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2024-03-18

Art as Music

In his composition for large orchestra and solo piano, "Of the Sound of Pictures ", Swiss composer, pianist, and painter Alfons Karl Zwicker drew inspiration from five modern artists: Bucholz, Klee, Kandinsky, Klein, and Fruhtrunk. Incorporating key works from each artist, Zwicker crafted a musical landscape reflective of their abstract paintings, all originating from the 20th century.
Read more at interlude.hk
2024-03-17

The Mystical Schumann

Pianist Burkard Schliessmann's 3-disc album takes a deep dive into the concept of phantasmagoria: a key aspect of Schumann's work that deals with the realms of fantasy and its connection to the real world. The pianist specifically highlights how this theme is mirrored in the notions of twilight.
Read more at gramophone.co.uk
2024-03-16

Four Hand Women Composers

At the upcoming concert titled "Celebrating Women in Music: Exploring Works for Piano Duet", pianists Gabriela Calderon Cornejo and Astrid Morales Torres perform a four hands recital. Their program showcases pieces by classical female composers from various continents, highlighting the talent and diversity of women in music.
Read more at almanacnews.com
2024-03-15

From Denver Home to Festival

In 2022, piano pedagogue Cheryl Reeder and another piano instructor began fundraising for a festival catering to young piano players aged 6 to 18: Adams County Music Festival.
Read more at cbsnews.com
2024-03-14

Five Saint-Saens Concertos

By 1904, concerto performances in Paris were often interrupted by shouts and whistles, as the genre, known for its emphasis on virtuosity, was seen as gaudy, shallow, and egotistical, according to pianist Marguerite Long's recollection.
Read more at classical-music.com
2024-03-13

The Unique Soviet Pianist

Samuil Feinberg, a relatively unknown international figure during his lifetime, was a groundbreaking pianist in Russia. He was the first to perform Bach's entire WTC in concert and often featured all 32 of Beethoven's piano sonatas in his programs. Feinberg also championed the work of modern Russian composers alongside the traditional classics.
Read more at gramophone.co.uk
2024-03-12

Beethoven's Eroica in Levit's Hands

Igor Levit made an intriguing Koerner Hall debut eschewing standard piano repertoire. While solo-piano symphony transcriptions may not have a future in the concert hall, his Eroica performance was enjoyable yet left the critic longing for the original.
Read more at ludwig-van.com
2024-03-11

Social Media Pianist Signed by Sony

Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino has been signed by Sony Classical. His debut album for the label, set to be released this autumn, will include works by Bach, Faure, Purcell, Sakamoto, and original compositions by Sumino. The artist is based in New York.
Read more at gramophone.co.uk
2024-03-10

Pianist Faliks in Conversation

On March 10, 2024, the Inscape Chamber Orchestra at the National Gallery of Art will feature pianist Inna Faliks as their soloist. Faliks will showcase Clara Schumann's Piano Concerto and perform the world premiere of "Lilith", a concerto specially written for her by Clarice Assad. This concert will honor International Women's Day on March 8.
Read more at weta.org
2024-03-09

The Yellow River Pianist

Pianist Yin Chengzong has lost count of how many times he has performed The Yellow River, the first Chinese piano concerto, which he co-arranged based on a cantata by Xian Xinghai. The piece has been a constant companion through the ups and downs of his life for the past fifty years.
Read more at chinadaily.com.cn
2024-03-08

Liszt's Take on Chopin

Liszt effortlessly created a series of six transcriptions from Chopin's Op. 74, despite struggling with his Chopin biography. He believed that purely musical images could convey poetic ideas to listeners without words, providing German titles for his transcriptions.
Read more at interlude.hk
2024-03-07

Yunchan Lim's Teacher Speaks

Pianist Minsoo Sohn emphasizes that there are numerous paths to becoming a musician. The most important factor, however, is the musician's intention. "In music, you have to be completely honest with your feelings and become the most independent version of yourself, with no fear to experiment and speak out if you believe in certain things."
Read more at scmp.com
2024-03-07

Celebrating Chopin's Birthday

On March 1st, in honor of Chopin's birthday, 21-year-old Canadian Eric Guo performed two concerts. The first was at Chopin's birthplace, where he played on a piano from Chopin's time. Later, he played a second performance in Warsaw using another piano that had belonged to Chopin.
Read more at yahoo.com
2024-03-06

Lang Lang Goes French

Lang Lang's latest album "Saint-Saens" features classical masterpieces and rare gems, released worldwide by DG. Collaborating on the album are Gina Alice, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and conductor Andris Nelsons.
Read more at cgtn.com
2024-03-05

Trend Breaking Piano Sales in China

Chinese households are now focusing on necessary expenses instead of luxury items like piano lessons. This change in consumer behavior is evident in the decline in piano sales, which can be attributed to the economic effects of the pandemic and financial regulations.
Read more at bnnbreaking.com
2024-03-04

Best Pieces for Prepared Piano

A prepared piano is a piano that has been altered temporarily by placing objects inside, between, or on the strings of the instrument. Hear pianist Hauschka's recommendations.
Read more at classical-music.com
2024-03-03

Pianists in Fashion

Lang Lang has a strong relationship with luxury conglomerate LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, which also owns Dior and various other brands in the fashion, beauty, watches, jewelry, and wines and spirits industries.
Read more at theviolinchannel.com
2024-03-02

Balazs, Rach 2 and Cziffra

Janos Balazs discusses his exploration of Rachmaninoff, Hungarian gypsy music, and a new piano concerto by Peter Eotvos that honors his piano idol, Gyorgy Cziffra.
Read more at gramophone.co.uk
2024-03-01

Both Pianist and Composer

Amy Williams, whether composing or playing piano, considers herself primarily a chamber musician. Born in 1969, now a professor at University of Pittsburgh, she has focused on small-group pieces, often featuring the piano.
Read more at google.com
2024-03-01

Chopin's 214th Birthday

Poland has initiated a week-long series of events to celebrate the 214th birthday of composer Fryderyk Chopin. Exact birth date is uncertain, so anniversary festivities last 8 days. The composer's birth certificate lists Feb 22, family records suggest March 1.
Read more at polskieradio.pl
2024-03-01

Pianist Geniushene in Hawaii

Before her upcoming performances in Hawaii March 3 and 5, Anna Geniushene stopped by the studio for an interview. She discussed her preparation for The Cliburn, the impact of Russian pianist Heinrich Neuhaus, and her latest album "Berceuse".
Read more at hawaiipublicradio.org
2024-02-29

Glass is Still On

Seven prominent musicians reflect on the enduring legacy of minimalist composer Philip Glass and why the composer has stood the test of time.
Read more at classical-music.com
2024-02-28

Zimerman on Szymanowski and More

In October of last year, Krystian Zimerman traveled to London to accept his seventh Gramophone Award for his most recent album on DG featuring music by Karol Szymanowski. Hear Gramophone's interview.
Read more at gramophone.co.uk
2024-02-27

Gugnin Top Scores

Pianist Andrey Gugnin has been crowned as the winner of Classic Piano International 2023. He also won the International German Piano Award and has received the 2020 Instrumental Award for his recording of Shostakovich: 24 Preludes - Piano Sonatas 1 & 2 from BBC Music Magazine.
Read more at euronews.com