Concert pianist Fiachra Garvey is a member of the international jury for the 2026 Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year Competition. The finals take place on Saturday, October 10th.<\/p>\n
Are you a saver or a spender?<\/p>\n
I have fond memories of performing at a festival in Spoleto, Italy, in 2016 and spending the entire fee on a supermarket sweep-style shopping spree in an outlet mall outside Florence. Now, at the ripe old age of 39, I think I\u2019m a bit more responsible with the saving versus spending ratio.<\/p>\n
What was the first job you received money for, and how much were you paid?<\/p>\n
On the piano side, it was probably the Late Late<\/a> Toy Show in 2000, performing a waltz by Chopin. I was 13, and I was paid \u00a3100. <\/p>\n Do you shop around for better value?<\/p>\n I actually do. I recently switched my broadband and electricity provider. With the latter\u2019s very affordable night rate, I time all my household appliances to come on between midnight and 7:30am. Before people reading this think my neighbours must hate me, there is a silent setting on them.<\/p>\n What has been your most extravagant purchase, and how much did it cost?<\/p>\n Probably my little flat in London which I bought in 2023. I bought it for \u00a3189,000 and spent around \u00a345,000-\u00a350,000 renovating it. I\u2019m not sure it counts as extravagant when it\u2019s my only home, but it\u2019s certainly the biggest financial noose around my neck. Every month I enjoy that I own a little bit more of it and that I\u2019m no longer paying a landlord.<\/p>\n What purchase have you made that you consider the best value for money?<\/p>\n In 2007, at the age of 19, I bought my first and only car to date, a VW Polo. She was three years old at the time (a 2004 model) and is now 22 years old. She has been to every corner of Ireland, and from Cornwall to London to Edinburgh. As we say, she owes me nothing.<\/p>\n Is there anything you regret spending money on?<\/p>\n My flat is on the third and top floor of the building I live in. I jokingly call it \u2018the penthouse\u2019 as there\u2019s no one above me, other than the pigeon population of Chiswick. Despite my relatively long arms, I can\u2019t quite stretch around to wash the outside of the windows, so I bought what was advertised online as a magnetic window cleaning solution. It turns out the magnets don\u2019t work through double-glazed windows.<\/p>\n