The mayor, the artist

Editor's Note: This essay appeared in Cognoscenti's newsletter of ideas and opinions, delivered weekly on Sundays. To become a subscriber, sign up here.

Here are some things you may already know about Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

She's the first woman and person of color to be elected mayor of Boston. One of four siblings, she grew up in Chicago, the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants. She was a small business owner in her twenties: She opened a cafe to support her family after her mother fell ill (with what was eventually diagnosed as late-onset schizophrenia). She's a double Harvard graduate, college and law school. She's pregnant, due with her third child in mid-January.

And some things you may not know about the mayor.

When she meets people, she almost always takes their extended hand in both of hers. When she's not taking public transportation, she's driven to events by her security detail in a Ford Mustang Mach-E, which she likes to point out is fully electric. She has a sweet tooth, a soft spot for cookies, ice cream and chocolate. Wu laughs easily and describes herself as a "very introverted person." She has a vibe that telegraphs a serene focus and steady confidence. And she has a piano in her office at City Hall.

I think most people would tell you that Wu is an impressive person with a compelling personal story. But that last fact, about the piano, struck me as unusual. What big city mayor has a piano in her office?

Wu began studying the piano when she was 4 years old and, with the exception of a six-month hiatus when she was 6, it's been a lifelong pursuit. On Sept. 21, for the second time during her tenure as mayor, Wu performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. I got to go along for the ride; I talked to the mayor three times in one week, including immediately before and after she took the stage at Symphony Hall.

I'd seen clips of the mayor performing Mozart's Piano Concerto in C with the BSO in 2023. Watching her perform felt like a window into a more personal part of the mayor - she appeared different from the elected official we are so used to hearing about in the news, or seeing pop up at events all over the city. I was curious to understand how her long study of the piano informs her work as a public servant.

I want you to read the piece. Even better — I want you to listen to it, and watch it.

You'll learn how her personal relationship to the arts has, over time, become connected to her idea of governing. She explains how preparation — the sheer act of practicing — empowers her to be fully present, and improvise when a situation doesn't go as planned. You'll see how she battles her nerves, just like the rest of us, but ultimately pursues big, scary things (like performing George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" alongside world-class musicians, with scant time to prepare). It's a part of herself, and a message about the arts, she is determined to share.

Wu took a very public risk — she could have forgotten the music or played the wrong notes or been booed or who-knows-what — but she trusted herself and her ability to parry whatever came her way. I suspect she would say that comes from years and years of practice, and also a sense of ease and comfort in exactly who she is.

I think that's something worth thinking about.

Follow Cognoscenti on Facebook and Instagram .