Stores
In Conversation: Cyrill Ibrahim
The Royal College of Music Concert Pianist
British-Dutch concert pianist Cyrill Ibrahim graduated from the Royal College of Music and is on a mission to bring classical music to a new audience. By merging his passions, classical music, menswear and music education, he is being recognised to be building bridges. Let’s take a look at what makes his heart really tick.
What is your approach to a new project?
For me, my approach to a new piece would be trying to take a step back, look at the notes, learn the notes, take the notes in and find a way of being close to it. Finding a way of then, after having taken it in entirely, going behind the notes and asking yourself what does it mean? What is the expression behind it? That is the most important and most powerful approach.
Which view from your past or present always inspires you?
I mean, that’s the sea. For me, the sea is incredibly important. I grew up by the sea. But not only that, when you look at the sea, you get space to think, space to wonder, space to meander and have these thoughts that come and go. And it’s so important for a creative Mind.
How is your dressing style defined?
For me, dressing is something very personal. I think for me, it’s a way of expressing myself, but in a very delicate way. I try to keep things quite plain because I find that especially when you play the piano, it’s all about trying to find a way to not make things just about you. But that’s why I like my style to be quite understated.
Do you have any particular styling rules?
As a definition, I do not have any particular styling rules, but most of the time I’m just thinking about two or three colours, main colours and that’s usually what I go for. If the fabric is strong and powerful, that will do quite a lot.
Cyrill wears the Mustard Silk-Cashmere Polo paired with Steel Blue Lightweight Cotton Chinos
What are you up to right now?
I’m creating a lot of content and I’ve got quite a significant passion, which is trying to find a way of bringing classical music to the next generation and a new audience. And what the importance of that is that I just try to find a way of constantly feeling, going back into myself, what classical music actually means for me and why playing the piano is so powerful. And explaining that and building a strategy on how I want to communicate that to my audience is something that I’ve been developing. That entails a lot of new recordings and concerts and new repertoire.
Who are your style icons and why?
There were some great pianists such as Rubenstein and Horowitz, but also Leonard
Bernstein as a conductor. They were all very well dressed. And also the composer Stravinsky is somebody that I really admired. He was somebody who really dealt with and had a lot of friends in fashion at the time. Coco Chanel was one of his great friends and he was very interested in fashion as a way of expressing himself. So, I think that is the power of being able to be dressed in a certain way that actually amplifies what you do.
What’s a piece of clothing you will always cherish?
I suppose it’s a great suit that I still have and I’ve had it for a long time, and I still wear it. And when I wear it, I just feel so comfortable because you know that it will deliver when you enter a room.
What is the best book you have ever read?
The best book I’ve ever read is Thomas Mann’s Magic Mountain. Thomas Mann was an incredible German writer. This particular book is about essence and time. What time means and how relative time is. And basically, that’s what I’m doing as a pianist. I deal with time; I work with time. How does space and time work? And this book is all about that. The characters and the development of those characters is absolutely magnificent and really powerful.
What tradition do you look forward to most?
How we all celebrate Christmas from all people, from different religions, different cultures. Everybody celebrates Christmas and feels that that’s a place for us to be with our family. It’s incredibly impressive. And when it happens, I can’t wait.
Cyrill wears the Midnight Blue Ravello Linen Shirt paired with the Light Grey Lightweight Cotton Chinos and a Navy Blue Woven Suede Belt
What is the moment that changed everything for you?
There’s never been one particular moment. I think it’s a series of meanderings into feeling that discovering new music or music has been written a long time ago, but trying to find a way of constantly evolving and being open about things. So, there’s never been one moment, but it’s more a series of events that have led to me being able to understand music better. The more I know, it actually feels like I know even less than when I started.
What music era that intrigues you the most?
Of course, that is absolutely classical music. For me, classical music is the essence of our sort of heritage, western heritage. In classical music, you can find all the emotions that are never singular, but all these different layers, and that is what I find intriguing.
What is something you have discovered recently?
I realised that I need more time to develop, not to do things too quickly, take more time and reflect rather than push things out there too early. Because I’ve been doing that and I feel that doing that can be stressful. You have to go over certain things again. So, the most important discovery at the moment is taking more time for myself.
British-Dutch concert pianist Cyrill Ibrahim graduated from the Royal College of Music and is on a mission to bring classical music to a new audience. By merging his passions, classical music, menswear and music education, he is being recognised to be building bridges. Let’s take a look at what makes his heart really tick.
Cyrill wears the Mustard Silk-Cashmere Polo paired with Steel Blue Lightweight Cotton Chinos
What is your approach to a new project?
For me, my approach to a new piece would be trying to take a step back, look at the notes, learn the notes, take the notes in and find a way of being close to it. Finding a way of then, after having taken it in entirely, going behind the notes and asking yourself what does it mean? What is the expression behind it? That is the most important and most powerful approach.
Which view from your past or present always inspires you?
I mean, that’s the sea. For me, the sea is incredibly important. I grew up by the sea. But not only that, when you look at the sea, you get space to think, space to wonder, space to meander and have these thoughts that come and go. And it’s so important for a creative Mind.
How is your dressing style defined?
For me, dressing is something very personal. I think for me, it’s a way of expressing myself, but in a very delicate way. I try to keep things quite plain because I find that especially when you play the piano, it’s all about trying to find a way to not make things just about you. But that’s why I like my style to be quite understated.
Do you have any particular styling rules?
As a definition, I do not have any particular styling rules, but most of the time I’m just thinking about two or three colours, main colours and that’s usually what I go for. If the fabric is strong and powerful, that will do quite a lot.
What are you up to right now?
I’m creating a lot of content and I’ve got quite a significant passion, which is trying to find a way of bringing classical music to the next generation and a new audience. And what the importance of that is that I just try to find a way of constantly feeling, going back into myself, what classical music actually means for me and why playing the piano is so powerful. And explaining that and building a strategy on how I want to communicate that to my audience is something that I’ve been developing. That entails a lot of new recordings and concerts and new repertoire.
Who are your style icons and why?
There were some great pianists such as Rubenstein and Horowitz, but also Leonard
Bernstein as a conductor. They were all very well dressed. And also the composer Stravinsky is somebody that I really admired. He was somebody who really dealt with and had a lot of friends in fashion at the time. Coco Chanel was one of his great friends and he was very interested in fashion as a way of expressing himself. So, I think that is the power of being able to be dressed in a certain way that actually amplifies what you do.
What’s a piece of clothing you will always cherish?
I suppose it’s a great suit that I still have and I’ve had it for a long time, and I still wear it. And when I wear it, I just feel so comfortable because you know that it will deliver when you enter a room.
Cyrill wears the Midnight Blue Ravello Linen Shirt paired with the Light Grey Lightweight Cotton Chinos and a Navy Blue Woven Suede Belt
What is the best book you have ever read?
The best book I’ve ever read is Thomas Mann’s Magic Mountain. Thomas Mann was an incredible German writer. This particular book is about essence and time. What time means and how relative time is. And basically, that’s what I’m doing as a pianist. I deal with time; I work with time. How does space and time work? And this book is all about that. The characters and the development of those characters is absolutely magnificent and really powerful.
What tradition do you look forward to most?
How we all celebrate Christmas from all people, from different religions, different cultures. Everybody celebrates Christmas and feels that that’s a place for us to be with our family. It’s incredibly impressive. And when it happens, I can’t wait.
What is the moment that changed everything for you?
There’s never been one particular moment. I think it’s a series of meanderings into feeling that discovering new music or music has been written a long time ago, but trying to find a way of constantly evolving and being open about things. So, there’s never been one moment, but it’s more a series of events that have led to me being able to understand music better. The more I know, it actually feels like I know even less than when I started.
What music era that intrigues you the most?
Of course, that is absolutely classical music. For me, classical music is the essence of our sort of heritage, western heritage. In classical music, you can find all the emotions that are never singular, but all these different layers, and that is what I find intriguing.
What is something you have discovered recently?
I realised that I need more time to develop, not to do things too quickly, take more time and reflect rather than push things out there too early. Because I’ve been doing that and I feel that doing that can be stressful. You have to go over certain things again. So, the most important discovery at the moment is taking more time for myself.
British-Dutch concert pianist Cyrill Ibrahim graduated from the Royal College of Music and is on a mission to bring classical music to a new audience. By merging his passions, classical music, menswear and music education, he is being recognised to be building bridges. Let’s take a look at what makes his heart really tick.
What is your approach to a new project?
For me, my approach to a new piece would be trying to take a step back, look at the notes, learn the notes, take the notes in and find a way of being close to it. Finding a way of then, after having taken it in entirely, going behind the notes and asking yourself what does it mean? What is the expression behind it? That is the most important and most powerful approach.
Which view from your past or present always inspires you?
I mean, that’s the sea. For me, the sea is incredibly important. I grew up by the sea. But not only that, when you look at the sea, you get space to think, space to wonder, space to meander and have these thoughts that come and go. And it’s so important for a creative Mind.
How is your dressing style defined?
For me, dressing is something very personal. I think for me, it’s a way of expressing myself, but in a very delicate way. I try to keep things quite plain because I find that especially when you play the piano, it’s all about trying to find a way to not make things just about you. But that’s why I like my style to be quite understated.
Do you have any particular styling rules?
As a definition, I do not have any particular styling rules, but most of the time I’m just thinking about two or three colours, main colours and that’s usually what I go for. If the fabric is strong and powerful, that will do quite a lot.
What are you up to right now?
I’m creating a lot of content and I’ve got quite a significant passion, which is trying to find a way of bringing classical music to the next generation and a new audience. And what the importance of that is that I just try to find a way of constantly feeling, going back into myself, what classical music actually means for me and why playing the piano is so powerful. And explaining that and building a strategy on how I want to communicate that to my audience is something that I’ve been developing. That entails a lot of new recordings and concerts and new repertoire.
Who are your style icons and why?
There were some great pianists such as Rubenstein and Horowitz, but also Leonard
Bernstein as a conductor. They were all very well dressed. And also the composer Stravinsky is somebody that I really admired. He was somebody who really dealt with and had a lot of friends in fashion at the time. Coco Chanel was one of his great friends and he was very interested in fashion as a way of expressing himself. So, I think that is the power of being able to be dressed in a certain way that actually amplifies what you do.
What’s a piece of clothing you will always cherish?
I suppose it’s a great suit that I still have and I’ve had it for a long time, and I still wear it. And when I wear it, I just feel so comfortable because you know that it will deliver when you enter a room.
What is the best book you have ever read?
The best book I’ve ever read is Thomas Mann’s Magic Mountain. Thomas Mann was an incredible German writer. This particular book is about essence and time. What time means and how relative time is. And basically, that’s what I’m doing as a pianist. I deal with time; I work with time. How does space and time work? And this book is all about that. The characters and the development of those characters is absolutely magnificent and really powerful.
What tradition do you look forward to most?
How we all celebrate Christmas from all people, from different religions, different cultures. Everybody celebrates Christmas and feels that that’s a place for us to be with our family. It’s incredibly impressive. And when it happens, I can’t wait.
What is the moment that changed everything for you?
There’s never been one particular moment. I think it’s a series of meanderings into feeling that discovering new music or music has been written a long time ago, but trying to find a way of constantly evolving and being open about things. So, there’s never been one moment, but it’s more a series of events that have led to me being able to understand music better. The more I know, it actually feels like I know even less than when I started.
What music era that intrigues you the most?
Of course, that is absolutely classical music. For me, classical music is the essence of our sort of heritage, western heritage. In classical music, you can find all the emotions that are never singular, but all these different layers, and that is what I find intriguing.
What is something you have discovered recently?
I realised that I need more time to develop, not to do things too quickly, take more time and reflect rather than push things out there too early. Because I’ve been doing that and I feel that doing that can be stressful. You have to go over certain things again. So, the most important discovery at the moment is taking more time for myself.