New virtual piano festival shines light on Black composers.
A new online music series featuring solo piano works is showcasing Black composers alongside their mostly betterknown white counterparts. Piano Break, presented by the Ross McKee Foundation, is offering an attractive lineup of solo recitals curated and performed by Bay Area pianists. Performances will be streamed at 5 p.m. each Friday on the Ross McKee YouTube channel until the end of September. In recent months, the classical music world has been increasingly criticized for overlooking the work of Black composers. The new series aims to address that oversight, with works by composers including 19th-century prodigy Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker and Arkansas-born Florence Price, who was the first African American woman to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra. Nicholas Pavkovic, executive director of the San Franciscobased Ross McKee Foundation, says that Piano Break was conceived in part to highlight these composers’ neglected gems. “It came together very quickly,” said Pavkovic, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has opened a window for performance streaming. “We just took a look at what was going on in the moment. Black and female composers are very underrepresented in the classical world. And most pianists are looking for new repertoire all the time. When we presented the idea, they jumped at the chance to do music that would not usually show up on classical music programs.” The series is also a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has created an unprecedented loss of performance opportunities and left many artists struggling to make ends meet. Pavkovic said that the foundation is underwriting the performances. Each program runs 30 to 45 minutes. Most are prerecorded from the performers’ homes. The series began last week with pianist Jeffrey LaDeur playing the Piano Sonata No. 3 by George Walker. Music by Chopin, Liszt and Schubert completed the program. This week’s event features pianist Monica Chew, performing Wiggins’ “The Battle of Manassas”; “Homeless Wanderer” by Ethiopian composer Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou; and “Before I’d Be a Slave” by Undine Smith Moore, along with music by Jason Moran and Bongani Ndodana-Breen. The foundation, which supports the Bay Area piano community through scholarships, grants to nonprofits and educational programs, has a history of presenting concerts, most recently a series titled “24 X 24,” featuring Bach fugues played by a slate of pianists. “I think there’ll be some wonderful surprises in these programs as well,” Pavkovic said. The new series is designed to appeal to casual listeners and those who are well-acquainted with the piano repertoire. In solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, the foundation has compiled a guide to piano works by Black composers, now posted on its website. Piano Break will continue, at least until the end of 2020, with additional programs still to be announced. Bay Area pianists interested in performing are invited to apply until the end of August. Application information is available on the foundation’s website. “It is our hope,” said Pavkovic, “that the series will continue beyond the pandemic era and become a part of the Bay Area cultural fabric.” Here’s the Piano Break performance series schedule. Many of the performances will be accessible after the initial concert.
FRIDAY >> Monica Chew, works by Bongani Ndodana-Breen, Jason Moran, Undine Smith Moore, Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins and Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou.
AUG. 14 >> Daniel Glover, works by Muzio Clementi, Carl Maria von Weber and Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins.
AUG. 21 >> Louise Costigan-Kerns, works by Debussy, Gershwin and H. Leslie Adams.
AUG. 28 >> Audrey Vardanega, works by Brahms, Chopin and Mozart.
SEPT. 4 >> Jennifer Peringer, works by Chopin, Robert Schumann, J.S. Bach, Paula Dreyer, Chus Alonso and Tania León.
SEPT. 11 >> Laura Magnani, excerpts from Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s “Twenty-Four Negro Melodies,” Op. 59, along with works by Beethoven and Chopin.
SEPT. 18 >> Ian Scarfe, works by Chopin, Debussy, Florence Price and William Grant Still.
SEPT. 25 >> Rachel Kim, works by Beethoven, Barber and Florence Price.