I have tried searching google, but there seems no hard numbers published anywhere about the typical engagement fees, number of engagements per year, and net percentage of income after deducting taxes, management fees etc, for a typical concert pianist career, let's say, 5 years after graduation from conservatory.
I often read that superstars like Lang Lang make $50,000 or more per engagement, but clearly this hardly applies to the majority of performers.
Please, no hyperbole or guesses, hard numbers based on personal experience/inside knowledge would be greatly appreciated, thanks! :) Thanks for the interesting responses so far.
The picture gets a bit clearer to me now; for many classical pianists including successful ones, teaching and other activities are still where the money is; it is difficult for most graduates to survive from performances income alone; winning a big competition may give a chance to break an artist, but there is no guarantee; and luck plays significant role in this career.
Chinese Cowboy - thank you for your input. Would it be fair to say that fees for a moderately in demand pianist range between, say, $1000 - $10000 per concert? Then, after agent fees and taxes, the pianist will net about half of that, from which he/she must also deduct transport, food and lodging costs related to this date? The financial reality is that there is not a lot of money for pianist unless you have a significant career. Even a doctoral degree doesn't guarantee financial reward nor a job. There are many DMA graduates who have no jobs! The University jobs are far and few. The job hunt is competitive.
with music it is hit and miss. Upon graduation there is no guarantee you will get a playing gig, a teaching gig or get signed to an Artist Mangement Agency. Most people who graduate don't get signed. The reason is they simply aren't good enough. A Masters Degree won't get you signed, nor will a Doctorate. Only your playing will and you have to be very polished and superb in your playing to get signed. Winning competitions doesn't guarantee anything either! Some winners get signed, most don't.
Lang Lang, Kissin, Martha Argerich, Perahia, Richard Goode - those are the exceptions... unless you play at their level you won't be able to make a significant fee for an engagement. Most place won't pay to have you there because you are a nobody. No one has heard of you and many of your colleagues.
You want hard numbers? My agent charges me 20% of my concert fee. You will be taxed federally and state but your state tax will be affected by which state you perform in. So if you do 10 concerts in 10 different states, then you have to fill out 10 state returns for the corresponding states. Each state deducts differently and the IRS deductions are based on your overall income.
Chances of you making a career and a financial living off of performance are slim to none. I'm being honest! I have many colleagues who were much more talented than I, won more competitions yet barely survive. They are world class talents but they do not get paid like world class talents. I on the other hand lucked out. I was very fortunate to sign with an agent, to get a full time teaching job after graduation and a second job with the Royal Conservatory of Music. Between my performances (around 50 a year), my teaching, judging festivals and my work with RCM, I am able to enjoy what I have. But... I am lucky.. I know that, and I admit that all the time. For everyone that is has my luck, there are at least a thousand who have the worst luck.
Unless you are a polished performer with a big repertoire list, significant performing experience (and I don't mean a recital you held at a church on your own - must be established recital series), an excellent press package, recognition (in print - newspapers, concert reviews, awards) and a lot of luck, you will find it very depressing and difficult. Very few make Lang Lang money...
There is a greater chance that you will spend your time accompanying instrumentalists, choirs, ballets and working a church gig then having steady performances that can support you. The reality is that there are very few opportunities for performance, but there are more opportunities for accompanying.
Every pianist has their own fee. However their fee is not public knowledge. Its speculated that Lang Lang makes $50 000 but I highly doubt it. $50 000 is one of the highest a soloist can make and I know that Lang Lang is not the highest paid pianist out there.
Teaching is where the money is but just because you have a degree doesn't mean you can teach. Teaching is a science and I recommend if you want to teach to learn how to teach with an experienced teacher, take piano pedagogy classes, music education classes and work directly under another teacher so they can mentor and coach you. There are lots of teachers out their with a MM or DMA who have no clue how to teach! They are amazing musicians but they can't teach. It takes a very special person to become a very good teacher.
Edit:
Winning a competition doesn't guarantee you anything either. Winning Van Cliburn means nothing... without looking it up on the internet, name the last 5 Cliburn winners. In fact name the last 5 winners for each of these major competitions - Queen Elisabeth, Esther Honens, Rubinstein, and Leeds.
Lang Lang, Yundi Li, Murray Perahia, Richard Goode, Horowitz, Rosalyn Tureck, Leif Oves Andes, Garrick Ohlsson Alfred Brendl, Kissin, Volodos, Jon Kimura Parker are some of the world's top pianists... they never won competitions.
Here are some competition winners - ever heard of them?
Sun Wook Kim - Leeds 2006
Alexander Gavyrlyuk - Rubenstien 2005
Xiang Zhou - Esther Honens 2003
There are many competitions, and many winners. They are all are given 2 to 3 year engagement deals. Do you know why its only 3 years? because after 3 years, there will be another winner from a competition who gets the 3 year deal! In with the new, out with the old....
So competitions doesn't means big salaries.... The biggest name to win a major competition in the past 5 or 6 years is Kiril Gerstein who won the Rubenstein in 2001... he has a successful career but like I said earlier, he is one of a few who has the talent, the work ethic and the luck. Sorry to not give you the answer you're looking for, but I think this is as difficult as finding out what rock stars make.
It clearly depends on how well known they are. It differs with each individual, so I doubt there's an average. I am not a concert pianist but I have a friend who is a very successful concert pianist who won the gold medal at the Van Cliburn competition in the mid 1990s. He is traveling all over performing with the biggest named orchestras as a featured soloist. He has recorded several albums and is doing extremely well. Would he be doing this if he had not won the Van Cliburn? He would probably be the first to say no. SO my advice- prepare for the big competitions, get your name out there. Talk to several professionals to try to get an average of how much to pay an agent and how much you should ask to be paid and then hire an agent to do all the dirty work for you. If you are serious about it, you can do it. People travel the world performing. You may not be top bill for a concert season but if you keep doing it, you can become one of those who are confident in asking for $50,000 or more per engagement. But the key is to get your name out there. The reason that these pianists can ask for so much is because they know that their presence will bring in the audience which translates into profits. Of course, you would not charge so much for the smaller town orchestras (which is how my met my concert pianist friend) but you would have to develop a scale. Ask around- if people are nervous about sharing their contractual agreement info for educational purposes, keep asking till you find someone who will be ok with it. But aside from the numbers, be sure you live with the piano 24/7 in order to be as successful as you picture. No one wants to be charged anything from someone who cannot play. So win some competitions- aim for the Van Cliburn if at all possible. They have a website- and good luck.
EDIT: Wow! Someone's a little bitter! I am sorry you (Chinese Cowboy) believe that competitions are not the way to go but tell that to my friend who has been a featured soloist with New York Phil, London Phil, Chicago Symphony, just to name a few AND he won the competition when- oh yes, over 10 years ago. He has several cds out that are past his deal with Van Cliburn so unless you are able to speak for every single person, please do not exclude an opportunity that could change your life like it did his. If you take into account that competitions prepare you for dealing with the added pressure of performing as a soloist, then if anything you can consider the auditions as dress rehearsals for your future big gigs. One other thing, as a featured soloist, you will receive pay for the performance (as I said, consider the hall and creating a scale for services- 500 seat house will pull in X amount of dollars with tickets that cost Y amount of dollars, etc.) and you should not have to cover your travel, food or lodging. That should be part of the contracted agreement. Some orchestras will have a wealthy donor who is willing to put the soloist up for the week or weekend which gives the musician social interaction which makes for great stories and networking for future engagements. So if that comes into play, again do not count it out. The idea is to create a good reputation for yourself in order to be asked to return. Also, you do not have to win any competitions to be great but if you are not one of these prodigal geniuses and you are looking for your break into the industry, the more competitions you take on, the more chances you could win and get that lowly contract for 2-3 years. That is your opportunity to make a name for yourself because in the music business- no one is going to do it for you. Good luck! i think it's impossible to find a hard number for typical concert pianist because 1. their fees vary so much, and 2. they all do some 'other' stuff as well, like teaching, chamber music, collaborate works etc.
as a young professional classical musician, me and all my friends (we are serious bunch of kids who really wants to make living with classical music), we take all jobs possible.
judging kids competition, teaching privately/at an institution, pursuing higher degree education (often for funding, not the education itself- i know this is bad), gigging (wedding, subbing, busking, lounge, funeral, private recitals, concert contracts)
i think there's may be 5 pianists in the world who only 'play,' even then, most of their incomes are generated through teaching/residency contracts and recordings and such.
(ie. zimmermann commends awe and respect. but since he tours not so often, i bet his recordings make more money than touring any given day)
i make about 30k/year, but since i will be finishing a doctoral degree, i could expect to make more IF i take a faculty position, which i dont want to, meaning i will prob end up freelancing most of the time as piano monkey for next coupla years. at least most of them pays for travel to europe... -_-'' |
