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I’ve joined The Cliburn's exciting new venture, the Cliburn Agency, as a both a solo and duo pianist.
For over a decade, Liz and I have enjoyed a richly rewarding partnership with The Cliburn, appearing on their concert series and hosting their webcasts in 2015, 2017, and 2022. Our missions have been unified from the start, which has made it extra exciting to watch their organization grow and their mission succeed. We’ve seen the advent of their webcasts and their many new initiatives, including the Cliburn Junior competition, Cliburn Sessions (classical piano in bars), Cliburn in the Classroom, and Cliburn Kids, not to mention the many developments and commissions associated with the main competition itself.
And now, there’s the Cliburn Agency. Earlier this year when they invited me to join the roster as a soloist, I couldn’t have been more honored and thrilled. Their directive was simple: do what I want. That was it. I’ve spent much of the year asking myself what that might be—what do I most want to do with my love for music? The answers haven’t come easily, but it’s easily been one of the most rewarding journeys of my lifetime, and I’m thankful to The Cliburn for making it possible. I’m eager to share my discoveries, new music, and experiments over the next year and beyond!
I—and Liz and I—look forward to co-creating a powerful impact on the world of music with the Cliburn team and the other inspiring artists on the roster!
Be sure to follow my new solo social media channels on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
(And of course, don’t miss the duo’s channels, too: YouTube, Instagram, Facebook.)
Amy Beach's "Dreaming" + listening guide
I’ve been obsessed with Amy Beach’s “Dreaming” (1892) for years. I first heard the piece in 2003 while listening to Alan Feinberg’s memorable album, “The American Romantic,” on a CD player in the Juilliard library (because that’s how we listened to music in 2003…). I immediately found myself intoxicated by the drifting harmonies amidst the melodic meanderings, and I’ve never forgotten the feeling.
To enhance your listening experience, I created three one-minute listening guides that articulate some of what goes through my head at the piano:
Eight new scores available for sale
I’m pleased to release several new scores, including my first two works for 8 hands at 2 pianos. I look forward to hearing what you do with these!
Solo piano:
Mozart’s sublime “Ave verum corpus,” arranged for solo piano.
One piano, four hands:
Mozart’s “Ave verum corpus.” This beautiful (and less challenging) arrangement for piano duet is dedicated to Liz’s daughter.
Bach/Gounod “Ave Maria.” The arrangement is inspired by stained glass windows and has been one of the most requested scores at recent Anderson & Roe performances.
Two pianos, four hands:
Capriccio on Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 5. Listen to a live performance of the virtuoso work at the link.
Nocturne on Neptune, inspired by Gustav Holst’s “Neptune” and the astrological writings that influenced it.
Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag with a second piano overlay. Party time.
Two pianos, eight hands:
Rachmaninoff’s “Vocalise” arranged for 4 pianists on 2 pianos. The arrangement was commissioned by the Geneva Tuesday Quartette for their 100th anniversary(!) and is based on our version for piano duet.
Dvořák’s Slavonic Dance Op. 42, No. 5 (in its original form for piano duet) with an overlay for a second piano duet. A wild, fun, and virtuosic showpiece!
Aspen Music Festival commission + conducting debut
Last year the Aspen Music Festival commissioned me to compose something a little… unusual: a piece for 8 pianos and 32 hands (yes, that’s 16 pianists in total).
I initially balked at the idea. Having composed several works for five pianos, I was already well aware of the inherent difficulties. The piano’s sharp, percussive attack leaves little room for error in synchronization. Achieving precision with two pianists can be difficult enough; sixteen pianists seemed destined for chaos. Moreover, contrary to intuition, when multiple pianos strike the same note simultaneously, the sound doesn’t increase in volume; the sound waves seem to clash in mid-air, canceling each other out in some sonic tug-of-war. Then there were the duet logistics. Writing for two pianists on one piano can be a puzzle of awkward hand collisions, yet one wouldn’t want to constantly spread the four hands over the full range of the piano — that steamroller of sound can be grating for the listener! Writing for 16 pianists across 8 pianos exponentially compounded these concerns.
But beyond the technical challenges, the most important question I kept asking myself was: How do I musically justify having all these pianos and pianists? What’s the reason for 16 people on stage?
Turns out those challenges were just the beginning. I spent five months working on the score, day and night, even asking for a one-month extension. The process was more demanding than I could have anticipated, yet also more creatively fulfilling than I had imagined.
Titled Star & Stripes: Fireworks for 8 Pianos, 32 Hands, the 10-minute work draws inspiration from John Philip Sousa’s “The Stars & Stripes Forever March.” Conceived on a grand scale, much of the piece features unique effects made possible by the mass of pianos. The 16 parts weave together through overlapping layers of tremolos, scales, and arpeggios that blend into sonic impressions of clouds, fireworks, and rainbows—almost like painting with sound.
Several of my pianistic idols and mentors participated in the world premiere at the Aspen Music Festival Klein Music Tent, including Veda Kaplinsky, Hung-Kuan Chen, Arie Vardi, and Anton Nel. (It was an auspicious yet nerve-wracking conducting debut!)
The score will soon be available for sale here on gregandersonpiano.com, but for now, enjoy a sneak peek with these brief teasers from our dress rehearsal over on my Instagram account.