I played in Australia for the first time last year. Originally, the trip back was just for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Metropolis Festival, but then Sydney Opera House heard I was going to be in the country and said why don’t you come up and play a recital? And then Piers Lane and I are always running into each other, so that’s how come I’ll be playing in Townsville this year. I guess things sort of snowballed from Brisbane Baroque. You might say the payment I never received for that Festival was made up for by all of these invitations!

Harpsichordist Mahan EsfahaniHarpsichordist Mahan Esfahani

At first, the Utzon Room asked if I could stick to stuff like Bach. I said no, I didn’t think I could, because I like to play modern music these days. They were very receptive, friendly and wonderful people, and so I get to play Saariaho and Reich and mix it up a little bit. OK, so I will be playing some of The Well-Tempered Clavier. I’m just starting to study Book II, which I aim to know in its entirety in...