PIANO SPHERES: Vicki Ray: The Rilke Project

Piano Spheres is a concert series for contemporary and 20th Century classical piano that I have been attending since 2006. It's always worth attending.
Date: March 10 @ 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Venue: 2220 Arts + Archives
2220 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90057

Tickets: $25 General $15 Seniors and Students
https://pianospheres.org/event/vicki-ray-the-rilke-project/

In “The Rilke Project,” pianist Vicki Ray recites poetry by Rainer Maria Rilke which has deeply influenced her work over the years. The poems will be paired with new and recent repertoire for piano, piano and voice, piano and percussion, and piano and electronics. World premieres by David Rhodes, Steuart Liebig, and Joseph Pereira will be performed as well as repertoire by Peter Eötvös, Charles Ives, and others. The evening features special guests Elissa Johnston and Joseph Pereira.

“This has been a lifetime project for me,” Ray says of her love affair with Rilke’s work. “It means so much to me to share this pairing of text and music – I’ve dreamed about it forever.”

PROGRAM:
Leonard Bernstein – “Two Love Songs”
Steuart Liebig – “Intermediary” (premiere)
Charles Ives – “The Cage”
Andrew Tholl – “A Grain of Salt at Arm’s Length”
Joseph Pereira – “Magnificent Desolation” (premiere of new version)
Peter Eötvös – “O Rose!”
David Rhodes – “Bright Traces” (premiere)
The poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke will be interwoven throughout the program

Critics have called Piano Spheres “A nourishing, lasting LA invention” and one of “our most imaginative, best-planned, courageous and stimulating concert series.” Perhaps the LA Times said it best: “Clearly, Piano Spheres is intent on promoting new musical piano culture, not only by affording a handful of L.A.’s finest [pianists] a regular showcase, but also helping to expand and update the existing solo piano repertoire and offer needed encouragement to young composers.”

To date, Piano Spheres’ core artists and renowned guest artists have presented 830 works for piano by more than 300 composers from across the globe, of which 92 are women and 254 are American. These works include solo, duo piano, piano chamber music, and piano vocal music, comprising 126 premieres, 44 of which were commissioned by PS itself. Past performances are presented both on our website and the Piano Spheres YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@PianoSpheres