Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Saar Ahuvia and Stephanie Ho. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Saar and Stephanie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Being a creative is about finding creative projects. For us, finding a great piece of music, collaborating with a composer or presenting a meaningful work or body of works is what inspires us!

Saar and Stephanie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

We are a classical piano duo specializing in the performance of music for piano four-hands and two pianos. Since meeting in graduate school we have performed throughout North America and Europe. Our albums have garnered many accolades nationally and internationally. Some of our tracks have made it onto the soundtracks of various feature films! As freelance musicians in New York City, we have a very varied and exciting life. We teach music in college and pre-college settings, tour and collaborate with other composers and performers. We also founded a music festival in Portland, OR called Makrokosmos Project which features American music and Pacific Northwest musicians. The festival will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this summer!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Unlike some other traditional professions, being a creative means you have to a people person. As artists we invest a tremendous amount of time, effort and resources in other people. These can be concert presenters, sponsors, colleagues, fans, collaborators, students and family. Taking the time to meet in person, have a meal, brainstorm projects, attend a colleagues performance etc. is absolutely crucial to a successful career as a creative. People need to KNOW YOU and SEE YOU in order to support you. They need to hear the passion in your voice about what you do. You have to be generous with others if you want them to be generous with you. See yourself as part of a community and not just as being alone against others, be a people person.  Also… wonder why we have so many friends who are so generous with us. We invest in these friendships!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

During the pandemic, all concerts were shut down. All teaching was online. The future for classical music and the performing arts looked bleak and uncertain and the situation in New York City was especially bad. We were depressed and scared by the death of friends. Despite all of that, we managed to complete our album “Cavatine” and release it during the heart of the pandemic. It was dedicated to those we lost at that time. We got a bit better at technology and made some home videos of our music that we put out for people to enjoy. Slowly, concert presenters started inviting us to play again. These were all live-streamed or recorded concerts with no audience. None of this could replace the joy of being on stage in front of a live audience but it showed our commitment to continuing our art and passion in tough times. We didn’t give up on our dreams. We just adjusted expectations and did the best we could.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.stephsaarduo.com
• Instagram: @stephsaarduo
• Facebook: DUO: Stephanie & Saar
• Twitter: @StephSaarDUO
• Youtube: @saarahuvia
• Other: www.makrokosmosproject.org

Image Credits
Photos by Masataka Suemitsu, Lincoln Center