Master of the ivories

He grew up in the isolated community of Choctaw County, Ala., but Julian Martin didn’t let his small-town Southern roots stop him from becoming one of the best-known pianists of our time. Since the age of 4, Martin has built an impressive musical career, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Martin will display his piano skills tomorrow in his first Portland Master Class Series at Portland State’s Lincoln Recital Hall.

Growing up, Martin was fortunate enough to work with Juilliard graduate Beverly Bourne, who was his first piano teacher. It didn’t take long for Martin to follow in her footsteps. he has taught piano at New York’s Juilliard School for more than a decade. He describes it as one of his most rewarding experiences.

“Every day brings a different challenge and always keeps me looking for new ways to define, diagnose and resolve issues both musical and technical,” Martin said. “In some ways, the first teacher is as important as some of the more ‘famous’ ones I’ve worked with in my later training.”

Martin has won many awards throughout his career—too many to list—and was recently awarded the Collaborative Prize at the Tchaikovsky International Competition (a classical musical competition held every four years in Moscow).

He is a member of the Gilmore Foundation in Kalamazoo, Mich., and founder of the Gijon International Piano Festival in Spain. He has presented master classes all over the world, including Argentina, Colombia, Great Britain, Korea, Taiwan, Switzerland and Venezuela, and he has worked with famous teachers like Leon Fleisher, Guido Agosti and Nadia Boulanger.

Martin’s master class is funded by the Oregon Community Foundation’s Nellie Tholen Fund, which works with individuals, families, businesses and organizations that support the community. Each year they award more than $60 million in grants and scholarships, according to their website.

Since 2010 the OCF has partnered with some of the world’s most prestigious musical talents. Last year, the foundation welcomed pianist, artist and teacher John Perry to present in their series.

Although the series is open to all faculty, students and community members, its focus is primarily geared toward piano teachers.

“The purpose of this series is to provide a professional development opportunity specifically to piano teachers,” said Jessica Currier, who’s coordinating the event for the foundation.

Currier thinks that Martin’s successful career makes him a perfect fit for the highly selective master class series.

“We only accept the best of the best, the elite. Our committee has high standards when it comes to choosing our candidates,” Currier said. “Martin has established a remarkable reputation, and we feel lucky to have him present in our series this year.”

PSU students Kevin Rahardjo, Jeong Mi Yoon and Elizabeth Flick will also participate in the event, performing musical pieces by Wagner, Bach and Ferruccio Busoni.

Martin has likened his role in the series to that of a contestant on Iron Chef: He’ll spend up to 30 minutes with each student, acting as a sort of musical challenger.

“I’ll be presented with a number of secret ingredients, and I just hope my experience helps me produce a palatable and appetizing dish that’s worth repeating,” Martin said.

Martin cites French composer Gabriel Faure as a major influence on his work and playing style.

When asked about his personal playing style, Martin appeared slightly humbled and politely answered: “One of my deepest beliefs is that no one is really capable of describing his or her own talents,” Martin said. “A playing style is a long process of listening, thinking and observing. There’s no possible way to condense it into one answer.”

Martin is certain his inspirations also stem from more than music. He describes how artists take inspiration and ideas from the everyday world.

“It’s about observing many different life forces—the bouncing of a ball, the breath of a singer and the lumbering gait of a charging giraffe,” Martin said. “The skills that can be imparted logically are those concerned with cultivating precise hearing and dissolving technical and physical obstacles.”

The Oregon Community Foundation continues to organize events like Martin’s appearance and provide services that benefit piano teachers and their teaching methods.

“For several years, we’ve been supporting the Oregon Music Teachers Association and Portland Piano International for their trainings and clinics for piano teachers,” said Michelle Boss Barba, program officer at the foundation.

Martin is a man of many talents who remains humble, laid-back and approachable. Despite his myriad accolades, Martin continues to enjoy the simple acts of playing and teaching the piano.

“I see my life as a fabric of little personal triumphs,” Martin said. “It’s not about the final goal; it is about the process.”