Well-Tempered Bernadette: A Piano’s Tale of 5 Cities

In a series of 5 mini-breaks over the course of this past summer, Bernadette (my piano) and I reconnected with some of the musicians that Bernadette met in each of the cities that she has lived in, and learned what it is like moving and traveling to new cities, how to navigate culture shock, and why building new communities around ourselves is so important, especially in the field of music.

Each episode was introduced by a live performance on my Facebook page (Valerie Dueck Piano) where Bernadette and I played a piece that reflected the music of the city or country being featured on that day’s episode.

• Introduction: Changes, Alexina Louie (Canadian Composer)

• Episode 1: Vienna. Impromptu opus 90, number 3, Franz Schubert

• Episode 2: Astana. Adam Csenki performs live for us on the dombra!

• Episode 3: Ottawa. Maps of Europe, Christine Donkin (Canadian Composer)

• Episode 4: Oslo. Homesickness, Edvard Grieg

• Episode 5: Geneva. Epilogue, Ernest Bloch

Stay Tuned… Stay Well-Tempered… Your first class ticket to culture is on its way.

Well-Tempered Bernadette: a Piano’s Tale of 5 Cities Episode 1: VIENNA

Julie Nesrallah, mezzo-soprano, and host of CBC Radio’s Tempo; 4 July 2020

Bernadette’s very first guest, the magnificent Julie Nesrallah, mezzo soprano and host of CBC Radio’s Tempo talks about the first time she met Bernadette, what brought her to Vienna, and the what it’s been like for her to maintain her role as an opera singer while redirecting her career skills into a new direction.

Well-Tempered Bernadette: a Piano’s Tale of 5 Cities Episode 2: NUR-SULTAN (Astana)

Phoebe Csenki, singer and pianist; Adam Csenki, violist and pianist, 11 July 2020

In this episode, we will hear Bernadette’s torrid tale of getting lost at sea for 6 months, Adam’s own adventure getting to Almaty, and what it was like for Phoebe and Adam to build new communities and social circles in an isolated location. We also get to enjoy a live performance by Adam on the dombra, a traditional two-stringed Kazakh folk instrument.

Well-Tempered Bernadette: a Piano’s Tale of 5 Cities Episode 3: OTTAWA

Joyce El-Khoury, soprano and world traveler, 25 July 2020

In this episode, we talk about Bernadette’s hometown of Ottawa, which city Joyce calls home, the first time Joyce met Bernadette and what it is like being an opera singer who travels all around the world to perform.

Well-Tempered Bernadette: a Piano’s Tale of 5 Cities Episode 4: OSLO

Paule Préfontaine and David Stewart, violins, 8 August 2020

In this episode, we head to Oslo where Bernadette had a short layover for a few months.  Until very recently, our guests, Paule Préfontaine and David Stewart, violinists, were living in Bergen in Norway. We get caught up with them in their latest home in Canada, and talking about the importance of support when integrating into a new culture.

Well-Tempered Bernadette: a Piano’s Tale of 5 Cities Episode 5: GENEVA

Thorwald Jørgensen, theremin, 15 August 2020

In the last episode of this series, Bernadette and I talk about transformations with the spellbinding thereminist, Thorwald Jørgensen and what is the most valuable lesson Thorwald has learned while traveling the world to perform.

Digital Advisor for the Series - Ivan Plazačić

Bernadette and I acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts for Episodes 2-5 of the series.

Recordings from Live Performances:

Compassionate Revolution podcast

Where I explore, together with host Alaina Viau, What does Canadian culture look like in the global arts scene?

Episode 9

Mindfulness of Singing Podcast with special guest Valerie Dueck

1 March, 2021

We talked about the strategies I’ve developed in order to maintain my career as a musician while moving around the globe, and how I help musicians who are relocating, or redirecting their skills in their own homes, to do the same through my program The Musician’s Compass. I jump in to the podcast at 17:35.

Surviving Classical Music: Episode 68 - Valerie Dueck

20 October 2020

I was honoured to speak with Andrew Burn from the podcast Surviving Classical Music about maintaining my career while moving around the world, what it’s like moving my piano Bernadette all around the globe, and how pandemic life has transformed the way I teach and coach. You can listen to that podcast here:

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