Julie Coucheron is a classical pianist who has performed with orchestras and at festivals in the United States and Europe. Born in Norway, she often collaborates with her brother, David Coucheron, concertmaster with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. She performs frequently in Atlanta and is artistic director of the Georgian Chamber Player, as well as artistic director of the Fjord Cadenza Festival and Kon Tiki Chamber Music Festival, both in Norway. She has performed with Sir Elton John and the Steve Miller Band and is an assistant professor of music at Kennesaw State University.
As part of an effort to help readers get to know members of Atlanta’s arts community better, we asked Julie Coucheron to share 11 things on her mind. Here, in no particular order, are her 11 good things:
1. Love. The ability to love and feel loved is one of the greatest gifts we have.
2. Kindness. Always choose kindness. You’ll never realize how much a smile or a helping hand will mean to someone. Kindness is free to give but priceless to receive.
3. Discipline. When I was a child, my mom always used to say discipline gives freedom. While I didn’t always love that as a kid, I am so grateful for it now and see so much value in it.
4. My family and friends and their unconditional presence in my life.
5. Coffee. Is it weird that I go to bed excited about the fact that I’ll wake up and have coffee the next morning?
6. Puppies. All puppies are good puppies.
7. Health. Feeling energized and happy and being able to live life to the fullest.
8. Surfing and my surfboard. I took up wake surfing five years ago and have become low-key obsessed with it ever since. I can do a few tricks now, and, the more I learn, the greedier I get with perfecting it all.
9. Hiking. Being out in nature, smelling the crisp air and feeling one with nature gives me so much peace and good energy.
10. Music. I love how diverse music is and how we can all connect through the power of music and the feelings and emotions it inspires.
11. My two pianos. One was a gift from my granddad when I was 11, and the other was one I bought after I started college in London. They both mean so much to me. I love how predictable it is when I sit down to practice; the more work I put into it, the more confident I get, and, with that, I can give more to my audience — which is a good thing!
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ArtsATL (artsatl.org) is a nonprofit organization that plays a critical role in educating and informing audiences about metro Atlanta’s arts and culture. ArtsATL, founded in 2009, helps build a sustainable arts community contributing to the economic and cultural health of the city.
If you have any questions about this partnership or others, please contact Senior Manager of Partnerships Nicole Williams at nicole.williams@ajc.com.
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