Kennedy Center: Before and After

Before our recent Kennedy Center debut, we sat down for an in-depth interview with David Rohde for DC Metro Theater Arts. His excellent article is worth a read.

For the performance itself, we juxtaposed the scandalous with the sublime. We began with three over-the-top fantasies based on operas by Mozart, Bizet, and Adés; each provided a snapshot of the corruption, power dynamics, and sexual abuse we still find in our world today. The second half featured transcendent music by John Adams and the Beatles, as well our new Hallelujah Variations... in a way, it was our personal (and frustrated) response to the political landscape of our times.

After the recital, we were thrilled to receive a fantastic review in the Washington Post!

“While each is a virtuosic powerhouse pianist in his and her own right, what sets the pair apart is an ability to make emotional and spiritual connections with their audiences.”

— Washington Post

Up next: we're giving the world premiere of our Carmen Fantasy for Two Pianos and Orchestra with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, in addition to performances of Poulenc's Double Concerto. After that, a fun salon-style cocktail concert and performances of Mozart's Double Concerto with the Missoula Symphony. And finally we're off to New Zealand for a 10-city tour.

Fall review round-up 🍂

...Time for another media round-up! We've scoured the news for highlights of our year so far.

Fake news? Real news? The Arts Saginaw has clearly taken a stand to deliver just the facts. 😉

“Oh my God, people. Flying hands around each other, across each other, next to each other… Flamboyant, humorous, [Anderson & Roe’s] hands pounding the keyboard. The audience cheered like it was at a football game.”

— Arts Saginaw

More quality examples of media you can trust:

Korea Herald:

Partnership does not do justice in describing the electrifying performance by the Anderson & Roe piano duo. [Anderson & Roe] showed the magic that can happen when two musicians perform with one soul. 

The Washington Post:

…Sheer power; two voices speaking as one.

The Rochester City Newspaper:

These classical rock stars are charismatic, fun, sexy and wildly talented. 

RP Online:

The crossover elements in Anderson & Roe’s performance were no publicity stunts, but rather a living and profound exploration of the duo’s musical mission. They reveled in the pleasure of music making and showcased their pianistic skill through their powerful arrangements; these adaptations went beyond merely imitating by provoking altogether new colors, tensions, and thrills.

Good News Liverpool:

SUPERSTAR piano duo [Anderson & Roe] practically blew the roof off the Liverpool Phil’s Music Room… tremendously charismatic and insanely talented… a triumphant Liverpool debut!

Ventura County Star:

These jaw-dropping virtuosos create a sound on two pianos like you’ve never heard before.

The Korea Times:

...Volcanic!

Shenandoah Magazine:

Electrifying!

Monterey Weekly:

Electrifying would be too small a word to describe the duo. [Anderson & Roe play] in a musical environment of severe risk-taking and wide open experimentation.

Peninsula Reviews:

Duo playing of genius... impeccable! I was on my way to heaven well before the end.

Monterey County Weekly:

By now, we...are crushing pretty hard on these two. [Anderson & Roe] don’t have to prove their mastery of classical form or their creative chops; we’re putty in their hands.

WQXR:

A revelation! Pioneers in the...world of the classical music video... [Anderson & Roe were] one of the first signs that classical music was heading in a completely new and exciting direction.

Flying Ink Pot:

If the music got any more erotic, this would be the first classical music concert in Singapore to receive an ‘NC16’-rating!

The Pine Log:

Arguably the most famous piano duo in the world right now!

Washington Post Review (and more)

The Washington Post reviewed our recent recital at the National Gallery, and we're fond of the headline: "Ambitious piano duo shows that 'entertainment' doesn't equate to selling out." Highlights:

“Anderson and Roe are the very model of complete 21st-century musicians. They fuse classical and pop music into a blend of high artistry and skillful entertainment... That they are crack pianists goes without saying.

A sweet and jewel-like performance … ferocious, thundering… ”

— The Washington Post

We're blushing! This also reminds us that it just might be time for another media round-up:

Miami Herald:

[Anderson & Roe are] rock stars in the classical musical world.

Waco Tribune: 

Electrifying! The thunder of twin Steinway grand pianos and the pianists’ furious energy, at its peak, had the giddying exhilaration of… setting a calliope on fire and pushing it down a hill. 

The pieces with the orchestra revealed the pianists’ talent for deconstructing and reassembling orchestral scores for piano and a sharp ear for playing together, keeping musical complexity and thick arrangements from turning into undifferentiated musical mud.

San Francisco Chronicle:

A riot of ivories!

Chicago Tribune:

Fleet-fingered… frisky iconoclasm.

Daily Camera:

Anderson and Roe are the gold standard among today’s piano duos. The duo dazzled…

Pianists Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe function like a complex machine, fusing two musical minds into one. The nimbleness with which Poulenc's sparkling lines passed between them was a wonder to behold.

Spectacular! One of the Phil’s most enjoyable guest artist appearances in recent memory.

San Francisco Classical Voice:

In Anderson-Roe’s realm, the choreography alternates between demure, savage; sexual.

Palm Beach Daily News:

The performance was remarkable in more than one way: Not only did the artists display superb musicianship throughout the program, but also the program itself was full of surprises. Anderson and Roe performed with the electricity and abandon that have become a hallmark of their career. The stark contrasts of dynamics and textures were masterfully rendered.

Palm Beach Arts Paper:

The artistry of Anderson and Roe is exemplary. Their playing was riveting. Toes were tapping all around me; it’s so easy to get caught up in their beautiful and sensitive interpretation.

Santa Fe New Mexican:

In this committed unveiling, [Brahms’ Double Concerto arranged by Anderson & Roe for two pianos and orchestra] came across as an effective concert work, a useful addition to the regrettably small repertoire of concertos for two pianos and orchestra.

Albany Democrat Herald: 

Risk-taking … dangerous!

We're addicted to love ;-)

What with our latest duo release (An Amadeus Affair) and our nearly non-stop touring schedule, we've had quite a number of (awesome!) reactions to our recent performances. Here's a round-up of some of the latest love we've received:

Palm Beach Daily News

Glorious… The Anderson & Roe Piano Duo’s performance was something rarely encountered in concert-going. They have a truly deep artistry … a massive range of sound and impeccable technique. Imagine two pianos on steroids. Who says classical musicians are stuffy?  

Audiophile Audition (regarding An Amadeus Affair):

Totally delightful … unforgettable moments of heartbroken, bittersweet, eternal love … utterly poignant. Everything is beautifully realized by Anderson & Roe; it will change the lives of all who hear it, both for the music and the way it is played.

Performing Arts Monterey Bay

The audience, like Vesuvius, erupted with one massive cheer, jumping to its feet, settling for a moment like hot pumice only to explode again minutes later for two more dazzling pyrotechnic encores. …all the flamboyance, adrenaline and infectious passion that youth and virtuosity could muster.

…sublime, heart-felt musicianship. [Their performance of Bach's] Concerto for Two Keyboards in C major showed exquisite phrasing, beautiful rich tone and a synchronicity in performance and interpretation that I have rarely seen in a live performance. 

Wayne Lee Gay of D Magazine:

Beautifully crafted, brilliantly played … this jaded old music critic was impressed by the impeccable technique and musicianship of the duo.

Palm Beach Arts Paper

Exquisite … nothing short of brilliant … Their playing left me in awe and amazement. 

Theater Jones

A gateway drug to classical music … [Anderson & Roe] get people listening and having fun doing it. Two highly skilled, energetic young pianists … really wonderful, sensible ensemble … clever, complex arrangements. Their piano four hands performance of their arrangement of the first section of Stravinsky’s ballet The Rite of Spring, which turned 100 last year, was timeless.

Dallas Observer:

Immensely talented and entertaining…  

DFW.com

Mixing music and mayhem … [Anderson & Roe's] playing was marked by virtuosity and bubbled with youthful energy. Excellent music that was markedly different from what we usually hear, a full measure of originality, and Cliburn-level pianism. 

waco and appleton reviews

Reviews from our recent tour:

Waco Tribune:

It was one of those nights that remind you of music's magic and the reason why, despite being in the digital age, we still have live performances.

masterful… exquisite… thundering… passionate… creamy tone… infectious...

The Lawrentian:

[Anderson & Roe transformed] the often stultifyingly traditional and reserved medium of the modern classical music concert into an inventive, emotionally-charged auditory and visual experience.

Anderson & Roe are truly a testament to the continuing power and relevance of classical music and live performance.