Storytelling in J.S. Bach: Capriccio on the Departure of a Beloved Brother
Let us take a brief break from the late romantic/20th century literature and rewind back to an early work of J.S. Bach: Capriccio on the Departure of a Beloved Brother. I am preparing it for a concert next month at the Bach Festival & Competition at Hesston College, KS. To me, this piece is such an interesting and unusual work by Bach. Typically, much of his keyboard music consists of dance suites, which were highly popular during his lifetime. Capriccio, however, goes agains
Concert Recap: Collaboration with Cole Tutino, cellist
I would like to get into a regular habit of reflecting and sharing my thoughts here after each concert. As an active performing musician, it is very easy to move quickly onto the next concert or project, but I think it is important to always take a moment to reflect on how I played. While self-evaluation can be difficult and sometimes a hard reality to face, I think this type of reflection should be done consistently to measure growth. This is something I always stress with
Musical Explorations: Visiting Lukas Foss, Capriccio for Cello and Piano
I just finished rehearsing Lukas Foss, Capriccio for Cello and Piano (1948), with Cole Tutino, Professor of Cello at Miami University. We are preparing this piece along with the blockbuster hit, Rachmaninov Sonata for Cello and Piano, for a concert this Sunday. Before collaborating with Cole, I was unfamiliar with Lukas Foss and his music. I am thankful for the introduction. Born in Germany, Foss and his family fled Nazi Germany and immigrated to the United States in 1937. Ca
Musical Explorations: Visiting Nikolai Medtner
Many of you may know that I am currently recording the complete solo piano works of forgotten Russian romantic composer, Nikolai Medtner. His compositional output for solo piano is enormous: 9 CDS worth of music! I get asked all the time: why Medtner? My response is simple. Go ahead and type in YouTube “Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2” and see how many hits you get. About 1,940,000 results. Now go ahead and type “Medtner Fairy Tales” and see how many results you get. About 3
Overture: Exploring Lesser-Known Works
Lately, I have been interested in performing lesser-known music. For me, this is a significant change in my creative activities. I have always been (and still am) an avid performer of the masterpieces that we have come to love and know, but also, I have learned that I am a big proponent for always trying to expand my musical knowledge and comfort zone. As an educator, I must fuel that burning desire to constantly learn, right? I think this attitude is like being willing to tr
