Lee Dionne, one of the four pianists featured at Out West Piano Fest 2024, brings his collaborative spirit and passion for connection to the festival. Known for his engaging performances, Lee discusses the unique opportunities of performing in intimate, focused settings and how his approach to collaboration, shaped by years of fostering close-knit musical environments, influences his artistry.
1. What has motivated you in joining Out West Piano Festival 2024?
As a recent arrival to Australia (2023), I am excited to take part in a festival where I can connect and collaborate with such dedicated musicians from such a range of backgrounds. All of us share something very specific, and all of us have our own very individual paths that have brought us here.
2. You’ve performed in prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall and the Concertgebouw. How does the experience of performing at the Out West Piano Fest compare to those larger stages, and what unique opportunities do you see in this setting?
To me there’s something special about a destination venue because it helps both performers and audience to focus on music without distraction. Carnegie Hall and the Concertgebouw are fantastic because there is something great and something different happening every night, but at a festival you can remove a lot of the noise. Everyone has taken some effort to be here because they care a lot about one particular thing.
3. Your performances are described as both “impressive” and “entrancing.” Can you share your approach to engaging with audiences during your concerts, and how you strive to create a memorable experience for them?
For a performance to feel alive, you always need to be communicating with an audience. For me, I prefer when that communication includes a kind of “sensing” on the performer’s part. Performance is theatre, and once you’ve drawn your audience in, you can get away with a lot. Each performance is different. I’m not saying that one should feel at liberty to depart radically from the score, but a score is a kind of roadmap — a potential for what something can be. That something depends entirely on the performer on that day, as well as on the space in which it’s taking place and the particular audience. Without the audience, the performance simply does not happen.
4. As a co-founder of Hayes Street Studio, you’ve fostered an intimate concert space for various musical genres. How does your work at Hayes Street influence your performance style and the way you connect with your audience at festivals like Out West?
The range of programming that Rosie and I do at Hayes Street brings me a lot of joy. Music is music, and it’s easier to remember that when you’re playing Bach alongside a brilliant jazz improviser than when you’re just playing Bach with Bach. Hayes Street is also an incredibly vulnerable space to perform in because of its size. Our max capacity is 35 audience members, and you can hear a pin drop. That environment can be very scary to perform in, but it can also be very liberating. Each performance is personal, and it’s possible that you feel free to take risks there that you wouldn’t take otherwise.
5. Collaboration seems to be a key aspect of your musical journey, from your time with the Merz Trio to your current projects. What role does collaboration play in your performances at Out West Piano Fest, and how do you adapt to working with different musicians?
I don’t believe that collaboration always involves compromise. Each collaboration is different, and each collaboration may yield different results, but I believe a good collaboration is when everyone involved can feel free to bring their best. I think I used to be an extremely nitpicky as a musician and rehearser, and to be honest, I don’t think people used to enjoy working with me very much back then, but over the years I’ve learned to cultivate much more of a “yes and” mentality. It gets very tiring being critical to yourself and others. I like it when everyone feels good and the music is joyful. I think that’s usually when you learn something about a person and their music-making as well, and that’s often what brings you the excitement, joy, and energy in any context.
To know more about Out West Piano Fest 2024, click here