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Consider making a donation to The Piano Maven podcast by subscribing to our Substack page (https://jeddistlermusic.substack.com/about), which you also can access by clicking on the "Donate" button here: https://rss.com/podcasts/pianomavenLinks to recordings:Op. 14 No. 1 First Movement: Yves Nat - https://open.spotify.com/track/3TywevOXNO8tjpL3nbnDyDOp. 14 No. 1: Awadagin Pratt - https://awadagin.com/project/beethoven-piano-sonatas/Op. 14 No. 2: Carl Friedberg - Link to Marston label release - https://www.marstonrecords.com/products/friedbergOp. 14 No. 2 Second Movement: Claude Frank - Link to recording -https://open.spotify.com/track/3W7fFqX197jBaAuqeSPwZf
Awadagin Pratt is a professor of piano at the University of Cincinnati and the recipient of multiple awards. He's never shied away from talking about his experiences as a Black man in classical music, and he's working to make it a more welcoming space. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.
Awadagin Pratt is a professor of piano at the University of Cincinnati and the recipient of multiple awards. He's never shied away from talking about his experiences as a Black man in classical music, and he's working to make it a more welcoming space. Find out more in the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.
Playlist: Linda Caitlin Smith, Thin Edge New Music Collective - WandererJulia Wolfe - OxygenDani Howard, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra - CoalescenseDavid Fennessy, Crash Ensemble - JACKTimo Andres, Metropolis Ensemble - The Blind BanisterJudd Greenstein, Awadagin Pratt, A Far Cry, Roomful of Teeth - Still PointPedro H. da Silva, Academy of St Martin in the Fields - Concerto for Portuguese GuitarIndia Gailey - Bending, Breaking Through
Playlist: Lucia Caruso, Pedro da Silva - FoliaOskar Bohme, Buzz Brass - Brass SextetThomas Cabaniss, Charleston Symphony String Quartet - String Quartet No. 2 'Three Dance Grooves'Tyshawn Sorey, Awadagin Pratt, Roomful of Teeth - Untitled Composition for Piano & Eight VoicesRaminta Serksnyte, Gidon Kremer & Kremerata Baltica - This Too Shall PassCarter Williams, Evelin Degen, Matthias Geuting - Elliptic Curves fur Piccolo, Glissandoflote, Kontrbassflote, Orgel und Live-ElektronikAlice Ping Yee Ho, Christina Petrowska-Quilico - Erupting SkiesLibby Larsen, Basil Vendryes, William David - Viola Sonata
Top 10 Albums of 2023Playlist: Thea Musgrave, Rosalind Ventris - In the Still of the NightMissy Mazzoli, Arctic Philharmonic - These Worlds in UsDaniel Shalit, London Chamber Orchestra - Resisey LaylaPaul Frehner, The Elora Singers, TorQ Percussion Quartet - CorpusFrank Horvat, Odin Quartet - HopeFjola Evans, Ashley Bathgate - AugunJulia Adolphe, Verona Quartet - Star-Crossed SignalsMason Bynes, The Westerlies - For RosaJudd Greenstein, Awadagin Pratt, A Far Cry, Roomful of Teeth - Still PointMarlene Cummins, Ensemble Offspring - Starting Over
Playlist: Alice Chance, Claire Edwardes - MirroringSarah Wallin Huff - The Oraclekati agocs, VC2 Cello Duo - Violoncello Duet (I and Thou)Samuel Jones, Boston Modern Orchestra Project - Concerto for Trombone & Orchestra 'Vita Accademica'Alvin Singleton, Awadagin Pratt, A Far Cry - Time Past, Time FutureRae Howell, Sunwrae String Orchestra - Bee-SharpChristopher Whitley - Patterns in High Places
Playlist: Jessica McMann, Beverley McKiver, Karen Shepherd - InniBent Sorensen, Steven Beck, Susan Grace - Six IntermezziJohn Luther Adams, Robert Black - Three High PlacesPaola Prestini, Awadagin Pratt, A Far Cry, Roomful of Teeth - CodeJohn Corigliano, Philip Edward Fisher - Winging ItChristopher Rouse, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra - Symphony No. 6Laura Sgroi, VC2 Cello Duo - Discord
Playlist: Jason Noble, Lara Deutsch, Adam Cicchillitti - Folk SuiteJessie Montgomery, Awadagin Pratt, A Far Cry - RoundsSolon Michaelides, Thessaloniki State Symphony - Avgi ston ParthenonaJulius Eastman, Wild Up - Evil N****rFjola Evans, Ashley Bathgate - AugunStewart Grant, Vincent Boilard, Quatuor Molinari - Serenata da CameraSándor Veress, Alexandre Foster - Sonata per Violoncello soloJennifer Higdon, The Houston Symphony Orchestra - Duo DuelMatthew Shlomowitz, Claire Edwards - Hi Hat & Me
New Classical Tracks - Awadagin Pratt by Awadagin Pratt/A Far Cry/Roomful of Teeth – Stillpoint (Art of the Piano)“When I'm talking to a non-musician, they often say, ‘Oh, you've played in Carnegie Hall, sure, that's great.' But the only time they say, ‘Oh, well, you must be something!' is when they find out I've been on Sesame Street,” says pianist Awadagin Pratt. “It was fun. I did a skit with Big Bird about sharing the piano. He was pecking away at the instrument, and then I entered the room and he said, ‘Do you play the piano?' And I said, ‘Sure, I do.' And he said, ‘Well, why don't you play a little something?' The lesson was about sharing and turn-giving, so we took turns playing.”In the world of classical music, Awadagin Pratt has shared the stage as a pianist, a conductor and, on occasion, as a violinist. He grew up in Pittsburgh, lives in Cincinnati, and now commutes to San Francisco in his new role as a professor at the San Francisco Conservatory.Recently, he also shared the studio with two incredible ensembles, including the string orchestra A Far Cry and the vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth. Together, they bring to life six newly commissioned works which appear on his latest release, Stillpoint.“I was thinking two things. One, we have to have African-American composers. The second thing, in terms of the unifying element was the poem The Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot, which I love. So I decided to fight. I decided we would look at The Four Quartets and see if the composers could take inspiration from some of the lines as a unifying element.“The five lines that I chose are the lines that I love, and they seem to be the right ones:At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.” — T.S. EliotTime Past Time Future is the piece that Alvin Singleton wrote for you. He's an American composer who always hoped that one day he would hear you play his music. What was that experience like for both of you when you were playing his music?“It was great. I had met Alvin decades before and he has such a lovely personality, but he was also so generous. He liked what we were doing. The sound, it was demanding because of the dynamic range of four or five keys to the extreme of four or five fortes. It's challenging because of the stillness, but he loved it, which was really nice. It's always great when a composer is smiling when you finish playing, like, okay, that's pretty good!”The piece that Pēteris Vasks wrote for you is a solo piano work titled Castillo Interior, and it focuses on the past and future gathered. Can you explain what that means and how we hear that in the music?He wrote a piece for violin and cello called Castillo Interior, as well. And that's the piece that he transcribed for me with changes, and the title of the piece references Saint Teresa of Avila who has these seven castles built on the pathway to understanding God.You have, within religion, those opposites of ascetic and ecstatic, and maybe they're not exactly opposites, but there's sort of two opposing energies kind of working together as one. And so the piece is really compelling, people absolutely love it.” Listen on YouTubeTo hear the rest of my conversation, click on the extended interview above, or download the extended podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.ResourcesAwadagin Pratt/A Far Cry/Roomful of Teeth – Stillpoint (Amazon)Awadagin Pratt/A Far Cry/Roomful of Teeth – Stillpoint (Art of the Piano)Awadagin Pratt (official site)A Far Cry (official site)Roomful of Teeth (official site)
STILLPOINT is the first album in 12 years from acclaimed concert pianist Awadagin Pratt. The album comprises six pieces commissioned by different composers, including Tyshawn Sorey and Paola Prestini, and draws from the T.S. Eliot poem, Burnt Norton, as inspiration. It also features the self-conducted string orchestra A Far Cry and experimental vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth. Pratt joins us for a Listening Party. *This segment is guest-hosted by Tiffany Hanssen.
Pianist Awadagin Pratt is a world-class pianist who has earned awards, international competitions and an Avery Fisher Career Grant. He has never shied away from talking about his experiences as a Black man in the predominantly white world of classical music and has worked hard to help others following the same path. Find out more in the latest episode of the 'Rhapsody in Black' podcast.
DIKT: "Författarens bön" ÖVERSÄTTNING: Lars Gustaf Andersson UPPLÄSNING: Robert Fux Efter Rysslands fullskaliga invasion av Ukraina i februari 2022 började dikter ur Ilya Kaminskys andra diktsamling ”De dövas republik” cirkulera flitigt. Det var dikter om krig, våld och motstånd som tycktes tala direkt om dagens situation. Boken, som utgavs i original 2019 och kom på svenska 2021, berättar om en ockuperad stad, där hela befolkningen väljer att sluta höra sedan en döv pojke skjutits till döds av soldaterna. Som i ett drama möter vi ett antal personer som drabbas av förtrycket men vägrar ge upp.Ilya Kaminsky föddes 1977 i Odessa i Ukraina, i dåvarande Sovjetunionen. Vid fyra års ålder förlorade han hörseln, vilket han själv uppger som en förklaring till rikedomen av bilder i hans poesi. Hans familj var judisk och flyttade från Ukraina till USA 1993 på grund av antisemitiska trakasserier. Den mycket uppmärksammade debuten ”Dansa i Odessa” från 2004 (i svensk översättning 2023) skildrar såväl barndomsstaden som exilen och anknyter till ryskspråkiga poeter som Joseph Brodsky och Marina Tsvetajeva. Kaminsky är också verksam som översättare och har 2023 tillsammans med kollegan Carolyn Forché publicerat en antologi med ukrainsk poesi, ”In the Hour of War”.DIKTSAMLING: Dansa i Odessa (Rámus, 2023)MUSIK: Johannes Brahms: FeldeinsamkeitEXEKUTÖR: Zuill Beiley, cello och Awadagin Pratt, piano
Conductor Marin Alsop leads the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in three pivotal works by 21st-century women composers. This Midnight Hour, a single-movement orchestral composition by former Mead Composer-in-Residence Anna Clyne, evokes a visual journey for the listener. Mead Composer-in-Residence Jessie Montgomery's Rounds, commissioned for and performed by pianist Awadagin Pratt, is inspired by the constancy, rhythms and duality of life that impact all living things. Closing the program is Her Story, a CSO co-commission by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Julia Wolfe that captures the passion and perseverance of women who have led the fight for representation and gender equality. A 40-minute theatrical experience for orchestra and women's vocal ensemble, the piece is the latest in a series of compositions by Wolfe that highlights monumental and turbulent moments in American history. Explore the music in the free preconcert conversation featuring Max Raimi in Orchestra Hall 75 minutes before the performance. The conversation will last approximately 30 minutes. No additional tickets are needed. Learn more: cso.org/performances/22-23/cso-classical/alsop-conducts-wolfe-her-story
We welcome concert pianist, conductor, professor, food and wine aficionado and all-around bon vivant Awadagin Pratt for a backstage discussion about his appearance with the Toledo Symphony. Awadagin brings a new work by Jessie Montgomery to the Peristyle, alongside two works that pay tribute to Music Director Alain Trudel and his five years at the helm of the TSO: Beethoven's iconic Fifth Symphony and Schubert's miraculous Symphony No. 8, the "Unfinished" Symphony.
Among those who will be playing are classical concert pianist, violinist and conductor Awadagin Pratt and composer, violinist and educator Jessie Montgomery.
WGTE's Brad Cresswell speaks with conductor Andrew Crust, newly-appointed Music Director of the Lima Symphony Orchestra. Currently the Associate Conductor of the Vancouver Symphony in Canada and former Assistant Conductor for the Memphis Symphony, Andrew launches his official Lima Symphony tenure with a concert on November 26. The program, called Lyrical Exuberance, features music by Copland and Bartok, plus Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 with soloist Awadagin Pratt. The concert will be both broadcast at the Van-Del Drive-In theater in Lima and streamed online. In this conversation, Andrew talks about that upcoming concert, his plans for the future and how the orchestra is adapting under the coronavirus pandemic.
On May 1 at BAM, there will be a reimagining of Ornette Coleman's seminal 1959 album, The Shape of Jazz to Come, featuring an all-new Bang on a Can Orchestra including his son, drummer Denardo Coleman, as well as Jason Moran, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Lee Odom, Wallace Roney Jr. and special guest James “Blood” Ulmer —conducted by Awadagin Pratt. Six composers rearranged & rework tracks from The Shape of Jazz to Come to honor the six pieces on the album that established Coleman as one of America's visionary musicians. Denardo Coleman joins us to preview the show.
Interview with Awadagin Pratt, Professor of Piano and Artist-in-Residence at the University of Cincinnati College- Conservatory of Music. Pratt is also on faculty at the Eastern Music Festival, and is the Artistic Director of the Art of the Piano Festival in Cincinnati. "If you can't hear exactly where the problem is, then you can't fix the problem." - Pratt instagram - @detoursinmusicpodcast Facebook - Detours in Music Podcast YouTube - Detours in Music Podcast website - www.detoursinmusicpodcast.com email - detoursinmusicpodcast@gmail.com Podcast artwork - Ana Hart Podcast music - Jack Yagerline --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/detoursinmusic/support
WGTE's Brad Cresswell speaks with conductor Andrew Crust, newly-appointed Music Director of the Lima Symphony Orchestra. Currently the Associate Conductor of the Vancouver Symphony in Canada and former Assistant Conductor for the Memphis Symphony, Andrew launches his official Lima Symphony tenure with a concert on Saturday, November 28th. The program, called Lyrical Exuberance, features music by Copland and Bartok, plus Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 with soloist Awadagin Pratt. The concert will be both broadcast at the Van-Del Drive-In theater in Lima and streamed online. In this conversation, Andrew talks about that upcoming concert, his plans for the future and how the orchestra is adapting under the coronavirus pandemic.
WGTE's Brad Cresswell speaks with conductor Andrew Crust, newly-appointed Music Director of the Lima Symphony Orchestra. Currently the Associate Conductor of the Vancouver Symphony in Canada and former Assistant Conductor for the Memphis Symphony, Andrew launches his official Lima Symphony tenure with a concert on November 26. The program, called Lyrical Exuberance, features music by Copland and Bartok, plus Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 with soloist Awadagin Pratt. The concert will be both broadcast at the Van-Del Drive-In theater in Lima and streamed online. In this conversation, Andrew talks about that upcoming concert, his plans for the future and how the orchestra is adapting under the coronavirus pandemic.
Pianist Charlie Albright joins us to discuss perhaps Beethoven’s most well known and most beloved solo piano pieces, Piano Sonata in C-sharp minor, “Moonlight.” How does an artist find new things in a work that is, arguably, overplayed? Rei Hotoda and Charlie Albright explore the work in depth, and Charlie plays. We’ll also hear pianist Awadagin Pratt performing Piano Concerto No.3 in c minor with the Fresno Philharmonic.
Even as a child, Awadagin Pratt had many interests and talents. He was an excellent student, and he excelled at music and tennis with seriousness and intent beyond mere hobbies. He spoke with Suzanne recently about how he made the choice to pursue music when he realized it was the thing he could not live without. They also chatted about his recording projects - past and future - and other milestones in his career as a performer and teacher.
Uppläsning: Clas Göran Söllgård DIKTSAMLING Sånger från äldreomsorgen (2009) MUSIK Johannes Brahms: Lerchengesang EXEKUTÖR Zuill Bailey, cello, Awadagin Pratt, piano
We're rerunning this episode with Awadagin Pratt basically because we felt like it. But we don't think you're going to mind, as he is awesome. Let his dulcet tones wash over you as Pratt teaches you all about why Brahms is one of the Big Daddies of classical music, what it has to do with Edith Bunker, and how the beard made it all possible. All music in this episode from Awadagin Pratt and Zuill Bailey’s CD “Brahms Works For Cello And Piano”. Audio production by Todd “Are You There Todd? It’s Me, Dacia” Hulslander with Tiger Eyes by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio. Special thanks to Todd Reynolds for his music, Taskforce: Farmlab from Outerbourough.
Awadagin Pratt returns to the Valley Thursday evening, November 15th at 7:30. He appears as part of the Mesa Arts Centers Classical Music Inside Out...
The pianist gives a lesson on one of the Big Daddies of classical music. Awadagin Pratt, a man so awesome that his website URL is just his first name, talks Johannes Brahms. Pratt is a recording artist, Professor of Piano, Artist in Residence, Chairman of the Piano Department, and Artistic Director of the Art of the Piano Festival at the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. He talks about who Brahms was, why he is one of the Big Daddies of classical music, what it has to do with Edith Bunker, and how the beard made it all possible. Awadagin Pratt playing in the East Room of the White House, November 2009 (the First Lady and President Obama in the foreground). Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton. Audio production by Todd “Are You There Todd? It’s Me, Dacia” Hulslander with Tiger Eyes by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio. All music in this episode from Awadagin Pratt and Zuill Bailey’s CD “Brahms Works For Cello And Piano”. For more about Awadagin Pratt: www.awadagin.com