been back to Ukraine since the war began?

No.

Are you afraid that you might be drafted by the army if you were to travel to Ukraine?

Of course, at the beginning of the Russian invasion, I asked myself where I could be more useful. Should I return to Ukraine and fight for my country? Or can I also do something here in Switzerland to help my home country? I decided on the latter.

Shortly after Russia attacked, you drove an aid transport to the Polish-Ukrainian border.

What I saw and experienced there completely changed my life. I saw the women and children on the border who had fled Ukraine with practically nothing. I saw a lot of misery, but at the same time I felt the warmth of the many people who wanted to help on the ground.

What did that do to you?

The impressions were incredibly powerful. I could hardly sleep afterwards and almost collapsed.

What thoughts do you have when you think about the situation in Ukraine today?

It's terrible. I don't know how the people in Ukraine can endure this war and carry on with their lives. And what I find particularly bad is that the war has become the norm - and nobody knows when this horror will end.

My hope is that the new arms deliveries from the West, including the F16 fighter jets, will ensure that Ukraine will be able to defend its border better in the near future and that the pressure on the country and its people will ease somewhat. But it is also clear that these weapons cannot work miracles as long as the Russian army does not withdraw or end the invasion.

How regularly are you in contact with your family and friends in Lviv?

I talk to my parents on the phone every day. The day before yesterday, my father told me that drones had flown over the house the night before. A day later, he and another musician played a concert in the Lviv Philharmonic Hall. That's the reality there.

Didn't your parents want to leave Ukraine?

Lviv is their home. Lviv is their life. Like me, my parents are trained pianists. They work at the conservatory, give piano lessons to students and regularly perform on stage. My parents don't want to give up their lives.

When was the last time you saw your parents?

Last year they came to see me when I was allowed to perform at the Zermatt Music Festival & Academy. It was a special moment that I still carry in my heart today.

Are you worried that the Swiss will become accustomed to the current situation and that solidarity with Ukraine will diminish?

I firmly hope that Ukraine will continue to receive support and that the conflict will not be forgotten at some point.

The Ukraine peace conference was recently held on the Bürgenstock: What is your opinion on this?

I am a supporter of this conference - also because I was hoping that it would speed up the delivery of support measures for Ukraine.

As a pianist, you repeatedly bring forgotten music from your homeland to light. Does music sometimes help you to forget what is happening in Ukraine for a short time?

Music is like therapy. While playing the piano, I can distance myself from the outside world and withdraw into my inner self. Making music often feels like a kind of meditation for me. In the first few months after the Russian invasion, I was often emotionally blocked.

Did you still make music and play concerts?

Yes. During this time, I also played benefit concerts again and again. But I only felt really good about making music again when I started playing music from my home country - for example the "Shevchenko Suite" by Borys Lyatoshynsky (1893 to 1968).

What did that trigger in you?

I suddenly felt again how important music is for my salvation. For months before that, I thought that I could use my time better than just playing the piano. But even when the world seems to be falling apart, it's important to find islands that allow you to continue living with a certain normality.

It is said that you sat at a piano for the first time at the age of four.

I probably played the piano earlier. But I can't remember that.

Was it love at first sight?

The piano has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.

When you're well and you play the piano, how does it feel?

I'm not a pilot, but I can imagine that playing the piano and flying an airplane can feel similar. While I'm sitting at the piano and making music, many things happen at the same moment - and yet I mustn't forget to keep looking ahead and paying attention to what notes are coming next.

Music critic Christian Berzins recently wrote in the "Aargauer Zeitung " about your current CD "Franz Xaver Mozart - The Two. Piano Concerts":"A recording with the Musikkollegium Winterthur under the direction of concertmaster Bogdan Božović and the Swiss-Ukrainian pianist Andriy Dragan is more than worth listening to: the care, the attention to detail and the flashes of dramatic furor are magnificent." What does such a loving review do to you?

I was happy that our CD was well received because my fellow musicians and I put a lot of energy and time into this project. I believe that the music of Franz Xaver Mozart deserves to be heard. At the same time, I hope that in future he will no longer be seen as just the son of his famous father Wolfgang Amadeus.

In the CD booklet you write: "The music of Franz Xaver Mozart, the son of Wolfgang Mozart, touches my soul and inspires me to this day." How come?

I can guess why his music touches me so strongly. However, I don't always find it necessary to know why a work appeals to me. I probably like Franz Xaver Mozart's music so much because I was already intensively involved with it as a teenager. We also played his pieces when I performed as a soloist with the INSO Lviv Orchestra in Switzerland at the age of twelve.

Is there any other music or composers that touch your soul?

This is probably one of the most difficult questions you ask a musician. I can only answer it: The moment I play a piece, I feel connected to the composer and I don't want to compare it to someone else's work.

Do you like pop music?

I hardly ever listen to pop music.

Why not?

I have trouble with modern music marketing. Let me give you an example: in 2022, the Ukrainian Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Stefania". I liked the song. But after the ESC, the radio stations played "Stefania" up and down until I lost my feelings for the song.

How do you like "The Code" by Nemo?

When I heard the song for the first time, I got goosebumps. Nemo has a wonderful voice.

Do you have any rituals just before a performance?

Before a performance, I put on my concert shoes and take one last look at the sheet music. I don't know if you can call it a ritual.

What has been your worst moment on stage so far?

When my cell phone, which I had accidentally taken onto the stage in my trouser pocket, started vibrating during a concert. Fortunately, I was able to play the part of the piece with one hand. So I managed to turn off my cell phone before the ringtone went off.

What in your life is comparable to your passion for music?

Music has always had a special place in my life. I couldn't be happy without it.

You can find more "Bötschi asks" interviews under this link.

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