From our Members…
20 posts
November-15-2020-Bridget-Convey-Piano
| Please join us this Sunday, November 15, 2020, in our first ever live-streamed concert! We will be featuring Faculty member Bridget Convey who will perform John Cage’s Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano. Bridget has performed at Lincoln Center, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ojai Music Festival and many other venues. She regularly works with several Maine-based groups, including Venticordi and the Resinosa Ensemble, of which she is the co-founder and director. She can also be heard performing on the labels: Navona, Cuneiform, Independent and Nataraja. She holds an MFA from CIA and teaches at Bates as well as her home studio. “…the piano shining like a star, without dictating a thing… Convey realized the part perfectly.” – Christopher Hyde, Maine Classical Beat “…words of praise are insufficient to acknowledge what Ms. Convey did on this program.” – Dr. Morton Gold, Journal Tribune John Cage was arguably the most influential American-born composer and music theorist of the 20th century. A student of Henry Cowell’s and pioneer of the Avant-Garde and Ultra-Modernist music movements, he embraced many alternative compositional methods, and perhaps most famously, by “preparing” the piano – which is a piano whose sound has been altered in pitch, timbre or texture by the insertion of foreign objects on or between the strings. This, in effect, turns the piano into a whole percussion orchestra but allows for standard musical notation to be utilized while creating an entirely new sonic landscape. “It dawned on me,” Cage recalled, “that screws or bolts would stay in position, and I was delighted with the sounds they produced. With just one musician, you can really do an unlimited number of things inside the piano.” “I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas I am frightened by the old ones.” – John Cage |
| The Live-Streamed video can be viewed here:https://www.bates.edu/music/live-concert-video/ Students can reserve their in-person tickets here: batesconcerts.eventbrite.com |
Interested parties should email <steinwayb1935@gmail.com>.
Steinway-B-for-Sale
We are seeking a loving, musical home for our family piano. Purchased used in Austin, TX this solid piano holds it’s tune very well and is in great condition, having seen our two kids through piano lessons since circa 2005. Selling to make room for a larger instrument.
Details: 1998 Boston UP-118S (upright) black oak finish. Measures approximately 46” height x 58” width x 23” depth. Asking price: $4,000 (moving not included)
Contact: Maddy Vertenten Phone: 207-869-5258 Email: vertenten.fam@gmail.com
Location: first floor of home in Freeport, ME
I am seeking proposals from pianists who are interested in being hired to learn, perform, and make a video recording of one or more of the following piano solo works over the coming year.
– “Sonatine Spirit” • https://youtu.be/Tf-2H4BJh2E
– Suite for Piano, Movement 1 • https://youtu.be/n-NKcs076UI
– Suite for Piano, Movement 3 • https://youtu.be/CntmWYdOA9Y
– “Flow” • https://youtu.be/WZnG-AXTtLM
– “Flight” • https://youtu.be/1uhLIGILUn4 at 6:38
Requirements:
• pianists must either make the video themselves or must find someone to film and record their performance
• use an acoustic grand piano that is in tune and in excellent playing condition
• make a high quality audio recording
• video quality: good, but non-professional is acceptable (e.g., iphone with good lighting may yield acceptable results)
• use visually appealing venue/setting/location/backdrop
• the recording of a live performance (in front of an audience) is possible, as long as the performance is on par with a good studio take, the audio quality remains excellent (not overly distant or marred by noise), and the pianist’s facial expressions are easily visible
• camera angles: fixed camera angle is acceptable (in which case, face and hands must be visible), if multiple angles, then show hands during technical passagework
• the piece does not need to be memorized (you can read from the score in the video)
• before shooting the final video, the pianist must send a preliminary recording (audio) and incorporate feedback from the composer
Timeline:
• deadline for proposals: May 30, 2020
• follow-up for selected proposals will take place during June 2020
• project completion deadline: flexible/by agreement, preferably within 6-11 months of agreement
To submit a proposal, please fill out the form below.
For more information about the composer, visit http://www.franciskayali.com/
Please feel free to forward this page to pianists who may be interested.
Questions, comments, suggestions? E-mail franciskayali@gmail.com
Maine Arts Camp, located on the campus of Thomas College in Waterville, is looking for one or two part-time music teachers for July, 2020. One position involves conducting the chorus and playing the piano accompaniment for a musical theater. The other position involves teaching guitar, ukulele, and rock shop. One person could potentially fill both positions.
Interested teachers should contact Rick Mades at 561-865-4330, https://maineartscamp.com/maineartscamprick@gmail.com
Bowdoin’s Beckwith Artist in Residence George Lopez and MaineMTA President Gulimina Mahamuti will perform a piano duo recital on Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 3 pm at Kanbar Auditorium, Studzinski Recital Hall of Bowdoin College. They will perform works including Schumann’s Cannonic Studies and the epic Rachmaninoff Suite no. 2. The recital is open to the public; admission free of charge; no tickets or reservations.
Children under the age of 18, and any college student with a current I.D. are invited to attend a performance by classical pianist Fei-Fei at Husson University’s Gracie Theatre in Bangor on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at 2 p.m. for FREE! This is a great way to expose children to classical music.