BY CELINE CHONG, LEAD WRITER (QLD)
Injury.
It’s a thought that puts all musicians on edge — especially when it comes to the fingers and hands. And when our entire livelihood and craft depend on these little limbs, it’s definitely reasonable.
Whether it’s RSI, carpal tunnel, broken bones, or anything else, injuries are not only physically but psychologically challenging.
So when Croatian pianist Ivan Horvatić suffered a serious bike accident, completely breaking his wrist, it was a harrowing experience for the aspiring and accomplished pianist.
Incredibly, Ivan is now playing as well as ever. He lives in Zurich, where he works as a professor’s assistant at the Zurich University of the Arts, and a piano teacher to advanced high school students at Kantonsschule Zofingen (“I very much enjoy this combination of performing and teaching the next generations of musicians,” he reflects).
In this interview, Ivan chats to us about the sheer determination, resilience, and hard work involved in conquering his injury, in light of his upcoming Australian tour with piano duo partner Andrew Rumsey.
Ivan, three years ago, you were involved in an accident that hurt your left wrist. That must have been quite an emotional, and even harrowing experience. I’m so glad you’ve made it out the other side! Would you be willing to share a bit about what that was like for you?
In April 2016, I was involved in a terrible accident that nearly ended my career. I was riding a bike on the streets of Zurich when my front tire got stuck in a tram track. It all happened so quickly. The next thing I knew, I was lying on the concrete and my left hand felt really strange. I looked at it and immediately realised that I had broken my wrist completely.
My hand was practically detached from the rest of the forearm. It was an open fracture and it looked and felt really bad. They rushed me to the hospital where a long process of two surgeries and months of physical therapy began.
Somehow, I was very lucky: although both of the large bones in the forearm, radius and ulna, were completely broken, somehow I didn’t damage any nerves or tendons. That itself was a very good sign.
What was involved in the recovery process? Did you need to change or rethink much of your technique?
In the first days after the accident, the first real battle I had to fight was the emotional and psychological one. I was absolutely devastated, as you can imagine. I really thought my playing career was over. What does one do after 20 years of practising basically every day?
The irony is that I have always been very careful with my hands — not playing any kind of sports that might be dangerous, always wearing wrist guards while rollerblading, for example, and just in general, being very cautious. I thought to myself: ‘What on earth am I going to do now with my life?’. However, the support of the whole team of surgeons, nurses and other staff at the University Hospital Zurich gave me courage, optimism, and motivation to go through this experience and make it out the other side. A big shout-out to all of them!
My family were there for me; my mom flew in from Zagreb immediately to help me, and my friends visited the hospital every day. I could never have done it without them and I will always be grateful for all the love and support I received during such a traumatic time.
After the two surgeries, I had to do lots of therapy to basically learn how to move my wrist again. As a pianist, it was a truly terrifying experience. I had to accept the fact that my left hand will never feel completely the same.
Yes, I was rethinking my technique. After slowly getting back to practising, I had to be aware of every single movement of my left hand and think more cautiously and efficiently about what I do and how I play.
Going through such an experience must teach you a lot about resilience and determination, and also a lot about yourself as a musician and as a person. What advice would you now offer to someone faced with the trauma of injury?
That experience definitely made me rethink certain things and put them in perspective. It made me think of the bigger picture and how we can’t take anything for granted. I was never very patient with myself as a person, and this accident taught me to be resilient and just give myself time to heal. I’ve learnt a lot from it about the power of determination, optimism, and not giving up.
I guess my advice to someone going through something similar would be just that. Take the time you need. If you are battling resignation, sadness or even depression as a result, talk to someone. There are always people that can help. Don’t shy away from asking for the support you need! Many musicians went through similar things, so you’re definitely not alone.
These types of accidents really can be very hard for musicians. It’s funny, I had a moment where I thought to myself, ‘Oh, come on, so many people are battling things much worse than a broken wrist’. And it’s true! But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s very hard to deal with stuff like this if you’re a musician. So, be patient, take your time, ask for the help you need and surround yourself with people who will be there for you.
You’re also now involved in a four-hands piano duo with Andrew Rumsey. Tell us about your partnership. How has playing four-hand repertoire influenced you as a pianist? Has it changed the way you approach other solo/chamber music, or playing with orchestras?
I met Andrew Rumsey at the 2017 Atlantic Music Festival in Maine, and that is where the idea to form as a piano duo was born. The foundation of our collaboration is our wonderful friendship. We became friends very quickly in the United States, and realised that making music together would be a lot of fun. To me, this really is the most important thing in chamber music: to be able to play with someone you really like and who thinks of music in a very similar way. I believe that is what makes a big difference between just doing the work and actually making art.
I have quite a lot of experience playing four-hands, so it was nothing new for me; however, playing in a duo with Andrew gave me the opportunity to learn new pieces and perform in different places. Playing four-hands is, of course, very different to performing as a soloist. One has to be able to adapt, balance, and find musical ideas together.
What I love about working with Andrew is that we never have to spend a lot of time on the basic stuff like tempo, rhythm, and such. We kind of feel the music very similarly, so every time we put together a new piece, we can go straight to the details – which is very important, since we don’t get to practice together regularly, with both of us living on opposite sides of the world.
Piano duo to me is a different form of expression than being a soloist. The goal of playing together is to breathe, think, and feel as one person. Despite this challenge, it makes it that more interesting and fun, for the audience as well as the performers. I enjoy being a soloist, or a soloist with orchestra, very much — but piano duo is also a big part of my creative life now, and I absolutely love it.
We are very much looking forward to having you and Andrew perform in Australia! What are you most looking forward to on your upcoming tour?
I’m very excited about my Australian tour! It will be my first time visiting Australia, so I’m looking forward to exploring your beautiful country and of course, I can’t wait for the concerts with Andrew. I’m so happy I get to perform with such an amazing artist and friend.
Ivan will perform with duo partner Andrew Rumsay at 7.30pm October 4, Eternity Playhouse, Darlinghurst Theatre; 2.30pm October 5, Rose Room, Burradoo; 4.30pm October 6, Soldiers’ Memorial Hall, Bundanoon; and 3pm October 13, Wesley Music Centre, Canberra.
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