No ego, no hierarchy, no boss: How to survive touring the world with your brother

Dutch pianists Lucas Jussen, 33, and his brother, Arthur, 29, have been performing together since they were kids. Now regulars in the world’s top concert halls, they still share a room, and plates of food, on tour.

ARTHUR: Lucas is three-and-a-half years older than me, and when I came home from hospital, the first thing he did was hug and kiss me. That says something about the bond that was to develop; he accepted me straight away.

He’s very easygoing and social, and I always played with Lucas and his friends when we were little. We slept in the same room, even though we each had our own; we could talk more. We still share a room when we’re on the road. We joke that if you go out with either one of us, you get the other brother, too. Thankfully, we like each other’s wives. Lucas has been with Annelise since he was 14, so I know her very well. I met my wife, Brenda, more recently.

I’m a bit OCD. Lucas and Annelise bought an automatic vacuum cleaner and named it Arthur, so you can see how they mock me for that. I’m probably a bit square while Lucas is more spontaneous. If there was an important test, I’d start preparing a week before, whereas he’d do it all the day before. We’d end up in the same place, just via different methods.

We really understand each other. One time, we were playing in Hamburg and, for some reason, I felt very nervous before going on stage. Lucas sensed this. Ten seconds before we went out, he said to me, “Look where we are; it’s amazing. Let’s enjoy it.” I instantly relaxed and we had a fantastic concert.

Lucas had an especially busy year last year. He was moving house as well as performing a lot. I felt he was a little on edge, so I took on a lot of the admin that we usually share. I didn’t mind because I like to be organised and I knew it would just take something off his shoulders. We didn’t have to discuss it. We’re a very good team. If Lucas makes a joke on stage, I’m usually the first and loudest to laugh.

What I find frustrating about him is also what I love. Lucas will give the receptionist or cleaning maid as much time as the boss; actually, he probably gives more to the maid. I really admire it but, sometimes, if you’re running late and he’s chatting for 10 minutes, you think, “ C’mon! ” But that’s just him; he’s very outgoing.

We rehearse separately 90 per cent of the time and come together for the last 10 per cent. There’s no hierarchy when we play: it’s very important that there’s not one boss, there must be a complete lack of ego in that way. Every millisecond, I’m listening to what Lucas is doing and he’s doing the same, so who is leading can change within that millisecond.

When we’re sitting together [playing the same piano], I know when he wants to use one of the pedals, because I feel his leg gently touch mine. I know then to move mine away. That’s the easy thing about being brothers: you don’t have to bother saying, “When I touch your leg, it doesn’t mean I hate you.”

We both like to work out and keep healthy and pretty much eat the same food; it’s not like one of us wants Chinese and the other Italian. We often get two plates of food, say a pasta and a salad, and share them.