From Mozart to Philip Glass: The Trailblazing Journey of Xavier Boot

“Xavier, you started playing the piano at seven and quickly gained recognition as a young talent. What was that like, having a childhood centered around the piano?”

Xavier smiles. “Actually, I was always obsessed with the piano, or rather, with music in general. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t. When I was about three years old, there was a piano in the house. I was fascinated by it and started tinkering around and experimenting. But at seven, I really began taking lessons, and from the moment I heard Wibi Soerjadi, I knew: I want to do that too. I want to become a concert pianist. Eventually, it wasn’t just Wibi; I also became acquainted with Vladimir Horowitz, who was truly the pinnacle for me.”

“You were accepted into the young talent class at the conservatory at a young age. But you must have encountered other music as well. We’re of the same generation, so you probably listened to pop, grunge, punk rock, and so on. What drew you to classical music?”

“Yes, I definitely listened to other music, like Queen, for example, which I thought was amazing. But from the age of fourteen, I really dove deep into classical music. What attracted me to it was the complexity. It’s music that is intelligently crafted, with so many layers. Compare that to pop music: I often found it too simplistic at the time. Classical music offers a whole different, deeper dimension.”

“I can imagine that at that age, you were one of the few who thought that way. Did you have people around you who understood this too?”

Xavier nods. “At first, I did feel a bit like an outsider. But when I went to a music camp for classical music, I met other young people who, like me, were completely immersed in classical music. That was truly a revelation. It motivated me greatly to dive even deeper into it. But at the same time, it made me lose interest in the music my classmates listened to. By the way, I did come back to that later and began to see things differently,” he laughs.

Xavier adds, “It might also be because I can be quite neurotic and completely lose myself in something.”

“Isn’t that something we all, as artists, sometimes deal with?” I ask him. Xavier nods in agreement.

From these first few minutes of our conversation, I get a clearer picture of Xavier and his career. Yet, I am very curious to hear his reasons for abandoning the classical world. “You’ve built an impressive career as a concert pianist. However, I read somewhere that at a certain point, you were done with the dogmas of the classical world. Can you explain what you mean by that?”

“Yes,” Xavier says, taking a moment to think. “In classical music, you eventually encounter all sorts of fixed rules. People often have an idea of how a piece should sound, based on traditions. For a piece by Mozart, for example, you’re not supposed to use too much pedal or you must strictly adhere to certain tempos. That starts to constrict you because it limits how you feel the piece in the moment as a performer. For me, music is about what is happening at that moment: the space, the instrument, your own state of mind—everything plays a part. But the classical world often holds on to what ‘should’ be, and I found that stifling.”

Xavier continues, “The culture of classical music has changed significantly, in my opinion, since the golden age of the piano. Around 1900, there were romantic composers and pianists like Rachmaninoff, Alfred Cortot, and Stravinsky. They didn’t just write music; they performed it as well. Their way of playing was much freer; they sometimes improvised during their performances and occasionally made mistakes. They played in a way that I think we should appreciate more.

However, then came the recordings. As technology improved, mistakes were increasingly eliminated. This made people accustomed to flawless playing. Additionally, there were piano competitions where juries judged performances. I’ve often noticed that it’s the third or fourth prize winners who are the most interesting artists. A good example of this is Ivo Pogorelich.

Pogorelich once participated in the Chopin competition in Warsaw, one of the most prestigious piano competitions in the world. However, he didn’t make it to the finals, which led to the outrage of Argentine star pianist Martha Argerich, who was on the jury. She disagreed so vehemently with the decision that she stormed out of the jury meeting.”

“Was that because he made mistakes during his performance?”

“No, it was mainly because his interpretation of the pieces deviated so far from what was considered ‘correct’ that both the audience and the jury rejected him. But it’s interesting to mention that Pogorelich still became hugely famous. Undoubtedly, many more talented pianists have been discouraged by such competitions.

The combination of striving for perfection and the strict competition culture is, in my opinion, discouraging for many pianists who want to follow their own path in the classical music world.”

“You eventually decided to stop playing classical music altogether and do something completely different. You studied medicine for a while, right?”

Xavier laughs. “Yes, that was an interesting period. I wanted to become a psychiatrist, thinking it would be a nice way to engage with people and their emotions while still doing my own thing as a musician, without the pressure of competitions or juries. But medical school turned out to be so intensive that I had little time for my music, and after two years, I quit.”

“Ultimately, you found your way back to music, but in a very different form. You pursued a master’s in Live Electronics at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and started releasing electronic music under the name XA4. What attracted you to that?”

“It actually began when I started working with YAN; we released music through Excelsior. Electronic music gave me a new freedom. I didn’t want to be tied to the expectations that came with the name ‘Xavier Boot.’ So I chose XA4. Not only did it mean a fresh start, but those three initials were also convenient for search results on Spotify. Of course, I didn’t want people typing in Xavier to end up with Xavier Rudd,” he laughs. “It also felt like a way to give my classical background a new twist while embracing the electronic music that inspired me.”

“In addition to your electronic work, you still play classical pieces by composers like Chopin and Schubert. How do those relate to XA4?”

“The two worlds coexist just fine. I’m no longer concerned about what others think. I play those classical works in my own way, and that brings me joy. That’s the most important thing for me.”

“We’ve already talked about influences. Philip Glass has also made a significant impression on you, especially with his opera Einstein on the Beach. What impact did that have on you?”

Xavier’s eyes start sparkling as he talks about it. “That was truly a life-changing experience. That music is so repetitive and meditative; it creates a kind of timeless space where you just ‘are.’ It felt like a transcendental experience that lasted nearly five hours. I was completely absorbed in that world unfolding throughout the entire building. What I found beautiful about this music was the complexity and layering that you might sometimes find less in other pieces by Glass. Furthermore, it is so open and free that it doesn’t force you as a listener to go in a particular direction.”

I ask him if he was familiar with Philip Glass’s work before this, or if it captivated him from that moment on. “From this opera, I was completely a fan,” Xavier confirms.

“Xavier, at a certain point, you began to adapt various pieces by Glass. Wasn’t that quite exciting? You were still primarily a performing pianist of someone else’s work. Now you’re rewriting the work of a living composer, who might have his own opinions about that. I can see ten obstacles along the way.”

“I’m a strong advocate of the idea that when playing someone else’s music, you should feel freer to create something new. That makes it interesting, I think. I try to apply that to the great classical masters as well. Of course, there will always be opinions about it, but Philip Glass himself doesn’t mind if people adapt his music. In fact, I think he actually enjoys it. He has no ego in the sense of ‘Haven’t you heard anything from me?’ He’s very relaxed about it.

What he does take issue with, however, are violations of human rights. Recently, I learned that he protested against a concert in Russia because they used his music without his permission. Normally, he wouldn’t be bothered, but looking at the whole geopolitical situation and violations of human rights he had a good point to withdraw his name.

Maybe I’m getting a bit off track, but that’s okay. I didn’t personally ask him for permission to adapt his pieces—I didn’t have such a direct connection with him in the first place. But I assumed it would be alright. In fact, I was approached later via Instagram to create an EP for his label, Orange Mountain Music.”

“And then Glass ultimately wrote: ‘Xavier is really a wonderful pianist and I am thrilled how he now tackles my compositions, with that elegant electronica touch.’ How does it feel when your idol says that about you?”

To which Xavier laughs and replies, “That’s obviously really cool. It would be nice if it sold a bit too!”

From Philip Glass, we delve deeper into Xavier’s Indonesian background. The gamelan, an Indonesian instrument as well as a music genre, often plays a central role in his music. “What draws you to it?” I ask him.

“Gamelan has always been close to my heart. Like Philip Glass’s music, it has something repetitive and timeless. It doesn’t force you to listen in a specific direction but simply lets you ‘go with the flow.’ It’s almost meditative. I try to incorporate that freedom into my own work as well. Take, for example, the piece Mellifluous, in collaboration with YAN. You can clearly hear those repetitive patterns returning. I think it would be great to actually bring gamelan into my recordings, but that will take some practice since I’m, of course, trained as a pianist. Funny thing that comes to my mind though; the original solo piano version of this piece is called Angklung, named after an Indonesian instrument, thus closing the cultural circle.”

“Your new album The Sea Above is described in the press release as a kind of journey through all your musical influences. How would you describe that yourself?”

“I really want to take my listeners on a journey. The album starts off energetic, almost danceable, and immediately pulls you in. Then it becomes a bit dreamier, more ambient, and slowly but surely, you enter a kind of fantasy world. Ultimately, it’s music that gives you space to reflect and dream.”

“To wrap up, how do you think the audience will experience your shows?”

Xavier laughs. “I hope they leave the venue feeling like they still want to party, or maybe they’re in the mood to go home and listen to my album again. Or, on the other hand, they might feel like reading a beautiful poem and getting philosophical. That would be fantastic!”

And with that, we conclude. What a journey, from classical piano to electronic music, from Mozart to gamelan and Glass. Xavier Boot proves that boundaries in music exist to be crossed.