AMERICANIST | MEET THE ARTIST

Meet the Artist

Frances Wilson

November 3, 2022

Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in music and who or what have been the most important influences on your musical life and career?

I can indeed share that exact moment. I had started piano at the very common age of seven. Upon reaching that also common five-year mark, my interest started to wane. My mother and my piano teacher attempted several schemes to recover my focus. The musical proved to be the winner. When my mother introduced me to ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, I was initially sceptical but grew incredibly interested (mostly because the first recording she had was one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s remixes from the late 1980s that featured an inordinate amount of synthesizer). When we finally got our hands on the recording by the original cast, I was hooked. The cherry on top was a serendipitous trip to New York City and the chance to see it live on Broadway. I had stars in my eyes for the next decade.

What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?

Creating a lasting momentum. Finding an expression that is 100% my own and thus, 100% sustainable.

Which performances/recordings are you most proud of?

I’m very proud of my debut release, the Americanist. It is a complete expression of my taste, intellect, and creativity. the Americanist is an album of inter-war orchestral works for solo piano and an accompanying essay that builds an American cultural myth from the philosophies of the transcendentalist and New Negro movements.