12. Paul Wee: balancing life as a barrister and pianist, preparing for a recital vs preparing for court, and the difficult decision to not pursue a music career

Paul Wee is an internationally-acclaimed pianist with a love for celebrating the hidden gems of the piano repertoire. His recordings for BIS have been met with great critical acclaim, including being shortlisted for multiple Gramophone Awards. Not your average pianist, Paul also happens to be a very successful barrister; he was called to the bar by Gray's Inn in 2010, and currently practises from Essex Court Chambers in London. Paul performs around his professional commitments as a barrister, both in London and internationally, and will be making his Wigmore Hall debut in June 2024.In this episode, Paul discusses fitting the piano around life as a barrister, and his reasons for recording the repertoire he has so far. He also talks about wondering whether the success of his earlier recordings were due to the 'novelty' factors, and shares just how difficult it was to adjust to the sudden change of path from music to law.-------------------Pre-order Paul's new album, Henselt & Bronsart: Piano Concertos (out May 31st)Tickets for Paul's Wigmore Hall debut (June 15th)-------------------Paul's links:WebsiteInstagramX (formerly Twitter)Facebook-------------------Follow The Classical Circuit on InstagramDid you enjoy this episode? If so, ratings and follows help a lot with visibility, if you have a spare moment... *bats eyelashes*No offence taken if not.--------------------This podcast is also available to listen to via The Violin Channel--------------------Music: François Couperin - Le Tic-Toc-Choc ou Les MaillotinsPerformed by Daniel Lebhardt--------------------The Classical Circuit is made by Ella Lee (producer by trade, pianist at heart). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.