Emotion, Spontaneity Create Beautiful Music
For Sorin Zlat, every performance begins with a story.
The Romanian pianist, composer and educator may be known for his dazzling technique and genre-defying compositions, but when he talks about music he rarely talks about notes, scales or virtuosity. Instead, he talks about emotions, memories, and the invisible ties that connect performer and listener.
“For me, music isn’t really about one style. It’s about emotion and storytelling,” he says. “I feel like I’m like a storyteller. When I start playing, I want to tell stories to the audience.”
It is a philosophy that shapes an extraordinary musical journey, starting in a family where music is a way of life rather than a profession.
“I grew up in a musical family,” says Zlat. “My father is a musician. He is a saxophonist and clarinetist. My mother was a pianist. My grandfathers are also. We are a big family of musicians.”
Music has surrounded him since his childhood. But the instrument that would ultimately define him was not his first love. He started with the violin, an instrument he still admires for its expressive possibilities.
“It’s a very beautiful instrument, but I felt it wasn’t for me,” he says.
Drawn into his father’s world, he switched to clarinet and received formal classical training throughout high school and college. But somewhere along the way, another instrument quietly changed his life.
“I remember that I started playing the piano in the third or fourth year of my university education. From that day on, I fell in love with this instrument. It was a completely different universe for me.”
The piano offered freedom. Unlike the clarinet, it allowed him to think beyond melody and enter the worlds of harmony, orchestration and composition.
“It opened my mind to arranging music, orchestrating music, and doing more than just playing tunes.”
This exploration would eventually take him from Romania to the Royal College of Music in London, where he studied film music and screenplay composition. Today, his work often lies at the intersection of jazz and cinema, combining improvisation with wide-ranging cinematic textures.
When asked how he moves so effortlessly between jazz, flamenco, gospel, funk and avant-garde influences, Zlat completely shrugs off the idea of boundaries.
“I never try to mix these genres intellectually. It happens spontaneously and comes from the soul. I try to put honest musical conversation into the moment.”
According to him, genres are different dialects of the same language.
“What ties them together is rhythm, tension, rhythm, harmony and all of that.”
The comparison he returns to again and again is cinema.
“It’s just like when you watch a movie and hear the music. All these styles of music come from deep human emotions.”
He believes jazz provides the freedom to allow these influences to coexist naturally.
“Sometimes a gospel harmony can meet with a cinematic atmosphere, or a funk rhythm can suddenly turn into an avant-garde improvisation.”
But this freedom comes with responsibility.
“I think both freedom and responsibility are inseparable in improvisation.”
Improvisation is often romanticized as complete artistic freedom, but Zlat sees it differently.
“Freedom is the possibility of creating something unique that will never happen again. That’s the beauty of jazz.”
But every performance carries an obligation.
“There is a responsibility to listen deeply, to respect the musicians around you, to respect the audience.”
His respect for the audience is almost old-fashioned in its sincerity. He believes musicians owe it to listeners to be fully present, regardless of what’s going on in their personal lives.
“If you’re feeling very sad and maybe something bad has happened to you and you have a concert that day, you have to somehow leave that bad feeling at home and connect with the audience because they paid to see you. You have a responsibility to them.”
This sense of commitment has been reinforced throughout a career that has taken him to some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including Birdland, Blue Note and Montreux.
But one memory stands above the rest.
“A very special moment for me was performing at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival after winning the Great American Jazz Piano Competition.”
It was history of success. Zlat became the first non-American musician to win the contest’s grand prize.
“After receiving the award, I had the honor of performing at the festival as the opening act of Chick Corea, one of the musicians who has deeply influenced me since my childhood.”
For Zlat, it was a moment when dreams and reality briefly merged.
“It felt like a bridge between my musical dreams and reality.”
But some of his most precious memories came from conversations with strangers after concerts.
“I remember concerts where people would come up to me after the show, almost in tears, because the music reminded them of something personal in their life.”
These encounters continue to reaffirm his belief that music transcends geography, language, and culture.
“I was deeply moved to see audiences in places like Azerbaijan, London, Romania and the United States react emotionally in similar ways.”
Then he smiles.
“Music is a universal language and connects people everywhere.”
Perhaps the most revealing part of Zlat’s artistic philosophy comes when he is asked what excites him more today: technical perfection or emotional unpredictability.
The answer comes immediately.
“Definitely emotional unpredictability.”
Technique is important, he says, but only because it allows musicians to express themselves more freely.
“Technical excellence is important because it gives you freedom on the instrument, but technical excellence alone does not create magic.”
According to him, what creates magic are the moments that no one can predict.
“So emotions and spontaneity create that magical spark.”
He pauses before elaborating.
“Some of the most beautiful moments in music occur when something unexpected happens, a fragile moment or a risk is taken.”
For Zlat, risk is not something to be avoided. This is necessary for true artistic expression.
“Maybe I’ll play something I’ve never played before and maybe I’ll make a mistake.”
Rather than fearing these mistakes, he embraces them.
“But that’s the magic of humanity.”
This statement reveals a profound truth about his approach to jazz. In an age where perfection is often celebrated, Zlat remains fascinated by vulnerability.
Quoting one of his musical heroes, he adds: “Music is full of mistakes because we are human. But if that mistake is very sincere and comes from there, it is perfect.”
This is perhaps the clearest explanation for why audiences connect so deeply with their performances. They don’t witness perfection. They bear witness to reality.
This openness extends to collaboration. Zlat manages to bring together musicians from different generations, backgrounds and musical traditions.
“Different generations bring different energies, experiences and perspectives on music.”
Rather than fixing these differences, he actively seeks them out.
“The most beautiful moments often occur when disparate musical worlds suddenly organically connect.”
These encounters, he says, create something impossible to produce.
“These fusions create magic.”
That’s why he’s particularly excited about his upcoming visit to India. While he comes as a teacher, he also sees himself as a student.
“When I come to Mumbai to listen to Indian musicians, I get very excited because I want to take this culture and incorporate it into my music.”
India’s rich musical traditions have long fascinated him.
“India has beautiful music, beautiful people. I’m very excited to bring a part of India here.”
Zlat plans to discuss much more than improvisation and performance in the NCPA masterclass. He wants to help young musicians discover the realities of professional life.
“It’s not just about jazz. It’s about how to be a band leader.”
He plans to speak on leadership, communication, organization and self-management topics that are often overlooked in conservatories.
“There are very talented musicians, but unfortunately they don’t have the chance to play on big stages because they don’t quite know how to conduct themselves.”
He also wants young artists to understand the importance of building relationships.
“This isn’t about winning the competition. It’s about connections.”
For Zlat, networking is not a corporate term. It is an important part of artistic development.
“Of course you will connect with a manager, a festival director or another artist.”
Equally important is developing an artistic voice.
“As a musician, it is very important to have your own compositions because it gives you an identity and you become unique.”
Without this individuality, he warns, musicians are in danger of fading into the background.
“If you play someone else’s music, it’s like you’re a shadow musician.”
As jazz continues to evolve in the 21st century, drawing influences from electronic music, hip-hop, classical traditions, and countless other genres, Zlat remains optimistic.
“The spirit of jazz has never been to maintain a constant sound.”
He believes the essence of the genre lies elsewhere.
“The spirit of jazz is freedom, individuality, risk, communication and transformation.”
This spirit has survived every musical revolution and will continue to survive future revolutions.
“As long as the music remains honest and sincere, the spirit of jazz will be immortal.”
When you listen to Sorin Zlat, you get the sense that he sees music not as an accomplishment but as an ongoing conversation. A fragile, unpredictable, deeply human conversation where mistakes are welcomed, risks are celebrated, and stories are shared between strangers.
Maybe that’s why jazz continues to resonate after all these years. Not because it’s perfect, but because, as Zlat reminds us, the best moments often come when we least expect it.
