For the second time this month, we catch up with XA4, who had his album release for The Sea Above this past Saturday at a sold-out Concertgebouw. This Sunday, there’s an in-store performance planned at Concerto Amsterdam at 16:30, where the new vinyl album will be available for purchase. After the performance, XA4 will be signing copies of the album.

I ask him about his experience from last Saturday. “Xavier, how did you experience your first solo show at the Concertgebouw?”

“It was truly amazing. The atmosphere was perfect, the setting was great, and the Steinway & Sons grand piano waiting for me was an absolute joy to play. It was also really nice to see that a large part of the audience were people who have been following me for some time. Some even came all the way from Switzerland and London for this show.”

“Sounds great,” I say. Today, I’ve invited XA4 to talk more about his sources of inspiration. Earlier, we asked him to share three things that have left a lasting impression on him and that he still draws upon from time to time. It’s clear: music is always the connecting factor in his top three, but always with a link to the here and now.

“The first thing I’d like to share with you is the painting No.8 by American artist Mark Rothko. In 2014, I visited the former Gemeentemuseum (now Kunstmuseum) in The Hague, where I came face to face with this monumental work by Rothko. A large black canvas. If you saw a picture of it in a book, you might think, ‘Okay, nice.’ But when I stood in front of it in person, I didn’t know what hit me. A deep emotion washed over me, and I found myself wiping away a tear.”

“What exactly did it do to you?”

“That’s hard to explain properly, but it was an intense experience. Somehow, I felt a kind of sadness in the piece that reminded me of war and evoked associations of Auschwitz. So, it had a fairly grim atmosphere. But the power of that experience also gave me a sort of primal feeling. The paint consists of multiple black layers, and it felt like it was really pulling you in. The longer you look, the more it feels like the work takes over the entire space.”

“Can I safely say that you’re now a Rothko fan?”

“Oh, absolutely!” He laughs and adds that at every museum these days, the first thing he asks the staff is whether there are any Rothkos on display. I’m also curious if this work still inspires him when creating his music. “Do you take anything from this piece into your own compositions?”

“Rothko is definitely still an inspiration. For example, when designing the artwork for my latest album, I brought examples of his work to the designer, or in this case, the photographer. For The Sea Above, Ukrainian photographer Angelina Nikolayeva shot the image. With a nod to Rothko, we subtly incorporated shades of blue and yellow as a gesture of support for the freedom of the Ukrainian people.”

In a previous interview, Croatian pianist Ivo Pogorelich was already mentioned. In 2010, XA4 traveled to Groningen, where Pogorelich performed again after years of absence. “As I mentioned earlier, his fame came about after his place in the finals of the prestigious Chopin Competition in Warsaw was denied. The whole incident sparked controversy after Martha Argerich stood up for him. Pogorelich is known for giving his own unique interpretations of works, often deviating from what listeners expect. A pianist who is both loved and hated. For me, it’s definitely the first one.

It’s also interesting to note that his wife, and former piano teacher, passed away in the late ’90s, which led him to stop performing for over 10 years. Even his appearance changed: once a dandy, he now lives more reclusively, like a hermit.”

Pogorelich made his comeback in 2010, but didn’t perform in large venues from the start. XA4 traveled to Groningen, and later to Rotterdam, to see him perform. The program included sonatas by Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Brahms’ Intermezzo in A major, and one of XA4’s favorite pieces by Liszt, the Sonata in B minor.

“Endlessly fascinating and hypnotic!” That’s how XA4 describes the concerts. “He played many parts at half the usual speed, but somehow, it was incredibly convincing. I felt like he took the time to do whatever he wanted. That freedom, without clinging to the metronome, created a sense of timelessness. As I said, he was both loved and hated. The press completely tore him apart after those concerts. A fellow pianist I spoke to afterward even called it blasphemy,” he laughs. “I felt like I was one of the few who really appreciated it. I found it truly innovative, and those concerts left a lasting impression on me.”

“Funny, I can sense some similarities between you and Pogorelich here.”

“Yes, in a way. The freedom in playing, whether in composing or making a piece my own, has certainly been influenced by Pogorelich’s musical philosophy.”

From visual art and music, we now turn to XA4’s final source of inspiration on the big screen. “Black Swan, directed by Darren Aronofsky, is one of those films that continues to fascinate,” says XA4. “The story is an adaptation of Swan Lake and follows a ballerina who wants to become the prima ballerina at a prominent New York ballet company. In this famous ballet by Tchaikovsky, you have the White Swan and the Black Swan, and in the film, the main character experiences a psychotic break, developing a split personality between both roles.”

I’m curious about what this film means to him. “I’ve watched it seven times, and that’s largely due to Tchaikovsky’s music, which is truly beautiful. In a way, it’s like listening to a piece of music supported by visuals.”

“Does it have any particular connection to the life of an artist?”

“I think this film is a good reminder of how important it is for an artist to stay with both feet on the ground. In this, and in many of Aronofsky’s films (including Requiem for a Dream), you often see characters chasing something grand and spectacular, losing themselves in the chaos of everyday life and the reality around them. It often ends badly, but fortunately, these kinds of films offer a valuable message to reflect on,” XA4 laughs.

Making choices is sometimes difficult. At XA4’s request, we’re also sharing what he calls ‘the’ sonata by Liszt in B minor, performed by Vladimir Horowitz. “I’ve listened to this recording over 100 times. It’s truly my all-time favorite.”