Paul Cornish found a passion for the piano at a young age, honing his skills at the prestigious High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston. He went on to receive a full fellowship to attend the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz at UCLA, and perform with highly regarded artists such as Bob Hurst, Billy Childs, and Herbie Hancock himself. Now, Cornish returns to Houston on Jan. 26 to perform alongside acclaimed saxophonist Joshua Redman for a concert at the Wortham Theater.
How did you first fall in love with piano?
“My mom made me take piano lessons, even though I really just wanted to play the drums. In middle school, there was a jazz band but there were too many drummers, so they put me on piano. Over time, I just grew to realize that the piano, you pretty much have a whole orchestra available to you. I feel like I can almost be anything I wanted to be from the piano. I felt like I could create my own world through the piano. Once, I realized that I was in love with it.”
What skills did you learn at HSVPA that you still use in your career?
“Just being in that environment made me believe that I even could do this. That it was okay to have creative interests and that other people were also serious about expressing themselves through their mediums, and that there was a path. Also, just the importance of being thorough with my work. The teachers were very serious in that way about putting your time in and making sure you're improving.”
What can attendees look forward to hearing at your upcoming concert?
“I just feel deeply grateful to be performing at the Wortham, specifically with Mr. Redman. I used to go to the Wortham in high school to see some of my favorite jazz artists, so it feels full circle to be there. Mr. Redman is an incredible leader and incredible performer, as you’ll hear. This set of music, which is just songs about different places in the United States; I feel like the way it tells a story about our country and our humanity, I really enjoy it. It’s really pushed me as a musician.”
As you can see, Houston is full of talent. What other big time musicians and actors are from here?
