Portland Piano Virtual Extravaganza!

Back in March, right before the world turned upside down, we were eagerly looking forward to performing in Portland (one of our favorite cities!). The concerts were postponed, as were the remainder of our 2020 live events, and we found ourselves isolated apart, mulling over how we could best continue our mission to make classical music a relevant and powerful force in society. Since the lockdown began, we edited and released new music videos that speak to our time (including our Hallelujah Variations), appeared on various virtual panels, and connected with our fans via our weekly Facebook Live show #TwoPianoTuesdays (Tuesdays at 6pm EDT).

But when Portland Piano International asked us to present two virtual performances this August, we took a deep breath and wondered whether such a thing were possible or even worthwhile, especially when we already have dozens of previously prepared music videos that audiences can watch on their own time. We asked ourselves, “How can we recreate everything we love about live performance, but in a virtual world?” It wouldn’t be worth the trouble without a strong sense of community, the thrill of risk taking, and a profound connection with humanity.

We faced further challenges knowing the two of us couldn’t perform together in person. Typically we’re at each other’s side during our jam-packed touring careers, though we *technically* reside on opposite coasts. Now with changing travel/lockdown situations and Greg's regular exposure to the virus (his husband is an ER doctor working hard on the frontlines), we decided it would be safest to isolate in our respective homes over 2,500 miles apart.

Nevertheless, Portland Piano’s proposal kicked our creativity and inspiration into high gear, and our brainstorming sessions were flooded with exciting new ideas! We’ve spent the past several weeks devising, organizing, and preparing, and we’re finally ready to announce our Virtual Piano Extravaganza, set for August 15 & 16.

We are resolved to make these virtual events feel impactful and relevant to our times, surprising, highly interactive, and lovingly tailored to the city of Portland. Our goal is to capture the in-the-moment essence of live performance and provide a valuable opportunity for music-lovers, both locally and around the world, to connect with each other and the joy of piano music. Featuring multiple world premieres of new compositions and music videos, each concert will invite key participation from members of the Portland Piano community and our global fanbase.

We’ve planned question & answer sessions, trivia competitions (with prizes!), and curated commentary in addition to nearly a dozen new music videos, five new Anderson & Roe arrangements, and live performances of solo and duo music. Look forward to a cosmic performance of Gerd Kühr’s “Corona Meditation” featuring dozens of local Portland pianists, our new multi-piano fantasy based on Balakirev’s Islamey (you can help us pick the title!), the winner of our youth competition featured in a wild and funky three-piano music video, piano works of Satie’s narrated by Portland thespians and luminaries, debriefs with Performance Today’s Fred Child, and much more.

But these events need YOU! See how you can participate in the festivities and learn more about the programs here. It’ll be a classical piano experience like you’ve never seen before. We can’t wait to see you there!

UPDATE: Use our discount code “lizandgreg2020” for 20% off your tickets. 🤩🎹🎉

Lark's Song

On May 7, we celebrated our beloved Johannes Brahms’ 187th birthday quarantine-style, isolated apart cross-country. Enjoy our brand new arrangement of his ethereal “Lark's Song” ("Lerchengesang").

This project came together at the last minute. We knew we wanted to create something special to send our dear friend Michael Hawley (to whom we dedicated the video). Mike has been an ardent supporter of our work from the very start, blessing us with career-boosting opportunities and life-changing introductions, and it was high time we thanked him properly.

We had just arranged the work for our spring concerts, and Brahms’ birthday, our friend Mike, and the desire to pursue our mission all inspired us to try our hands at a quarantine-style “performance.” Filmed and edited in only a few hours, it was considerably less work than our usual music videos, though we had to be crafty to get the synchronization just right.

For those interested, you can find the sheet music here.

The magic and grace present throughout this experience is a testament to our incredible muse. We love you, Mike!

Lark’s Song

Ethereal distant voices,
Heavenly greetings of the larks,
How sweetly you stir
My breast, you delightful voices!

Gently I close my eyes,
And memories pass by
In soft twilights,
Pervaded by the breath of spring.

Virtual Connection

We’re committed to connecting with our fragmented global community of family, friends, and fans however we can these days. To that end, we created our Facebook Live series #TwoPianoTuesday (Tuesdays at 6pm EDT) and we are loving it!

While we were incredibly disappointed to see tour dates canceled, we’re thrilled to have found the connection with our audience that we’ve been missing. We asked and you sent in great questions about our new Hallelujah Variations music video and our discussion on the art of two-piano playing spawned email conversations with fans around the world. We loved revisiting our unforgettable years at The Juilliard School with so many classmates and colleagues tuned in and our Star Wars Day / Cinco de Mayo / Mothers Day party wouldn’t have been the same without you. 🤗 Keep sending us your questions and updates and invite your friends to join the #TwoPianoTuesday conversation.

Your continued love and support has meant the world to us! Each comment, critique, and donation has been received with utmost appreciation and gratitude, as proof that our connection is strong. 🙌

“Only connect! ...and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height. Live in fragments no longer.”

— E.M. Forster

From the Top, part I🎙️

Radio listeners! Just before the world turned upside down we had the amazing opportunity to co-host two episodes of NPR's From the Top, featuring performances and interviews with outstanding young musicians from around the country. One of the two shows began broadcasting this past week and is archived here.

From the Top is a national non-profit that provides extraordinary young artists with generous scholarships, performance opportunities in premier venues across the country, national exposure to over a half million listeners on its weekly NPR show, and leadership and community engagement preparation, all made possible in part by a grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.

A&R Fun Fact: Greg was a featured young artist on From the Top as a teen and went on to receive a scholarship years later from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. 🙌

We were honored to host the show given our long history with the program, the sponsoring foundation, and our overlapping missions, but nothing could have prepared us for what a meaningful experience it would turn out to be. We loved getting to know the young musicians; their artistry and enthusiasm elevated our hopes for the future of classical music. Each of their stories and performances were uniquely inspiring and we were grateful to have so many opportunities to interact with them over the course of this project.

In the week preceding the live taping, we joined the young musicians in community engagement sessions at Edgar Allan Poe Elementary School in Annandale, VA. We especially enjoyed observing the middle schoolers’ genuine excitement and enthusiasm. They were clearly inspired!

To celebrate the episode’s release, we capped off our From the Top hosting experience with a Facebook LiveChat with the young musicians, discussing everything from life on the stage to life in isolation.

Group Meditation ☮️

We were approached recently by our friends at Graz’s Styriarte Music Festival to participate in the world premiere of Gerd Kühr’s “Corona Meditation.” The highly reflective piece is designed to be performed by any number of pianists meditating at once, creating “an effect of expansion similar to the expansion of the cosmos.” Our stars aligned and the first performance took place on April 30th 2020, 20:20 p.m.

It was a truly wonderful experience. We’re beyond grateful to have shared that cosmic musical moment and thrilled to be able to share it with you!