All By Ourselves

To wrap up this challenging year, we present a new music video that captures 2020's states of loneliness, heartache, and longing: ALL BY MYSELF, a mash-up of Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto and Eric Carmen's song "All By Myself" (famously covered by powerhouse pop diva Celine Dion in the 1990s).

 All by myself / Don’t wanna be / All by myself / Anymore ...

In isolation and separated from each other by nearly 3,000 miles, we couldn’t have said it better! We hope our mash-up resonates with you during this age of anxiety. Beyond the obvious relevance of the title and lyrics, the recognizable nature of this song coupled with the sweeping romanticism of Rachmaninoff’s textures feed our craving for comfort and connection. Please feel free to sing along with our performance; music like this invites a much-needed collective catharsis, and we hope it carries you forward into the new year with a resurgence of hope.

(Keep an eye out for our dream venue Carnegie Hall. ✨😉)

#peaceout2020

Joplin-tastic three-piano party 🥳

Happy birthday, Scott Joplin! To celebrate the King of Ragtime (born #onthisday in 1868), we're thrilled to premiere our new THREE-piano music video: "Maple Leaf Rag Fantasy," starring the winner of Portland Piano International's youth competition, 10-year-old Killian Page! Even though we were physically separated in three different cities across the US, creating this video turned out to be one of the most uplifting activities we've engaged in during this period of isolation. And we'll never forget the wonder in Killian's face when we revealed the video to him for the first time! Amidst the many difficulties of 2020, we’re feeling extra grateful for the gifts of music, creativity, connection, joy, and all of you.

For those of you interested in recreating the fun at home, you can find the sheet music here.

Heart's Distance

The pandemic has caused disruption of some sort in everyone’s life. Throughout the summer months, we’ve worked around the clock to put together an ambitious two-day Virtual Extravaganza—streaming live this weekend!—in partnership with Portland Piano International as our response to the current state of the performing arts industry and society at large.

One of the biggest artistic challenges of quarantined existence has been virtual collaborative performance. We’ve encountered substantial obstacles in attempting to recreate the synchronization of an in-person performance; alas, we are isolated across the country from each other.

Latency caused by transmitting audio over the internet can get in the way of achieving coordination in real-time. There are two causes to latency — the time it takes computers to process the audio data and the time it takes data to travel from the source to its destination. There are premium hardware and software-based solutions that can nearly eliminate the processing time, powering nearly real-time performance and recording between musicians located near one another (approximately 70 miles apart or less). But no matter the speed of our equipment or software, nothing can travel faster than the speed of light (thank you Einstein).

For us situated nearly 3,000 miles apart, this results in a 13-16 millisecond delay, which is not a satisfactory solution that would enable a live performance meeting our standards of synchronization. Not to mention, our bodies feel sound, and our timing in music hinges on that feeling. There are so many factors at play when we perform live together and any degree of latency is viscerally tricky to overcome.

So alas, we’re stuck with network traffic and trying to balance fluctuations from multiple locations with varied latencies. Even with the fastest available internet connections, sophisticated equipment, the support of Portland Piano International’s excellent resources, and a listener’s potential tolerance for the inevitable delays, we have been inspired to seek new creative solutions for this issue, all of which will be on display during this weekend’s performances!

Filming and recording at lightning speed, rapid costume changes, and editing on the floor. The show must go on!

We’ve captured the essence of a live Anderson & Roe concert experience by creating a virtual festival that’s chock full of interactivity, variety, and personalization. Everyone involved in this project was suddenly reinvigorated when we were instantly able to feel that heart-to-heart connection during our virtual rehearsal last week. We’ll be sure to share lots of behind-the-scenes details in today’s #TwoPianoTuesday chat on Facebook Live (6PM Eastern).

After months of hard work, we are extremely excited to share these unique, interactive events with you! Purchase your ticket for our two-day concert experience now. Join us on August 15 & 16 at 7pm ET / 4pm PT for the magic of live concerts, with all the spontaneity, risk, and connection we cherish. On the docket:

• The world premieres of five new Anderson & Roe arrangements

• Nearly a dozen brand-new music videos

• Live performances of solo and duo piano music

• A live appearance by the winner of our Maple Leaf Rag youth competition (featured in our playful three-piano music video)

• Gerd Kühr's Corona Meditation performed by over 30 pianists from Portland & beyond

• Piano miniatures of Satie narrated live by Portland-based luminaries

• The opportunity to title our as-of-yet unnamed composition for multiple pianos based on Balakirev's Islamey

• Our mashup up of Rach 2 and "All By Myself"

• Trivia competitions

• Curated commentary

Each ticket grants access to both performances—use the discount code “lizandgreg2020” for 20% off.

Our mission to make classical music a powerful and relevant force in our society is as important as ever. We could not do this work without the love and support from our inspirational families, friends, and fans. We appreciate all of you beyond words and cannot wait to connect with you in person again. Until then, we’ll connect as closely as the speed of light and the physical distance will allow.

See you this weekend! 💗

“Programming.” 🎹🖌

The Cascades

The second of our Portland Piano Virtual Extravaganza events kicks off with our new cover of “The Cascades” from Fleet Foxes, one of the 21st century’s premier indie rock bands. The band was formed in the Pacific Northwest and its culture, environment, and sensibilities play an integral role in the band’s earthy, folk-inflected sound.  

“The Cascades” captivated us from our first listen. The celestial interplay of the melody gave us the feeling of soaring above the trees with the wind rushing upon our faces, and the subtle harmonic changes evoked the image of light and shadow dancing upon distant mountaintops. We hiked the Cascades in 2015, experiencing for ourselves the wild beauty we aim to capture in our two-piano arrangement and simple, hearty, Old Fashioned-inspired cocktail.

Portland’s Freeland Spirits makes their rich, velvety bourbon uniquely Pacific Northwestern by giving it a final rest in Oregon’s Elk Cove Pinot Noir barrels. The wine barrels impart a smoky berry layer to the Bourbon that pairs perfectly with Oregon’s famous marionberries (blackberries are a suitable substitute for those of you elsewhere). Marionberries have a complex, earthy flavor that is both sweet and tart, nicely accenting the caramel and vanilla inherent in Freeland’s exceptional bourbon. Orange bitters and zest add bright citrus notes and draw out a hint of marmalade hidden in the bourbon’s spicy aroma. We invite you to experiment with more/less sugar or soda water to find the perfect Cascadian cocktail for you.

The Cascades

(A Marionberry Old Fashioned)

Yield: 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Freeland Spirits Bourbon

• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

• 1-2 dashes Angostura bitters

• 1-2 dashed orange bitters

• 5 fresh marionberries (or substitute with blackberries)

• Ice cubes

• Orange peel strip

• Club soda (optional)

Instructions:

Combine the sugar, bitters, and three marionberries in a cocktail shaker. Muddle the mixture until sugar is dissolved, then add the bourbon and ice cubes. Stir well and strain into an Old-Fashioned glass. Top with soda (if so inclined), add a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange peel and two berries on a skewer… a cocktail umbrella will do in a pinch pandemic.

Cheers!

Everyone is welcome to participate with an alcohol-free, Cascadian creation.

Marionberry Lemonade

Yeild: 1 drink

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup simple syrup*

• 4 marionberries

• Juice of one lemon

• 1 cup water or soda

• 3/4 cup ice

Instructions:

*Simple syrup is even parts sugar and water heated in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water make about a quart of syrup which can be stored in the fridge and used for several lemonades.

Muddle three marionberries in a cocktail shaker, then add the lemon juice, simple syrup, and ice cubes. Stir well and strain into an appropriate glass. Top with water or soda, add a large ice cube, and garnish with an orange peel and a berry on a skewer.

The Corona Meditation

Our upcoming Portland Piano Virtual Extravaganza program will feature Corona Mediation, a new work written in April 2020 by Austrian composer Gerd Kühr in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Expansive and reflective, the piece provides a compelling musical commentary on the time we’ve all spent in quarantine together, yet isolated apart. Blossoming forth then collapsing, brilliantly clear then seemingly disordered, Kühr’s Corona Meditation creates a quietly cosmic play of opposites and inspires a cocktail redolent of a stroll in a mystical garden.

Wishing to feature local ingredients in our cocktail, we selected a deliciously fragrant gin from Portland’s Freeland Spirits as the perfect base for our meditative cocktail. At once earthy and light, its quintessential herbs and spices are brightened by a crisp citrus pop. We leaned into the gin’s citrus notes by adding fresh lemon and tied the botanical hints together with a delicate floral layer of St. Germaine elderflower liqueur and our divine chamomile syrup. An egg white froth adds an extravagant texture and the perfect finishing touch to our cocktail. When experienced with Gerd Kühr’s Corona Meditation, we’re instantly transported to a garden blooming with sounds, flavors, scents, and textures to delight and soothe the senses and the soul.

We recommend a warm, calming cup of chamomile tea to our friends who wish to participate, but prefer not to consume alcohol. 😌🍵

The Corona Meditation

Yield: 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

• 1½ oz Freeland Spirits Gin

• ¾ oz fresh lemon juice

• ½ oz white tea syrup*

• ¼ oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur

• ½ oz egg white, lightly beaten (substitute with aquafaba for a vegan cocktail)

• slice of lemon peel (optional)

Instructions:

*Prepare the white tea syrup by bringing six ounces of water to a boil. Add two bags of your favorite chamomile tea and steep for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags and add 3/4 cup of granulated sugar (or 12 ounces sugar by weight) and stir over heat until clear. Bottle and chill your syrup until ready for use.

Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake until very cold, then fine-strain the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass. Express the oils of a lemon peel over the surface of the drink, discard the peel, sip, and savor in bliss. 🧘🧘‍♀️

P.S. Special thanks to Jeffrey Morgenthaler and Freeland Spirits for the creation of this recipe!