Future Classic Women Awards – Beatrice Nicholas, Music, Diversity, Misoginy 131123

Hello and welcome to the 6th edition of Future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte, on Women's Radio Station, the program where we search for the most amazing female artists on the classical panorama. Today I am very happy to welcome back on Future Classic Women Awards the wonderful composer and pianist Beatrice Nicolai. Good morning, Beatrice. Good morning, Stefania. How are you, Beatrice? Very well. It's lovely to be back on your show. Thank you for having me. You're very welcome. I can't believe it's already, you know, 2 years since you've been on Future Classic Women Awards. I mean, time flies and looks to me like it was yesterday. So in 2 years you've done so much. Tell us a little bit. First of all, you're here to promote your wonderful new album release that is Cello and Piano arrangements. Would you like to tell us first of all about your album? Yeah. So Arrangements for Cello and Piano is an album where I took very famous pieces of classical piano music and then rewrote them, really reimagined them for cello and piano as chamber music pieces. And yeah, you know, first of all, you know, you've chosen, yes, some of the most iconic pieces for solo piano. How did you have in mind and why did you choose the cello? Mm-hmm. Well, it kind of all came about by accident, really. I was rehearsing kind of mainstream cello repertoire with a cellist called Joe Zeitlin. We were rehearsing some Brahms sonatas and stuff. And then, you know, he just said to me in rehearsal, I wish I could play the piano because if I did, there's this one piece I want to play and it would be the Schubert. B-flat Sonata, the D.960. I said, well, yeah, that is one of the most gorgeous, you know, pieces for pianists to play in the world. And I said, but I thought, I thought suddenly, I don't think you'd necessarily have to play the piano to do it. And I just kind of heard in my head as we were saying this, the kind of sound world of what it would sound like as a cello and piano duo. Yeah, I said, I I think it would work as a new transcription for cello and piano. And so I took a look at the score and I kind of quickly made a draft to see if it would work. And the first movement for me definitely seemed like it would be a winner. So I sent him my draft and he loved it. And he said, 'What are you going to do, the whole sonata?' And I said, 'I don't think the whole sonata will work. I think only the first movement.' He said, 'No, I—' And he kept pushing me, saying, 'No, I think you should do the whole thing.' So I was unconvinced about some of the movements working, but I sat down and had a go anyway because he was so keen that I finished the whole thing off. And then as I kind of put myself to it, I realized, oh no, I can make this work. And I can not just make it work, but make it stand alone as a kind of new piece of Qing music that really works for cello and piano. Wonderful. Well, you know, so many times— I don't know why, but many pianists, when they have a second instrument, the second instrument instrument is the cello. And I've been told that the cello has this position for the left hand that is doing the notes, if you like. It is more, more comfortable for a pianist being used to have the hands on the piano. Well, you know, I did try myself to play the violin, and you have to twist your wrist in such a, in a natural way that then, you know, it was painful, particularly when you develop so much the muscles into your wrist and into your hand. So I think the marriage between cello and piano is— it's quite perfect. And I can see your arrangement, you know, being played by a pianist that can play the cello and vice versa, you know, having fun and swapping instruments during the concerto, for example, you know, during the recital. They might do one piece the piano and the other one on the cello and then swap, and then one is playing the cello and the other one the piano. Wouldn't that be fantastic? I can introduce you to a couple of pianists pianist cellist that could do that. I think it could be a tall order though. Maybe the Brahms would be possible, but the Schubert, the arrangement for the cello, it's a very virtuosic arrangement. Is it? Oh gosh. I think it'd be fine because I'm a pianist who has a second study cellist, but I think— Ah, there you go! Yeah, yeah, yeah, but I, you know, I can't play it. So I mean, lots of really at the end of the fingerboard hard fast stuff moving in lots of different positions. Yeah, you know, if— and I wanted to make it virtuosic, you know, and to make it be able to stand in the cello repertoire as something that cellists wanted to play, an independent piece of rep rather than something, oh, it's nice tuning the Schubert and now I can play it on the cello. Not that idea at all, but real concert piece for cellists. So it's challenging. Yeah, it's a real concept piece for a cellist. Well, let's listen to it then. Let's listen to the first movement, that is the molto moderato, and that's from Schubert Sonata D.960. And this was Schubert arranged by Beatriz Nicolás. Sonata for Cello and Piano in B-flat major, D. 960, de molto moderato. Piano, the composer, and transcription by Beatrice Nicholas, and the cello is Joel Zettling. So Beatrice, this was absolutely fantastic. The Sonata D. 960 is one of my favorites, and it's so big, isn't it? It's one of the biggest sonatas by Schubert. If you like, Schubert has this place in the heart of any composer. And, you know, even the larger audience, where somehow he had this way of touching the heart of people with the most incredible melodies ever. And despite having a very short life, his music has been transcribed for solo piano, now from you, from cello and piano. I mean, the tradition of rearranging Schubert melodies, it's very, very big. So how do you feel being now in this, you know, big part of amazing composers that tackle Schubert? Oh, thank you. Um, I just love the music, you know. I love the music. But I, you know, like you, obviously Schubert is a composer that he's just like you described hits, goes straight into the heart. Yeah. And me as a musician, I'm always interested in performing and writing music that engages people's hearts. So Schubert's a go-to for me in performance. But what's interesting about this work is that it's one of the last works he composed before he died, aged 31 of syphilis. So it is, it is a very sublime, beautiful work, but there's also a lot of pathos. And kind of tragedy in it. And I feel the cello really brings that out. The cello is a very broody instrument. It's a very lyrical piece that Schubert wrote for piano, and a pianist has to work very hard on making that lyricism sing on the piano. A cellist doesn't have to work hard on the lyricism. It's a lyrical instrument. And so I feel the melodies that are written on the piano by Schubert that I've now adapted for cello. They just fly, you know, they just, they just sing. And then you've got the pianist in the background, and then sometimes in the foreground, creating the kind of mysterious atmospheres the cellist now sings through. So, um, I feel that actually the cello really enhances this score. Yeah, yeah. Well, I, I can say the same. I mean, I— it is absolutely fantastic, the beauty of the instrument the cello in particular, has this rich sound, isn't it? This dark and deep sound that really takes you from the inside. And this is something that only music does, you know. Any other art needs to be seen with the eyes. And, you know, and the piano, the music, you can close your eyes and it can still touch you as if it was someone, you know, actually taking your hand and bringing you somewhere. So the cello is really something that is, as you said, the nun's in it in a way that I think it's quite magical. And I'm very jealous that you can play the cello. I wish I could play the cello. Never say never, I can say that. My daughter is learning the cello right now. But yeah, it is something that is very special. Now, you said you studied cello and piano. Cello was your second instrument. So do you play any other instrument? No, no, that was enough. And I mean, when I say I can play it, I mean, I, I wouldn't play in front of anybody anymore. So this is a long time ago. This was, um, before— well, until the age of 18. I played the cello until the age of 18. Ah, but it's a good age, huh? Yeah, it was fun. I loved, I loved being in orchestra. I'm writing an orchestral piece now, and the experience of being in all these youth orchestras child, you know, that was kind of my foundation of understanding how the orchestra works so that I can compose for this medium now. And even though it's funny, I'm a, you know, even though I'm a pianist, and I'm a pianist primarily before I'm a composer really, when it comes to composing, I find it even more natural to compose for string players, and I do piano, my own instrument, which is kind of weird. That is very weird. Wow. Yeah, I just— yeah, I— yeah, it's, it's just very— it flows for me. String, string. I like string players a lot. Oh, I do it too. I do very much. Although, you know, I, I hope you don't compose something like Strauss where we have to have 12 fingers instead of 10 and all these chords. I very much like it. That's the problem with the piano, isn't it? Suddenly they just throw everything at you and you have to somehow do it when, you know, when the cello or the strings, they have the most beautiful melody and everyone says, oh, well done to them. Yes, so I love chamber music, but it is so demanding. It's— I think sometimes it's more demanding than just the solo piano. Oh, definitely. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah. If you're a pianist who plays train music, you have to have such versatile thinking. As soon as you play with another instrument, it's like you have to be able to adapt not just to their sound, but kind of try and impersonate their sound so that you can weave in and out of it. Yeah. And keep your kind of solo skills too for when they stop playing and you come to the front. So, you know, if you're going to play the singer as a pianist, you have to have a different sound world. Yeah, different sound world. I'm sure, I'm sure you play the Beethoven Pathétique. There is that incredible second movement that is being arranged, of course, for quartet. And I remember still today, you know, the lessons with my piano teacher telling me, you know, you need to think about the quartet. And I was thinking at the time, yes, but those are 4 people with 4 different instruments, and I just got 2 hands, and I need to recreate this the beautiful melody. I still remember you had to breathe in a way that was thinking about the bowing of the violin or the viola or the cello. And then, oh my gosh, I'm not gonna do this legato without the pedal. Ah, yeah, I mean, this is not to put off our listeners if ever there is someone studying the Beethoven Sonata, but do go and listen to it because it's a beautiful piece. And also listen to the transcription for quartet. So do you think, do you see yourself maybe do more arrangements in this style for cello and piano, or maybe for quartet instead of pieces for solo piano? I mean, I think arranging is something that I can do very quickly and easily. Wow. Composing is something that I need to— I find that I have to— how do I say— takes more out of me. Composing takes more out of me. Yeah. Um, so obviously when you're arranging, you're using your compositional techniques, but the structure and the melodies and the harmonies are already created for you by the, by the real composer, and you're reimagining it. Um, so if you've got good compositional tools, it's something that you can, you can do very quickly and easily. But composing original material from scratch um, that requires me to dig a lot deeper into myself. Um, so although it's something I could do a lot more of, I think I, you know, try and limit how much I can do. I need to keep time free for composing my own original things as well. Yeah, so I had, you know, in my life I have a bit of a juggle becoming someone who primarily works for the pianist But I compose as well and arrange too. And even within my piano career, it's quite diverse, you know. I'll do some solo concerts, I'll do some chamber music concerts, I'll do workshops for children, you know. It's quite diverse. And certainly we've got the composition and the arranging as well, and being a recording artist too. So for me, my life has a lot of juggling that goes on, um, and so I have to keep time free for various things at various times, or put limits and boundaries on how much I do one thing, you know, so that I can keep doing these three things. I know very well. Well, you know, once upon a time, great pianists were also, you know, the great composers. They were playing their own composition, a bit like a rock band. You know, I was watching the other day an interview of the Rolling Stones, and they started as a cover band, and then they said, you know, if you want to jump into your career, you need to start writing songs like the Beatles, because they were there competing competitors' band at the time. And I think it was the same at the time of Chopin or Liszt or Schubert. You know, you could be an amazing virtuoso pianist, but you would not, you know, become as famous if you didn't have your own new compositions. Yeah. And, um, it feels like that's what you're doing. I don't think this is something that is required today. I think we have other media now, the recording, as you said, and the social media, etc. So you can become a famous pianist like Julia Wang, if you like, but she didn't compose anything. So without the need of composing something new, because there is so much piano repertoire that is absolutely fantastic. But Rachmaninoff too, he was a great pianist, but he was a great composer. Yeah, so that's what we're going to see of you then, I guess, Beatrice. A bit nervous, but why not? No, but it's a really interesting topic you're touching on about, you know, 100 years ago, um, great period for also great composers, and they were also great conductors. And last week I was in France and I went to see, um, Katia Bunatesvili. Yes, I love her, I think she's fantastic. So I went to see her live. Pardon, were you down in Lyon? Where was she? Yeah, no, Nice. Nice, yeah, yeah. So down— oh my gosh, wow. Yeah, I wish I was still in Nice, to be honest, but never mind. But, um, so I've done this and I, I booked two tickets. I booked a ticket for a friend of mine, uh, who doesn't know that much about classical music, but she enjoys it. And I thought, I said, this will be really good for you because this will be a lifetime experience concert. Yeah. And so she came along and obviously Katia is fantastic, and my friend was like, wow, that's amazing. And then at the end, my friend said to me, 'How come she doesn't perform her own music? How come she doesn't write her own music?' And she said, 'Everyone in the pop world performs their own music.' And I was kind of stunned by the question, and then— but also understood it. I told a little bit about classical music and how things work, opposed to the pop world. Um, but yeah, it's exactly what you're saying. If you're a pop artist and you do covers, you're not going to get anywhere. Like, everybody wants to know what's in your heart, not just what's in your heart musically. They want to know about your kind of like your personal life through your music, don't they? I think so. I think so. Love Ed Sheeran because he kind of talks about, well, he sings about what's going on in his world, you know. And I remember, uh, I think when I wrote Samos years ago, um, someone texted me and they said, you know, we've been to some of your concerts, we really enjoy playing other composers, but now I can finally see what, what, what you're about and your story by listening to your music. And people, yeah, people want to know, people want to know a little bit, or expect to know a little bit more about you on the inside. Yeah, by what you write or compose. Um, which is, which is interesting. Well, on that note, let's listen to the fourth track of your album, Arrangements for Cello and Piano. So it's your own arrangement by Beatrice Nicolás of Schubert Sonata D. 960, Allegro ma non troppo. And this was Schubert's Sonata for Cello and Piano arranged by Beatriz Nicolas in B-flat major D. 960, the fourth movement, Allegro ma non troppo, performed by our own Beatriz Nicolas at the piano and cellist Joy Certainly. Beatrice, we were talking about concertos, we were talking about, you know, the audience wanted to know more about our life, our, you know, career, and what it means to be a concert pianist, a composer, and everything. I have to say, on that note, I remember when I had my daughter that until that time I was only playing the most virtuoso, the the most passionate, the most revolutionary pieces ever in piano. I was playing, you know, I recorded the Trascendental Studies by Liszt, and one of my albums called Chopin Heroic, you know, showing that Chopin wasn't just about the beautiful melody, it was actually so much about revolution and everything. And then when I had my daughter, I realized, gosh, I had not a repertoire that was good for her to listen to because it was too much. You know, she was very agitated. She was in my belly while I was during Second Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto. And then I had her and she would fall asleep under the first or the last move, no? Rachmaninoff, so I thought, maybe for her good health, I should start to put together a repertory that is a bit less revolutionary. And also, you know, it comes on a second stage of your life where maybe you learn that you have to have a moment of peace and a moment of, you know, of calming down as well. Do you have that? Do I have that? I loved your story, by the way. Do I have that? Well, I haven't had a daughter yet, so it hasn't happened to me yet. No, but there is moment in your life where you feel that you need to, for example, the lockdown was a stop moment for the entire world, you know. As you said, you're juggling million things at the same time being a a pianist, chamber music, a composer, recording artist. So during the lockdown, somehow we all had to stop and think about life and think about priorities. Did you do that, or actually you worked even more? I worked even more. Ah, I thought so. I just, yeah, I learned more repertoire at home, composed, tried to do things online. Sold music online. Oh, wow. Wow. Yeah. I know I had a lot. I made lots of cakes though and had some cocktails. But I did work quite hard during lockdown. Pasta. I remember at the time, you know, I would go to the store and there was no flour and no tomato sauce. Everyone suddenly was Italian making pizza. I was like, what about me? I'm Italian for real and I can't do it. Yeah. Yeah, that was a crazy time. Yeah. Do you remember we all had to rush? Oh gosh, for the most basic things, somehow everyone was scared not to get it anymore. They were fairly right actually, because factories were closed and, uh, and it looks like such a long time ago already, you know, it's, uh, now it's life before COVID and life after COVID. It was, I mean, it's a phenomenon that never happened ever that the entire world stopped. We had plagues in the past, in history, if you like, but it would be contained from an area of the world. While in this case, the beauty of today's world is that we're also connected. We're all traveling. You're going to France one day, I'm going to China next day, you know, and we have all these opportunities to, to be connected. But then, yes, but something like that happened. Suddenly everyone has to stop. I thought it was a wonderful period where everyone realized we're all the same. That's what I loved about it. That is true. It didn't matter. All vulnerable in the same ways. Yeah, it didn't matter how rich you were or where you were from, you know, if it was catching you, it was catching you. So it was horrible, of of course, it was very dramatic for many, but at the same time it was eye-opening. And so did you compose in that period? So that was when I wrote Samus, that period. I also— it's not available, but I also scored a— do you know, do you know the Tchaikovsky? It's dubbed, it's turned a Third Piano Concerto. It's a one movement— yeah, yeah. So I wrote a solo piano transcription of that, which I performed a couple of times, but I haven't released the score. I should— wow. Yeah, I thought that— I haven't recorded it either, but it is on YouTube. And in fact, I think I performed that during lockdown via an online concert twice. I think that was a fairly big, big one I did. Yeah, I spent a lot of time with Tchaikovsky actually during the lockdown. I think it's because I also do some work for International Ballet Company. I'm one of their pianists. And I was, before everything locked down, I was scheduled to be their pianist for their Swan Lake production. Like, ah, beautiful. Yeah, lovely music. Obviously it's for orchestra, but doing all the rehearsals, they'll need a pianist. To— yes, yeah, yeah, all the repertoire school. So, um, I remember I was working really hard on shaping that up, and then suddenly didn't— the production didn't happen because of COVID And I remember thinking, that's a bit unfair. I've just spent hours and hours and hours learning this orchestral reduction, you know. And that's when I started, um, readapting it for the concert hall. I just thought, can I make this? Can this— would listeners like to listen to this Swan Lake score in a concert? Everyone knows a big theme, everyone knows the waltz, right? But there is— there's so much music in between the famous themes that are amazing that people don't know or don't know very well. And so I also did an online concert of that during lockdown. Um, I haven't released adaptations that school yet either, but I will do. I will do it. Okay, to-do things, to-do list. Yeah, I feel like, you know. Okay, now Beatrice, next, next, uh, come time you come, we want a new album with all this. Oh no, a Tchaikovsky album? Why not? Actually, that's fine. Okay, I should say oh yes, not oh no. Oh yes. Well, Tchaikovsky is another fantastic composer. I remember I read about him, um, I went to listen to the Pathetic Symphony, that is one of the most beautiful pieces in the world. I mean, all Tchaikovsky music is so beautiful. When the war started, I had— I managed to rescue some Ukrainian students, and one of them was so upset because he was ready to perform a Tchaikovsky concerto, and his country forbid him to perform any Russian composer. And it's like, Tchaikovsky has nothing to do with the war. And this is absolutely true. You know, sometimes we forget that music goes above and beyond borders. It's all about, you know, communicating the most beautiful feelings and the heart that is, I would say, the same in any person, no matter where you come from, no matter how you look like. And it could be, you know, synthesized in this, in this, uh, the feeling of this Ukrainian pianist who were, who was forbidden to perform Tchaikovsky or Rachmaninoff. It was like, if I can't play Tchaikovsky, can I play Rachmaninoff? I was like, I don't think you can either. And, um, and that's not fair. So, and Tchaikovsky, so it's, he, I was reading about this symphony that it was said to be like a testament, and then there is all this drama around it say that he might have been poisoned. So, but he was saying that he was very lucky that the, the muse of music and poetry and art, they were always around him whenever he sat at the piano. So he never had the moment where he didn't have a new melody coming to his mind, a new beautiful melody. And he composed so many I mean, I don't think there is one piece by Tchaikovsky that I don't like. Is there any piece that you don't like by Tchaikovsky? Um, I'm having to think very hard. I think too. No, I think, I, I think there's, um, you know, the Seasons for Celinda? Yes, yeah, yeah. I like most of them, but I think there's one season that doesn't resonate with me very well. Okay, but if someone put it on the radio, I wouldn't complain about it. But that's me really having to think really hard. Is there any Tchaikovsky? Which means actually he's brilliant. He was brilliant. He was brilliant. Sometimes it's hard to think, to, you know, to want to fill those shoes, isn't it? So, Cam, another question to you. Now, you are a woman composer. This is the women's radio station. We talk about women in music. Is there another woman composer that you admire? Yeah, absolutely. I love, love, love, love, love, love, love Sofia Gubaidulina. Ah, yes. Talking about Russian composers. Oh, yeah. I mean, there are others. I think Erin Whalen is like, well, it's just amazing. Like, there's lots of others. But Sofia Gubaidulina, I just— and I think it's that thing about She writes music that for me, it touches, it just pierces the heart, you know. Yeah, I just, I love her for so many different reasons. Lots, you know, I just think for the emotional reason, she's a very spiritual composer. I think she, I think she's a Russian Orthodox, she has a Russian Orthodox faith. But you can hear the spirituality in her music. And for her to be able to capture, for you to be able to capture anything in music and people to recognize it without reading the program notes is a remarkable achievement. And also, her skills as a composer. I just love the way she orchestrates stuff. I love her instrument pairings. I love the, I mean, the extended techniques she uses, which, you know, now aren't so contemporary, like, you know, but But, you know, in its time it was revolutionary. Yes, absolutely. Yeah. Um, you know, there is so much about, uh, representation and, uh, you know, about now. Um, I remember when I started this program, Future Classic Women Awards, there were guests who came and they were telling me that they proposed, um, a similar subject to one of the major radio, and they were saying, yeah, but there is not enough women or composers, women composers in classical music, to dedicate a whole program to this. And we're already on the 6th edition, so as you can see, time changes. There's loads of them out there. Yeah, yeah. Well, they're coming, they're coming out more, even women conductor, if you like. That's all thanks to, you know, when we had this MeToo movement that started from just one woman who had the courage to take down this icon of Hollywood, and then everything else followed, and then all the other industries in the showbiz. And truth is, there is the same in any sector, not just in, in the showbiz, if you like. But showbiz is in the face of everyone because it's on stage, is on television, is on theater, and so everyone gets to see it. So the power of any performer when they are on stage is beyond their own personal life. It's actually, you know, representing and touching the life of all the people that are in the audience. So there is a huge responsibility, if you like. So do you feel this responsibility as a woman composer? Or you just compose because you love composing? I don't compose because I'm a woman. Yeah, um, I compose because it's just, it's just in me. Uh, so I was taking some time out, um, in France recently to write some scores. When I came back to London, I just felt, even though I was working really hard, I just felt so, um, energized because I was doing— I was connecting with something in me that is intuitively me, you know. Yeah, so I compose because it's something that's inside of me that works, and because I love music. I'm often not aware— and this is the same when I was studying conducting as a student too— I'm often not aware of the gender dynamics until I hit something that is making me feel that I can't do it or shouldn't be doing it, or there's not space for me in that arena because I'm female. So that means, especially, especially when I was younger, most of my life I'm just, you know, thrilled to be doing music, getting on with my business, everything's fine, not thinking about anything like that. And then maybe, then maybe you're in a composer's— if this could actually happen— maybe you're in a composer seminar or something and you're the only female there, but I don't even notice because I'm just noticing the music, you know. And someone asks you to go out and make everybody a cup of tea. No way! No! You know, and then you're kind of like startled. Why me? And then another composer stands up and tells everyone— who's male— and tells everyone to buck up and just stop this rubbish, you know. So that kind of thing, I don't notice it until I hit something. Yeah, so I hit that attitude. And, you know, it doesn't really happen to me much as a pianist. Um, I used to be asked a lot actually if I was a singer when I entered like piano situations, but, you know, that's more, that's more, that's more to do with race and diversity than I think gender. But the gender thing would crop up every now and then. Still can. I guess I'm working a lot of the same circles now, so I don't encounter it as much. Yeah. But would crop up now and then. Absolutely with conducting. Sometimes with composing. But it's because that world was predominantly male. It is still. It's not that it's not. It's getting better, if you like, but yeah. Yeah, but you know, things would happen. And what about, you know, you were talking about diversity and inclusion. That's another big subject. I don't like to touch it because I love you as you who you are. I don't care, you know, how we look like. And at the moment, I feel, you know, the sisterhood, if you like, being both women in a very tough business. And yes, we all have been hit in that sense. But true, you have an extra point. This is a radio program, so, but you will see the picture, of course. So what would you say about that? Now there is so much about representation for diversity and inclusion, And I feel it's the same like when they just want the gender quota, so they choose you because you're a woman, right? That's not fair because then there is the bad people saying, oh, you've been chosen because you're a woman, isn't it? Or because of diversity and inclusion. And that's not fair because it's diminishing all the work that we've been doing so far, all the brilliant work that you've been doing, you continue to do. So what do you feel about that? I think the thing is, with hot topics, any hot topics, things can swing two ways, can't they? At least. Yeah. So with anything that's good, there can always— always going to be a polarizing situation that is not so good. And so it's really, really good So I'm part of Chinookay, you know, which is a foundation and it's an orchestra. I'm part of the ensemble, actually, of professional musicians who are ethnically diverse. And it's wonderful. And it's great that they are doing— we are doing such big work internationally. And it's great that so much room has been made for for us. It's really good. That's really positive. But then you might get other things where people, you know, ask you to come and play a solo thing or whatever, or including it in their programme just because they, they need that, or they want representation, or they want to tick an Arts Council box or whatever. And that can be quite annoying. But it's that thing of when you have something that's powerful, there's going to be impact that's good, but it can also swing the other way. And life is just like that. It can— things can swing two ways or more than two ways, but it's up to you to just— it's up to you to decide where the balance is. Very good. I can't control the whole world, and I can't project onto the whole world what I think or what— how I think everyone should be acting, you know. All I can do is decide what balance looks like for me, you know, or— yes, choose what I want to do, or, or choose to team up with the values of other people that I think is good or healthy or whatever. Um, but there is no perfect world, and with things like, with things like this everyone's feeling their own, everyone's feeling their own way anyway. Yes. You know, but you know, before I have amazingly good looking, but really stunning, they look like Barbies, okay, beautiful friends, pianists, violinists, cellists, and then these people, and they get, you know, the bad voices, the bad gossip, she's there just because she looks like a Barbie. And that's not fair because she's an amazing musician, classical musician, the same as with you, you know, she's there because she's a woman or because she's diverse, uh, she can, you know, and it's not fair. So I think the best tool to, to fight this fight, because it is a fight, is just to be as brilliant as you are, continue to be as fantastic as you are, and prove people wrong, you know. And so yeah, so well, thank you so much. And I can't wait for you to be back with the album dedicated to Tchaikovsky. I love that my interview always end up with a task for my guests. But it was brilliant having you. So we're going to finish our interview with the brilliant Brahms Intermezzo arranged by Beatrice Nicholas, Opus 117, No. 1, from her latest album arrangement. For shallow and piano. And this was Brahms' Nicolas, Intermezzo for Cello and Piano, Op. 117, No. 1, performed at the piano and arranged by Beatrice Nicolas, our special guest, our future classical mirror 6th edition, and the cello by Joel Sutlin. If you would like to ask other questions to our guest or nomination for our new 6th edition of Future Classical Music Awards, please email presenters@womensradiostation.com or tweet us @WomensRadioSTN. Again, a big thanks to our guest and composer, pianist and composer Beatriz Nicolas, for the great chat and amazing music played today. Thank you. Um, you can, uh, you can be in touch at beatrice@beatricenicholas.com. Fantastic. So I recommend everyone to go on iTunes, Spotify, and listen to a beautiful album arrangement for cello and piano. You've been listening to Future Classic Women Awards on Women's Radio Station, live every day at 10 AM and 10 PM London time. And if you would like to listen to it again or catch up on our previous programs, you can head to my presenter page, Stefania Passamonte, Future Classic Women Awards on womensradiostation.com. Thank you for listening.