Of course I couldn’t let Franz’s birthday go by without offering up some of my own explorations into his lesser know, amazing song repertoire! Not only are they beautiful, but they never fail to spark my curiosity and imagination. I don’t think I shall ever tire of them, as I discover more and more in these miniature masterpieces the longer I live with them.
Student Feature: Pianist, Dylan Knaak rehearses in the studio...
We often encourage our students to record their pieces as they progress! This is a great way to share and to celebrate how far we have come, both technically and artistically, in our musical journey. This week, 15 year old pianist, Dylan Knaak agreed to let us share some video recordings that I made during his last lesson! I’m not sure how he did it, but we actually got eight pieces filmed to share! Bravo Dylan!!!
The Light Will Win
Valerie and I attended an incredible concert at Carnegie Hall this past Sunday that bears mentioning! The program featured amazing pianists, Anna and Dmitri Shelest (The Shelest Piano Duo) and the wonderful Brandywine Valley Symphony Chamber Orchestra, led dynamically and intelligently by Michael Hall. I loved everything on this program but was especially moved by the American Premiere of ‘Steel, Violet, Rage’, a Concerto for Piano Four Hands and String Orchestra by Ukrainian composer, Oleh Bezborodko. I was honored to have the opportunity to meet this great composer and even get a selfie and his autograph! This concert was part of the Fourth Annual Ukrainian Cultural Festival in New York and was produced in part by The Alexander & Buono Foundation, Razom for Ukraine, C. Bechstein and Brandywine Valley Symphony. Many thanks to Barry Alexander and Cosmo Buono for working endlessly to make this concert possible and for inviting us! Bravi Tutti!!!
The Art Song of Leonard Bernstein: 'I Hate Music!' (A cycle of 5 kid songs)
Soprano, Celeste Siciliano & pianist, Valerie Siciliano talk about and perform excerpts from ‘I Hate Music!’ A very unique song cycle with words and music of Leonard Bernstein. More of the cycle will be posted soon, so be sure to check back!
Nana Miyoshi Debut Recital at Carnegie Hall, NYC
In May, we were so thrilled to be able to attend the Carnegie Hall debut of pianist, Nana Miyoshi! This truly gifted and expressive young artist played an exquisite program, including works of Mozart, Chopin, Beethoven and Liszt. Nana is a shining example of what hard work, dedication and an intensely deep love of music can accomplish. I’m sure her wonderful teacher, Cosmo Buono, would agree!
Teacher Feature, Celeste Siciliano
Soprano, Celeste Siciliano and Pianist, Tim Crawford at the National Opera Center in NYC.
Why Study Piano?
There are so many reasons why both children and adults can benefit from the study of a musical instrument – the piano in particular. Here are my top 7:
1. Making music with one’s own two hands provides an emotional and creative outlet which is difficult to achieve any other way.
2. Achieving proficiency in playing the piano can provide a deep sense of pleasure and fulfilment.
3. The piano is a true solo instrument which provides both melody and harmony – unlike most one line instruments, which usually require accompaniment.
4. It is possible to produce pleasant sounds from day one. Contrast that with brass, woodwind, and string instruments which may take the student months to produce a tone of decent quality.
5. Achieving mastery of the piano is an endless (though extremely gratifying) pursuit, which develops one’s physical and mental coordination to a high degree. Regardless of where you are in the process, you will never be bored – the repertoire for the instrument is vast and growing.
6. The study of music can enhance one’s ability to learn many other school subjects, and greatly improve the ability to focus.
7. Sharing one’s music with others can provide an excellent social outlet, and often a real boost in confidence.