2020-05-30
みんなの声 What’s up?
ヨーロッパの中心部に位置するチェコ共和国で活躍中のピアニストからメッセージが届きました。
My name is Ourania and I am originally from Cyprus, a small island in the Mediterranean sea. Till my 16th birthday I was living and studying in my hometown Nicosia, where my parents have a music school. Music was a way of life as from an early age the first sounds I knew were those of piano and violin. My love for music took me soon to Prague to study further and enrich my musical knowledge in one of the most beautiful cities in the heart of Europe. When I arrived in Prague I never could imagine that, with a small break of 3 years, I will spend the rest of my life here and be a part of a rich musical tradition that spans back centuries.
After finishing my piano studies at the Prague Conservatory I continue to study Musicology at the Charles University. I completed my thesis in December 2002, got my Master of Arts and January 2003 I was in a plane to USA to pursued my PhD in Piano performances and fulfil one more dream.
Fate brought in that I will return back to Prague after 3 years in USA and stay here since then. To be living and working in Prague it can be rewarding but also very challenging. Rewarding as arts are highly value here and the level of artistry is really high. The competition between good musicians (older and younger generations) is very high and a constant personal development, education and daily practice is necessary in order to keep up with the high standards. Living in Prague though can be sometimes difficult as not all the people accept the fact that I am a foreigner living and working among them. It was especially hard at the beginning as I had to prove myself that I am equal to them. Now things are much better. I have my best friends here, people that I love and respect and the feelings are mutual. Living in Prague is like a dream, a beautiful city, lots of cultural and just in the heart of Europe that the roads can take you anywhere you wish.
英語でのコミュニケーションにおいて、必ずしもネイティブのようになる必要はありません。皆それぞれの母国語の影響を強く持ち、それゆえの英語文法上のミスは往々にしてありますし、またあって当然です。しかし最も重要なのは、それぞれの思いや心を表し、人間同士として通じ合える事です。その観点から、このコラムでは海外の素晴らしい仲間達の文章をネイティブに校正してもらうことは敢えてしていません。どうぞそのままの文章を読んで、そして感性の翼を広げて心のままに味わってください。