American composer/pianist Daniel Pesca has been hailed as the “perfect virtuoso” (All About the Arts). Recently appointed as a Professor of Composition at the famed Eastman School of Music, this April he is embarking on a solo tour of Toronto and New York State.

At Spectrum on April 28, Daniel invites us to celebrate the piano’s role as a vehicle for expressing a composer’s most intimate thoughts: from the playful to the profound. Alongside his own compositions, Daniel will be premiering works by two leading composers: Canadian Alison Yun-Fei Jiang, and Greek-Australian Aristea Mellos. 

During the pandemic, as many of us retreated into domestic worlds, the piano found new relevance. Several of the works programmed as part of this tour were composed and revised during lockdown. Each work questions what it means to live and experience life, by taking us into colorful musical universes dominated by animals, natural landscapes, and memories. From the virtuosic to the sublime, this recital promises to leave you in awe of Daniel's complete mastery of the piano as both composer and performer.  

PROGRAM

ALISON YUN-FEI JIANG: River Study (world premiere performances; commissioned by the Canadian Arts Council and dedicated to Daniel Pesca)

DANIEL PESCA: Watercolors I: A Pair of Cats & Watercolors III: “The Setting Sun is a Red Lion”

ARISTEA MELLOS: Twelve Preludes (North American premiere performances)

ADMISSION IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

American composer/pianist Daniel Pesca has been hailed as the “perfect virtuoso” (All About the Arts). Recently appointed as a Professor of Composition at the famed Eastman School of Music, this April he is embarking on a solo tour of Toronto and New York State.

At Ford Hall at Ithaca College on April 25, Daniel invites us to celebrate the piano’s role as a vehicle for expressing a composer’s most intimate thoughts: from the playful to the profound. Alongside his own compositions, Daniel will be premiering works by two leading composers: Canadian Alison Yun-Fei Jiang, and Greek-Australian Aristea Mellos. 

During the pandemic, as many of us retreated into domestic worlds, the piano found new relevance. Several of the works programmed as part of this tour were composed and revised during lockdown. Each work questions what it means to live and experience life, by taking us into colorful musical universes dominated by animals, natural landscapes, and memories. From the virtuosic to the sublime, this recital promises to leave you in awe of Daniel's complete mastery of the piano as both composer and performer.  

PROGRAM

ALISON YUN-FEI JIANG: River Study (world premiere performances; commissioned by the Canadian Arts Council and dedicated to Daniel Pesca)

DANIEL PESCA: Watercolors I: A Pair of Cats & Watercolors III: “The Setting Sun is a Red Lion”

ARISTEA MELLOS: Twelve Preludes (North American premiere performances)

ADMISSION IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

American composer/pianist Daniel Pesca has been hailed as the “perfect virtuoso” (All About the Arts). Recently appointed as a Professor of Composition at the famed Eastman School of Music, this April he is embarking on a solo tour of Toronto and New York State.

At Array Toronto on April 21, Daniel invites us to celebrate the piano’s role as a vehicle for expressing a composer’s most intimate thoughts: from the playful to the profound. Alongside his own compositions, Daniel will be premiering works by two leading composers: Canadian Alison Yun-Fei Jiang, and Greek-Australian Aristea Mellos. 

During the pandemic, as many of us retreated into domestic worlds, the piano found new relevance. Several of the works programmed as part of this tour were composed and revised during lockdown. Each work questions what it means to live and experience life, by taking us into colorful musical universes dominated by animals, natural landscapes, and memories. From the virtuosic to the sublime, this recital promises to leave you in awe of Daniel's complete mastery of the piano as both composer and performer.  

PROGRAM

ALISON YUN-FEI JIANG: River Study (world premiere performances; commissioned by the Canadian Arts Council and dedicated to Daniel Pesca)

DANIEL PESCA: Watercolors I: A Pair of Cats & Watercolors III: “The Setting Sun is a Red Lion”

ARISTEA MELLOS: Twelve Preludes (North American premiere performances)

ADMISSION IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

American composer/pianist Daniel Pesca has been hailed as the “perfect virtuoso” (All About the Arts). Recently appointed as a Professor of Composition at the famed Eastman School of Music, this April he is embarking on a solo tour of Toronto and New York State.

At Eastman on April 18, Daniel invites us to celebrate the piano’s role as a vehicle for expressing a composer’s most intimate thoughts: from the playful to the profound. Alongside his own compositions, Daniel will be premiering works by two leading composers: Canadian Alison Yun-Fei Jiang, and Greek-Australian Aristea Mellos. 

During the pandemic, as many of us retreated into domestic worlds, the piano found new relevance. Several of the works programmed as part of this tour were composed and revised during lockdown. Each work questions what it means to live and experience life, by taking us into colorful musical universes dominated by animals, natural landscapes, and memories. From the virtuosic to the sublime, this recital promises to leave you in awe of Daniel's complete mastery of the piano as both composer and performer.  

PROGRAM

ALISON YUN-FEI JIANG: River Study (world premiere performances; commissioned by the Canadian Arts Council and dedicated to Daniel Pesca)

DANIEL PESCA: Watercolors I: A Pair of Cats & Watercolors III: “The Setting Sun is a Red Lion”

ARISTEA MELLOS: Twelve Preludes (North American premiere performances)

ADMISSION IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

An evening exploring the work of Bernard Rands as he celebrates his 90th birthday. Daniel performs his own A Line for a Walk with violinist Stefan Hersh, and performs Rands’s Impromptu No. 3.

The Grossman Ensemble, led by David Dzubay, premieres works by Greg Beyer, Sean Shepherd, Melinda Wagner, and Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon.

Ben Roidl-Ward and Daniel present a duo program, including works by Daniel, Augusta Read Thomas, and the world premiere of Jalalu Kalvert-Nelson’s Pilgrimage.

Eastman viola professor presents a recital of contemporary works, including the premiere of the viola version of Daniel’s In Solitude.

Violinist Hanna Hurwitz, cellist Colin Stokes, and Daniel present an evening of chamber music, including Daniel’s Piano Trio, 2017, the Rebecca Clarke Trio, and Messiaen’s Theme and Variations.

Guitarist Dieter Hennings is joined by soprano Leah Brzyski, conductor Luke Poeppel, and Eastman musicians to present the world premiere of Daniel’s song cycle A few lilies.

Sarah Frisof, flute
Dieter Hennings, guitar
Christine Lamprea, cello
Daniel Pesca, piano
Ian Rosenbaum, percussion

PESCA Chaconne
PESCA In Solitude
PESCA Gestures of Grace
PESCA Three Intermezzos
PESCA Walk with me, my joy

The Grossman Ensemble, led by Timothy Weiss, premieres works by Jason Eckardt, Sarah Gibson, Kurt Rohde, and Augusta Read Thomas.

Flutist Sarah Frisof and pianist Daniel Pesca present an afternoon concert of works for flute and piano by Valerie Coleman, Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, and Clémence de Grandval.

This program features musical adaptations of beloved works of children’s literature and poetry by Arnold Lobel, Leo Lionni, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, plus a brand new story by writer Jennifer Murvin, with colorful and enchanting new music by John Liberatore, Daniel Pesca, Ingrid Stölzel, and Daniel Ketter! This performance is presented by American Wild Ensemble.

The colorful, varied creative voice of composer-pianist and UMBC faculty member Daniel Pesca is explored in this program of solo and chamber works. The event features the world premiere of Pesca’s Feldman Sonnets, a song cycle setting texts by acclaimed poet Irving Feldman. Among the performers are UMBC music faculty members Lisa Cella (flute), Gita Ladd (cello), and Airi Yoshioka (viola); UMBC alumnus Derrick Miller (tenor); and special guests Danielle Cho (cello), Sarah Frisof (flute), and Dieter Hennings (guitar), as well as performances by Daniel Pesca.

This program features musical adaptations of beloved works of children’s literature and poetry by Arnold Lobel, Leo Lionni, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, plus a brand new story by writer Jennifer Murvin, with colorful and enchanting new music by John Liberatore, Daniel Pesca, Ingrid Stölzel, and Daniel Ketter! This premiere performance by American Wild Ensemble takes place Saturday, April 15 at 2 pm & 6 pm on the Mainstage.  This show is great for 3-7-year-olds and families.

Daniel Pesca joins Inscape Chamber Orchestra for Messiaen’s epic Quartet for the End of Time, plus music by Arnold Schoenberg.

Daniel Pesca joins Inscape Chamber Orchestra for Messiaen’s epic Quartet for the End of Time, plus music by Arnold Schoenberg.

The Grossman Ensemble, led by David Fulmer, premieres works by Du Yun, Yuting Tan, Ania Vu, and Keith Fitch.

David Liptak’s music has been described as “luminous and arresting,” “richly atmospheric,” and having “transparent textures, incisive rhythms, shimmering lightness.” A dedicated teacher of composition students for over four decades, David Liptak is Professor of Composition at the Eastman School of Music, where he has taught since 1986. Daniel Pesca, a former student of Liptak, performs selections from his solo piano cycle Constellations.

The Department of Music presents Pianorama! UMBC piano faculty Audrey Andrist, Hui-Chuan Chen and Daniel Pesca join forces with student performers Nicole Johnson and Dave Warshaw to present an evening of dynamic 20th-century music for two pianos and piano four hands. The program features works by Aaron Copland, George Walker, John Adams, Samuel Barber, and Witold Lutosławski.

Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music presents Zohn Collective: Songtree, an evening of contemporary art music.

The Jan. 14 performance is the culmination of a weeklong on-campus residency for the group, sponsored by the Vanderbilt Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies. Zohn Collective’s members will be leading master classes and workshops with Blair music students, and will also perform at Hillwood High School in Nashville.