A Musician-Pianist's Definition of Creativity with André Watts

This episode of Defining Creativity features an interview with André Watts recorded in 2019. It’s a fascinating discussion with a musician who, not atypically, begins with the idea of not being a creator, but instead, a re-creator. However, creativity oozes out of every sentence no matter the topic. 

 With a career spanning 60s years, André has traversed the world while performing with musicians and ensembles considered top in their field and been the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the prestigious National Medal of Arts. The breadth of his creativity as a performer, teacher, and beyond music as a human being is unmistakable—how it influences his actions and interactions throughout his life.

Interviews with musicians about creativity often get responses in the extreme. Either they fully embrace music as a creative art and way of expression or they fall on the other end of the spectrum and insist that they are not creative—rather they merely read what is written on the page following dictated notes, dynamics and expression. André, in some ways, splits the difference, embracing the designation of “re-creator” as he explains in this fascinating discussion. His vast magnitude of creativity is evident though and he credits early lessons learned navigating his musical development. One key influence was Leonard Bernstein, with whom André first performed at the young age of 16 years old.

Leonard Bernstein introduced André Watts at the Young People's Concert with the New York Philharmonic which aired January 12, 1963. Find pictures at the Library of Congress [https://www.loc.gov/resource/musbernstein.100030207.0?st=gallery] and video from the concert [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2nFcOLn00o}.

Mr. Roger's Neighborhood episode "Making Mistakes" featuring André Watts was first aired on May 7, 1987 and can be found at: 
https://www.misterrogers.org/episodes/a-visit-with-pianist-andre-watts/

Recording of André Watts playing "Totentanz, S.126" by Franz Liszt with the London Symphony Orchestra, Eric Leinsdorf, conductor:

Apple Music—https://music.apple.com/us/album/liszt-totentanz-franck-variations-symphoniques-ep/1099790070

Spotify— https://open.spotify.com/artist/4WAWF88jefCusmHVGL0qem