Esther, Nohô Host in Toulouse: The Piano as a Calling

Some passions feel like second nature. They aren’t really a choice they take hold from childhood and never let go. For Esther, the piano is one of those passions. After 12 years of practice, international competitions, and conservatory training, this economics student based near Toulouse has never stopped playing. On Nohô, she opens the door to her musical world and offers to share it with those who want to learn, improve, or simply understand what lies behind a sheet of music.

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Esther, I’m an economics student, and I’ve been playing the piano for 12 years. I’ve been passionate about music since I was very young, which is why Nohô has also allowed me to grow a little bit. I’m passionate about other things too, like economics since that’s what I’m studying and also running.

And after you finish your studies, what’s your goal?

After I finish my studies well, that’s why I’m studying in the first place I want to become a professor and researcher in economics. But my primary goal has always been to become a concert pianist. That’s it.

Do you perform in concerts regularly?

I’ve been enrolled at the conservatory since 2018 and have been playing the piano for 12 years, so I’ve had the opportunity to perform in quite a few concerts. I also competed in a contest when I was five and a half in Toulouse, and in Paris too because I had qualified for the international finals. I’ve been able to perform in many concerts as part of my studies at the conservatory.

How did you start playing the piano?

I started with early music education. At first, it wasn’t planned at all that I would play the piano. I started piano very soon after beginning early music education because my teacher saw that I was interested: I’d watch it every time, I was really intrigued. So she suggested I start piano at a very young age. I first started at small music schools until I was nine and a half, then I enrolled at the conservatory where I earned my AEM (Certificate of Musical Studies), my BEM (Diploma of Musical Studies) with honors, and my CEM (Certificate of Musical Studies) with high honors. Now I’m still continuing at the conservatory: I’m in the DEM program, the Diploma of Musical Studies, which is the final degree to earn. I’m still taking lessons, but I also offer to teach because I think I have quite a bit to teach people who are just starting out.

Do you practice regularly?

I practice day and night; I work really hard. But other than that, I only have one hour of lessons a week at the conservatory.

What do you offer on Nohô?

I offer lessons for beginners, which are mostly theoretical, but also performance lessons. That is to say, I offer lessons for beginners as well as for those who are a bit more advanced: whether in technique, music theory, or performance. For example, working on a piece by exploring the composer’s history, the era, what happened, and why we would interpret it this way and not another. That’s basically what I offer; it’s what I’d like to teach people.

A Passion Passed Down

On Nohô, certain encounters remind us that the greatest passions are built patiently, note by note, starting in childhood. Esther is proof of this: 12 years of practice, international competitions, a conservatory, and still that same desire to share what music has given her. Whether you’re a beginner or a curious music lover, spending an hour with her near Toulouse means stepping into the world of a pianist who lives her art full-time.