In this episode of Firelight Chats, Ivan Yanakov struck his way to the Spacelab to chat with Kane & Mocha about piano, music, freedom, and life. From his childhood in communist Bulgaria, Ivan takes the audience on a whirlwind tour through the French alps, over to the US, back across the pond to London, and all around Asia. He shares stories about pivotal skiing accidents, childhood letters to dictators, enormous protests, seeing the free world for the first time, learning English, great professors, immersing in cultures, 2-year trips to the other side, forgetting clothing, dragon's lair studios, whiskey libraries, evolving as a conductor, leading a chamber orchestra, memorable performances, great venues, and putting together an ensemble of 2 classical and 2 jazz pianists.

Ivan also shares stories and his thoughts about a wide variety of topics, including his connection to Bach, his appreciation of Liszt, the difficulty of Rachmaninoff, the balance of art and craft, the creative process, government censorship and VPNs, the importance of freedom & fast internet connections, golden ages, the classical music scene in Taiwan, and the karaoke uncles that stand in the way of progress.

Ivan Yanakov is an award-winning Bulgarian-born pianist and conductor. He is a graduate of Mannes College of Music in NYC and has performed at some of the most prestigious concert halls around the world, across four continents. Ivan currently resides in Taipei on a Gold Card visa.