Pianist Elenora Pertz, BMus'15, has chased her musical dreams across continents, from the grand halls of Vienna to Berlin-and this past summer to Florence, Italy. As a collaborative pianist for some of the world's most prestigious opera houses, an innovative teacher and an entrepreneur, she has come to understand that defining success is an experience as personal and layered as the finest classical sonata.
"There are no mistakes in life, and nothing is an absolute failure. Everything is just pointing you to the path you were supposed to be on," Pertz says.
Early in her career, Pertz saw many women studying collaborative piano, but almost none were having the career success of their male colleagues. In 2021 she launched a nonprofit for female collaborative pianists called Lied the Way (lied is German for art song), which helps women balance their mental and emotional well-being, artistic craft and professional career-and now includes singers as well.
"Often there's this idea that if you go into the practice room eight hours a day, you'll have a career, which is just not true," she says. "We teach business skills with a support network so we, as women, can create new models for career and personal success instead of trying to fulfill the models given to us, which do not necessarily align with our lifestyles or values."
CYCLE COACHING FOR MUSICIANS
Pertz is also certified in the field of cycle coaching, which is already well regarded among female athletes. She is enthusiastic about expanding this work to the classical music world, particularly with female singers, whose bodies are their instruments.
"It's a new field of coaching that helps women work with their biological cycle instead of ignoring it, such as your monthly cycle or the cycle of being a mother, or moving toward menopause," she says. "I find it to be a really crucial part of my work, and at workshops many women leave saying, 'How did I not know this information earlier in my life and career?!'"
Pertz recently produced her first solo album, TERRA, recorded in the Dolomite Mountains of Italy as an homage to her Italian ancestors. She performs at festivals and venues like Wigmore Hall, Salzburg Festival and Musée d'Orsay, with singers like Valerie Eickhoff and conductors like Esa-Pekka Salonen.
"My dream is to continue unfolding my path as a pianist, educator, woman and leader and to inspire other women to do the same," she says.
COMMODORE COLLABORATIONS
Many Blair alumni are thriving in the European musical scene, including Lauren Urquhart, BMus'19, and Steven Fiske, BMus'19, both singing with Volksoper Wien in Vienna; Chet Humphries, BMus'20, a musicologist and data scientist at the University of Vienna; and Eliza Wong, BMus'19, a violinist in the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich.
"My violin professor, Carolyn Huebl, has had the greatest impact on my success and career thus far," Wong says. "She was and is an unending source of knowledge, inspiration and support. She understood me completely and knew exactly how to teach me and had an unwavering belief in me that allowed me to also believe in myself."
Selina Magid Fischer, BMus'16, is a producer with the Danish Chamber Orchestra, Danmarks Underholdningsorkester, in charge of youth education programming.
"My time at Vanderbilt was foundational in shaping both my artistic identity and my interest in how music can serve communities beyond the concert hall," Fischer says. "I'm especially grateful to my bassoon professor, Peter Kolkay, whose encouragement helped me grow tremendously as a musician and gave me the confidence to pursue a career that blends performance with leadership in the arts."
By Amy Wolf
- Watch a video of Elenora Pertz as a Vanderbilt undergraduate, talking about her dreams for the future
- Learn more about the Vanderbilt Blair School of Music
