Pianist Nadav Hertzka takes on Tchaikovsky

“This is all I’ve ever known”, enthuses Israeli-born pianist Nadav Hertzka, who took up music as a youngster and has just released his debut CD, writes Neil Perry.

The 27-year-old, who studied a master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Music, moved from his native Tel Aviv four years ago.

He tells me: “It was great to come here. It was always been between London and New York, so I am pleased to have made it to London, as it’s a bit closer to home.”

Hertzka began playing piano at the age of seven, supported by the rest of his musical family – his older sister also played the piano, while his father was a cellist.

It was not long before he had developed a lifelong passion for music and decided to pursue it as a career. “This is all I’ve ever known,” explains Hertzka. “Since the age of ten, I knew this was what I’d be doing for the rest of my life.  It certainly doesn’t feel like a job to me.”

Hertzka made his orchestral debut with the Haifa Symphony Orchestra at 14, and over the years has won a string of prestigious prizes, including the Pinault Society International Piano Competition when he was just 15.

He has also performed throughout the United States, Europe and Asia in major venues such as Carnegie Weill Hall, Wigmore Hall, and the Shanghai Conservatory. He says: “I love travelling around and it’s a lot of fun, though I spend most of my time practicing.”

Hertzka’s new CD, Tchaikovsky: Sonata op. 80, The Seasons is available now on iTunes and Amazon.

Find out more at www.hertzka.net