Rensselaer Piano Showcase To Take Place April 17

Students and faculty to present “Piano Waves” featuring compositions for up to four pianos.

By Regina Stracqualursi

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will present a piano showcase on Wednesday, April 17, at 4 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) on campus. The event, free and open to the public, will feature compositions for up to four pianos in addition to original student work.

“Join the Rensselaer community for a performance that displays the immense talent of our students, the musical distinction of our faculty, and our unique inventory of instruments,” said Michael Century, professor of new media and music at Rensselaer and producer of the showcase.

By bringing together talent from across campus, including students and faculty from the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences as well as the Rensselaer Orchestra and the Rensselaer Chamber Music Ensemble, the event captures the collaborative spirit of The New Polytechnic, the model for education and research at Rensselaer. In total, 22 pianists will perform, including 16 students and six faculty members.

Combining contemporary and classical compositions, “Piano Waves” will include J.S. Bach’s Concerto for Four Keyboards (under the direction of Rensselaer Orchestra Conductor Nicholas De Maison), Bela Bartok’s Mikrokosmos, Meredith Monk’s Three Pieces for Two Pianos, and Julius Eastman’s Gay Guerrilla. It will also feature the world premiere of two original compositions written by Rensselaer students Matthew Wang and Ricardo Tovar Mateus.

“My curation of the program emphasizes the breadth of great music for multi-pianos, and showcases the four excellent grand pianos at EMPAC,” Century said. “It is exceedingly rare to hear the music for four pianos of American 20th century composer Julius Eastman alongside that of the classics like Bach.”

The performance builds upon the new Bachelor of Science in music degree program at Rensselaer and is one example of the unique opportunities that exist for musicians on campus.