News Flash

2024-08-26

French Piano Celebration in San Francisco

The San Francisco Piano Festival runs from Aug. 23, to Sept. 1 at various San Francisco venues, focusing on French music and Gabriel Faure's centenary. It features solo piano recitals, vocal performances, and chamber music by local and international artists.
Read more at sfcv.org

2024-08-26

Yuja Wang Plays Ravel's G-major Concerto

ARTE TV offers a performance with Yuja Wang playing Ravel's G-major Concerto with Klaus Mäkelä and Orchestre de Paris from last October.
Read more at arte.tv/

2024-08-25

The Girl Gershwin

After composing and performing in Kansas City during her youth, Dana Suesse moved to New York at 17 to reach a broader audience for her classical works. Struggling, she turned to writing popular songs for film and theater. These pop tunes became her most enduring works, performed by America's top stars like Doris Day, Peggy Lee, and Frank Sinatra.
Read more at kcur.org/

2024-08-24

Pianist Beisembayev in Interview

Kazakh pianist Alim Beisembayev, a 2021 Leeds Piano Competition winner at the young age of 23, has already established himself as a rising star. Here he describes the biggest challenges he faced in his professional journey so far.
Read more at crosseyedpianist.com

2024-08-23

The Multifaceted Stephen Hough

At 16, Hough won the piano final in the inaugural BBC Young Musician of the Year competition in 1978. In his early twenties he had already debuted at the BBC Proms and begun recording. His recorded Hummel piano concertos with the English Chamber Orchestra in 1987 marked the start of his recording career.
Read more at classical-music.com

2024-08-22

Piano in Shanghai

Over 800 amateur and professional pianists from 34 Chinese provinces converged in Shanghai for the 17th International Youth Piano Competition. Young pianist Huobin was among them, competing in the national finals from Saturday to Tuesday.
Read more at chinadaily.com.cn

2024-08-21

The Amazing Chamber Music Cabinet

M.S. Rau showcased a rare 19th-century Hupfeld Phonoliszt-Violina Model B Music Cabinet. This innovative marvel simultaneously plays three violins and a piano. Once a common sight in hotels and casinos, only 65 remain.
Read more at laughingsquid.com

2024-08-20

Sir Andras Schiff in Conversation

Tune in on WRTI for a live recording of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Renowned pianist Andras Schiff performs and conducts Haydn and Mozart concertos, sandwiching Schubert's 2nd Symphony.
Read more at wrti.org

2024-08-20

The AIR Piano Concerto

Ukrainian pianist Svetlana Andreeva, collaborated with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra on Christian Schittenhelm's piano concerto "AIR". Released on her new album, this recording follows her 2022 solo album, "Synesthesia", featuring Schittenhelm's works. Their partnership, initiated via email, continues to flourish.
Read more at interlude.hk

2024-08-18

Pianist Douglas Returns to Clandeboye

After a whirlwind 2023-2024 season touring Australia, Macedonia, the US, Japan, and beyond, pianist Barry Douglas has returned to his Lurgan home. The 64-year-old is "buoyed up" for the Clandeboye Festival, telling the News Letter he's fueled by an enduring passion for music.
Read more at newsletter.co.uk

2024-08-17

Five Great Transcriptions

Every transcription feels like a game, almost like solving a puzzle - will this work? Once you decide to transcribe, the freedom within the given frame is vast, bringing immense joy and playfulness to the process.
Read more at classical-music.com

2024-08-16

The Long Sonata Hesitance

Pianist Park Jae-hong views Rachmaninoff's first Piano Sonata as a significant work with a continuous, deep narrative, resembling a single extended piece. On his debut Decca album he sought to contrast it with something fragmented yet independently flowing, leading him to consider preludes.
Read more at asianews.network

2024-08-15

A Take on Grieg's Lyric Pieces

Grieg's Lyric Pieces, a collection of 66 miniatures, showcase his piano artistry. "An intimate slice of my life," Grieg called these works, composed between 1867 and 1901. A poetic piano diary, they invite us to explore these brilliant gems in greater detail
Read more at interlude.hk

2024-08-14

Isata Kanneh-Mason on the Sibling Trail

Isata, the eldest of seven classically trained English siblings, presents a recording dedicated to Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn. These prodigiously talented brother and sister composed exquisite music in early 19th century Germany. Beyond its luminous melodies, the recording reveals a tale of sibling rivalry.
Read more at npr.org

2024-08-13

Zijian Wei Wins Cleveland

Wei's victory comes with a $75,000 cash prize, a recording contract with Steinway & Sons and concert bookings around the globe, including debut recitals at Carnegie Hall in New York and Tonhalle in Zurich, Switzerland.
Read more at cleveland.com/

2024-08-12

The Floating Olympic Pianist

Swiss pianist and composer Alain Roche captivated audiences with his unique vertical piano performances, playing while suspended at great heights. In a stunning event at Paris' Stade de France, Roche showcased his talent on a dramatically elevated piano.
Read more at classicfm.com

2024-08-10

What is a Cat Piano?

When the term "cat piano" is mentioned, various whimsical images may come to mind: a furry creature with piano keys for teeth, or a piano where cats yowl as keys are pressed, resulting in nails scratching their tails.
Read more at openculture.com

2024-08-09

Contemporary Classic and Mood Music?

Minimalist piano music has overtaken classical music in popularity, with artists like Nils Frahm garnering massive audiences on Spotify's "chill" playlists. Despite this success, these composers face disdain from traditional classical circles.
Read more at theguardian.com

2024-08-08

Learn About the Great Ginzburg

In Soviet pianism, three notable artists are distinguished by their significant influence in Russia contrasted with the limited recognition beyond the Eastern bloc. While Sofronitsky and Feinberg are gaining rightful acknowledgment, Grigory Ginzburg, continues to be the least acknowledged and perhaps the most misconstrued among these revered musicians.
Read more at gramophone.co.uk

2024-08-07

Tchaikovsky's Seasons

There is Tchaikovsky grand size but also in smaller size. The "12 Characteristic Scenes", stand out as favorites, offering an opportunity for competent pianists to connect with the music's lyricism and emotions without requiring advanced technical abilities.
Read more at interlude.hk

2024-08-06

Taking on The Mega Busoni Concerto

Busoni's Piano Concerto, composed by an Italian who passed away a century ago, spans 70 minutes with five movements. It features solo piano, grand orchestration, and a male-voice choir that remains quiet until the last movement. The chorus's hidden presence enhances the work's esteemed reputation in the musical repertoire.
Read more at theguardian.com

2024-08-05

New Film: "The Gift - Paderewski's Last Will"

Dr. Justyna Kica and her team from the I.J. Paderewski Center, alongside Prof. Maciej Zdanek, discuss the fulfillment of the pianist's last will during the communist era and showcase treasures from his book collection in Switzerland.
Read more at youtu.be

2024-08-04

Salieri: Much More than Mediocre

Often viewed merely as a supporting character in another's biopic, Antonio Salieri deserves his own film. A hardworking composer overshadowed by genius, he's portrayed as a mundane establishment figure compared to Mozart's free-spirited brilliance.
Read more at classical-music.com

2024-08-03

Schnabel the Composer

Legendary pianist Artur Schnabel aimed to study composition with Anton Bruckner, but Bruckner dismissively stated, "I don't teach children", and refused him. Ultimately, Schnabel learned from the renowned Viennese theorist, Eusebius Mandyczewski, Brahms' complete works editor.
Read more at interlude.hk