Crafting stage charisma: Understanding and learning concert mastery for music performance

Abstract

Since Liszt revolutionised the role of the performer as focal point of the performance, expert performers have enchanted audiences with their stage magnetism. While audiences recognise stage charisma intuitively, the ineffable aspects of music performance can be challenging to describe in words. This thesis has three main aims. First, to discover how expert musicians approach performativity and concert stage preparation (Studies 2 and 3). Second, to translate experts’ insights on stagecraft into practical strategies for tertiary students, and trial these strategies in a series of experiential learning workshops (Studies 4 to 6). Finally, to address the implications of (1) and (2) for the training of classical performers within tertiary training institutions (Study 1). These aims were explored in six qualitative studies.

Study 1 provides an overview of the entire body of work, contextualised within piano pedagogy. Study 2 discovered that expert pianists crafted their performance as theatre to engage the audience’s attention. In Study 3, expert pianists revealed their key strategies for stage preparation, including performing mock concerts and adopting a stage persona. Studies 4, 5, and 6 translated these strategies into experiential learning workshops for music students. Study 4 focussed on stage entrance and stage demeanour. Study 5 investigated students’ ability to project performativity and develop a ‘Lisztian’ concert persona. Study 6 developed, trialled, and evaluated a ‘mock concert’, where early-career musicians roleplayed as critical audience members or performers. These experiential learning workshops successfully translated experts’ strategies for early-career performers.

The development, implementation and evaluation of experiential learning workshops proved essential to translating expert knowledge for early-career performers. Tertiary institutions should harness these findings in performance training.