16th Annual Keyboard Marathon

The theme of this year’s Annual Keyboard Marathon is “Revolution! Music in Times of Turmoil, Trouble, and Triumph”. Twenty pianists are participating, performing works by eighteen composers. The music dates from the 18^th century to the present day, including a world premiere! See below for the complete program.

This year’s concert will be a true marathon, with four 50 minute sets, divided by ten minute intermissions. There will be a concession stand in the courtyard for audience refreshments during the intermissions, then a champagne reception at the end of the concert for performers and audience to enjoy, providing a great way to meet and greet CMC’s talented piano faculty.

Come prepared to immerse yourself in a world full of passion, virtuosity, poetry, and celebration!

Marathon 2019 Program :

ACT I (1:00pm): Triumph, revolution, silence, fugitive visions, and a cry for liberation

Shirley Wong:
La Triomphante, Le Trophée, and La Convalescente – François Couperin

Richard Thomas:
“Revolutionary” etude – F. Chopin

Lilia Zheltova:
4’33” – John Cage
Visions Fugitive Nos. 10,16,17 – Sergei Prokofiev

Matylda Rotkiewicz:
Polish Triptych – Milosz Magin

Jon Jang:
Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing – James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson

 

ACT II (2:00pm): Refugees, grandiose dances, jazz influences, and an independent woman

Grace Huenemann:
Prelude in B-flat minor, Op. 33 No. 10 – Sergei Bortkiewicz
Prelude in D, Op. 23 No. 4 – Sergei Rachmanninoff

Bruce Loeb:
Polonaise Op. 89 – Ludwig van Beethoven

Lauren Cony:
selected Preludes – Ruth Crawford

Jacqueline Chew:
8 Concert Studies, Op. 40 No.4 “Reminiscence” – Nikolai Kapustin

 

ACT III (3:00pm): Poetry, irony, death, and Napoleonic heroism

Juliet McComas:
Trois Nouvelles Etudes, No. 1 – Frédéric Chopin
General Lavine – eccentric  from Preludes Book II – Claude Debussy

Janis Mercer:
Sonata 1.X.1905, “From the Street”, mvt. 2 “Smrt” (“Death”) – Leos Janáček

Sonata in C Major Op. 53 (“Waldstein”) – Ludwig van Beethoven
I. Allegro con brio – Annie Nalezny
II.Introduzione: Adagio molto – Juliet McComas
III.Rondo: Allegretto moderato—Prestissimo – Elektra Schmidt

 

ACT IV (4:00pm): American trailblazers, then and now

Esther Chan:
Sketches Op. 15: Autumn, Fireflies, Phantom – Amy Beach

Betty Wong:
selected variations from El Pueblo Unido – Frederic Rzewski

Paula Dreyer:
Revolt and Reveal – Paula Dreyer

Erik Walker:
Freedom – Author Unkown
Get Up Stand Up – Bob Marley and Peter Tosh

Maestro Curtis:
Power to the People/Supreme Beings – Maestro Curtis

 

FINALE:  Duet celebrating the founders of the piano marathon:

Betty Wong and Juliet McComas:
“The Musketeers” from 18 Sketches for Piano Four Hands – Valery Gavrilin