The celebrated pianist on working into the wee small hours and his favourite kind of food
The best time to get up at the weekend is?
From Monday to Friday, with the exception of Wednesday when my lessons are online via Zoom, I get up at 5am, enjoy a hearty cooked breakfast prepared by my mother which sustains me through my day travelling to Dublin by bus, which used to leave from beside the Europa Hotel before the new development and now leaves from Belfast Grand Central Station.
I usually manage to cat nap for about two and a half hours until the bus arrives in Dublin. Once I arrive, I have a brisk, healthy 15 minute walk to my second home, the Royal Irish Academy of Music where I look forward to partaking in Chamber Music sessions with my delightful colleagues, enjoying the exploration of repertoire with my esteemed professor Ray Keary, and my other performance adjacent studies.
Having had a very busy week’s schedule, I enjoy a lie-in at the weekend to around 1pm, at which time I have a big brunch consisting of Iceland potato waffles, delicious Sunblest pancakes, large free range chicken eggs, often made into an omelette with cheese, chilli, basil and oregano, with streaky bacon and sourdough bread with my family.
What does an ideal Saturday look like?
My ideal Saturday is to firstly practise the Alexander Technique mindset as to ensure my comfort for the day. I have an intensive run on the treadmill and then arrange a rendezvous with my friends at the Goat’s Toe, where I will have my glass of orange juice. Then we go to the cinema to watch the latest movies. We enjoy critiquing the pros and cons of the movies as we are all big film buffs.
What would your perfect Sunday be like?
Sundays for me are always filled with the sound of music as I prepare the works for returning to the Academy the next week. My ideal Sunday would be knowing that Monday is a bank holiday!
Do you prefer to be indoors or outdoors?
Though the outside is often very beautiful, I do prefer the indoors, especially in summer when the wasps come hunting for me! I enjoy occasionally socialising with my friends online, including those who have travelled to far off lands for jobs and university. We enjoy chatting and playing games together.
How have weekends changed as you have got older?
At weekends I’ve always had to do a lot of practise and this has only become more intensive with my ever-expanding repertoire. Every now and then, we like to go to Greggs for a lavish meal with the family.
If you could eat out anywhere tonight in NI, where would you go and why?
Ruby’s Dundonald! The most delectable food I have eaten in Northern Ireland was in this wonderful little restaurant and I would love to go again and again, and again!
What would you have?
Ruby’s famous sticky chilli chicken with sesame seeds and a side of garlic chunky chips.
At weekends you’ll always make time to…
Practise! And to socialise with my friends — it’s always important to have friends, because all work and no play makes Rowel a dull boy!
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Do you sometimes work at weekends?
Occasionally I have musical engagements at the weekend, including competitions and concerts. For example, my weekend recently in Warsaw was wonderful! I had an amazing experience and the concert was fantastic, it was a special performance at the National Opera House in Warsaw presented to me by the Polish Jury Member as part of my prize for winning The Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year. A thousand thanks to all at the Irish Freemasons for facilitating the competition and the wonderful prizes that keep on giving.
Who would you most like to go for a drink with and why?
Chopin! I would love to meet the legend who made such a huge impact on the world of music and perhaps learn more about the stories he wished to tell through his compositions.
Are you a weekend cook? If so, what’s your speciality dish?
I do occasionally cook, albeit not always at the weekend. If I had to choose my speciality dish, it would be my world famous sesame chicken dish.
What’s your dream Sunday dinner?
A lovely three bird roast with more stuffing than can fit on the plate, with plenty of cranberry sauce, oodles of perfectly roasted potatoes in duck fat and full fat butter, roasted carrots and parsnips and a roast gravy, with a few bottles of Shloer.
Who do you normally eat Sunday dinner with and where?
I enjoy Sunday dinner at home with my parents.
Too tired to cook – what are you ordering from the takeaway?
My go-to from the Golden Rainbow Chinese is cashew nut chicken or chicken satay, egg fried rice and salt and chilli chips.
Heading for the cinema? What are you going to see?
I enjoy action, adventure, intrigue and mystery with hefty helpings of sci-fi. Some of my favourite directors are Spielberg, who directed many of my favourite movies such as Back to the Future and The Adventures of Tintin, James Cameron, Travis Knight, Guillermo Del Toro and Takashi Yamazaki to name a few.
Steven Spielberg is one of Rowel’s favourite directors. Photo Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Staying in… what TV/streaming/catch-up programmes are on the menu?
Snowpiercer, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, The Orville and Peaky Blinders to name a few.
What are you reading? What’s your favourite type of book?
Sheet music!
Bedtime is? What time?
2.30am. I finish practising late and I enjoy a nice cup of hot chocolate made with 100 per cent milk and real melted chocolate. Wow!
The Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year supports artists and musicians, giving a real boost to classical music in Ireland. Rowel won the 12th Annual Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year competition and this summer performed at the Music in Monkstown festival, and in July he performed with the National Symphony Orchestra in the National Concert Hall. Dubbed ‘The Wonder Pianist’, Rowel has been thrilling audiences since the age of five. The 2025 The Irish competition will take place before an international Jury in Freemasons’ Hall, 17 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 from October 9-11, 2025