A Composer's Corner (andrew.celentano)

You have probably heard of Keith Jarrett – an amazing Jazz player. But did you know he has an equally talented brother?!? I didn’t either. I met Chris online recently and checked out his 16+ CDs. His genre is more modern and classical. His technique is pyrotechnic and he has an avant-garde approach that is refreshing. He now lives in Germany and is married to concert pianist Martina Cukrov Jarrett. Chris Jarrett was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1956 and grew up in the Appalachian Mountains to the east. He never doubted that he would become a composer, but things really clicked when he met his future and most important piano teacher, Vincenz Ruzicka. He went to the University of Oldenburg, first as a student, then as a teacher. At first, he composed smaller political piano works, but since then, Chris has written film music, symphonic ballets, choral dramas, operas, oratorios, as well as a huge library of solo piano music. His largest project to date comprises about 300 pages of "16 English Songs" to texts by great poets such as Dryden Donne, Wordsworth, Pope, Burns, Shelley, Fried, Eliot, Alvarez, Blake and others. Chris has toured all over the world including Ukraine, Tunisia, North Africa, Poland, Serbia, France, Canada, Austria, Croatia, Italy, Australia, Singapore, and Indonesia. Earlier this year he toured in the US, including Akron, Dallas, New York City, and Solebury, Pennsylvania. You can find out more about him here: https://www.chrisjarrett.de/ and for more of our interviews, visit us here: https://www.acomposerscorner.com/video-interviews

Michael Dulin is internationally acclaimed as a pianist, composer and producer whose music is enjoyed by fans around the globe. Michael’s albums of original music have twice been awarded the Lifestyle Music Award. Four of his albums have reached the #1 spot on ZMR World Airplay Charts. His CD, My Beloved, won Best Solo Piano Album honors at the EPR Radio Awards concert at Carnegie Hall.

He has also toured as keyboardist with the legendary Motown group, The Temptations.

Ricker Choi has a successful career in financial risk management but his real loves are music and painting. Ricker began studying piano at age 13, after his family immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong. June 2019, he had a shocking awakening when 1 million, and then 2 million Hong Kongers marched in unity against the extradition law. Seeing Hong Kongers' bravery when faced with rampant police brutality and oppression from the Chinese Communist Party, Ricker decides to use art to honor Hong Kongers. He composed a solo piano work "Hong Kong Rhapsody" (香港狂想曲) in honor of Hong Konger's fight for freedom. He has also been using his protest art to raise money for organizations that help HongKongers seeking new lives in Canada, USA and UK. “Hong Kong Rhapsody” has been labeled by the Chinese state media as “separatist art and music”, and on April 20, 2022, Wen Hui Bao, a Chinese regime funded news paper, accused Ricker of having infringed on the National Security Law, thereby banning Ricker from entering Hong Kong and mainland China. You can see more of Ricker Choi at www.RickerChoi.com and more videos at www.RickerChoi.com/videos You can see more recorded interviews and live as well at www.AComposersCorner.com

Betty Wishart began composing while studying piano with Richard Bunger. After earning degrees in piano performance from Queens University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she pursued studies in both piano and composition in New York City.

Since her music was first published, her music has been performed in France, Germany, Greece, Italy, England, Russia, South Korea, and throughout the United States. She has received awards from the American Pen Women, American College of Musicians, Composers Guild, Broward County Music Teachers Association, and special awards from ASCAP.

In March 2016 Ravello Records released Piano Sonorities, the debut album of Wishart’s piano music .…”an utterly beguiling collection of piano music (Classical Nowhere). MOODS, an album of piano music was released in November 2020 by Ravello Records. MOODS….. ” An exceptional endeavor in the area of solo piano music, each selection brings the listener on an exhilarating and enlightening journey that truly showcases the boundlessness of the piano”(Take Effect Review). Other recordings have been released by Navona Records, Sarton Records and Phasma Music.

We will listen to a sampling of her music including a special piece commissioned on the subject of Domestic Violence which is very moving.

PLEASE NOTE: The video portion of Night Vision I and II has been disabled per agreement with the performer. The audio is still intact for your enjoyment. go to www.bettywishart.com for more information you can download some of her sheet music here: https://www.connerspublications.com see more of my interviews here: https://www.acomposerscorner.com

I interviewed David in Dec 2022. Born and raised in the small sylvan town of Mendham, New Jersey, David Tolk studied classical piano from an early age with his mother, Marilyn Tolk, who is a graduate of The Juilliard School. During his teenage years, David became more interested in learning to play the music of Rush, Journey, Van Halen, Kansas, Genesis, Yes, and other bands on the piano and his Korg synthesizers. He quickly discovered that he could play most songs on the radio by ear. He began composing peaceful instrumental piano music while still in high school.

David has released ten new age instrumental piano albums which have received national distribution and radio airplay. David's 2010 instrumental piano CD release, "David Tolk Christmas," peaked at #8 on the Billboard New Age Chart for the week of December 25, 2010. In February of 2022, David released his newest album, Blessings, which peaked as the #1 best-selling new-age album on Amazon shortly after its release. David's music has received more than 6005 million streams on Pandora His music has been featured on Public Radio programs including "Hearts of Space" and "Echoes." David has composed music for Warner/Chappell Production Music for licensing in film and commercials. David's music is available for purchase at www.davidtolk.com, iTunes, Amazon.com, and numerous other digital download sites. You can also listen to his music for free on Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and many other streaming sites.

You can see more of him here: https://www.davidtolk.com/

And more of my interviews here:https://www.acomposerscorner.com/

In this Composer's Corner Interview with Andrew Celentano, Dianne features her wonderful Christmas arrangements imbedding traditional Christmas music with the compositions of Chopin and Debussy. Dianne Davies explores the deeper meaning of music and human connection through a shared experience. Since earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Piano Performance and earning Oregon music education certification for K-12 instruction, Dianne offers high-quality performances and cutting-edge education. Whether she is guiding students, drilling down into the deeper meaning of performance repertoire, or exploring innovative compositional devices, Dianne speaks from the heart and shares an impactful and inspiring experience. When she isn’t composing, playing, or teaching, you will catch her doing a jigsaw puzzle, snow shoeing in the cascades and reading Jane Austen. You can find out more about her at https://musiqpower.com/

How do composers approach writing music? Join Andrew Celentano for an interesting interview with Jeff Berlin, an American jazz fusion bassist. Berlin, born in Queens, New York, studied violin for ten years. Then at 15 years old, he was inspired to play bass after seeing the Beatles. He attended Berklee College of Music and came to international attention in 1977 when British musician/drummer Bill Bruford handpicked him for his debut album "Feels Good to Me". As of this interview in 2022, Jeff had produced 11 Jazz CDs and has appeared in over 30 albums. Andrew Celentano, himself a pianist and composer, interviews talented musicians from all over the US and around the world that compose and (in many cases) perform their own pieces.

You can see more at https://www.jeffberlinmusicgroup.com/

And find more interviews at https://www.acomposerscorner.com/

Christine Elise is a rising star in the music industry, gaining recognition for her emotionally powerful lyrics and distinctive vocal style. Based in Massachusetts, Elise has swiftly captured the attention of music enthusiasts with her evocative songwriting and dynamic stage presence.

Christine Elise’s journey into music seems almost written in the stars. As the granddaughter of the illustrious Italian opera singer Luigi Vena, who performed for President John F. Kennedy, Christine was steeped in a legacy of musical excellence from an early age. Her artistic path has been shaped by the influences of legendary voices like Anne Murray, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey, guiding her to develop a distinctive vocal style that beautifully balances innocence with sultriness.

A prominent figure in the Boston music scene, Christine Elise has graced renowned venues such as the Custom House and captivated audiences at high-profile events, including the “Blood: Water Mission” fundraiser at The Montage in Beverly Hills, where she shared the stage with Robby Fontana. Her performances are celebrated for their emotional depth and intimacy, reflecting her deep-rooted connection to a wide array of musical genres.

Christine Elise’s music is characterized by its emotional depth and her ability to connect with audiences through poignant storytelling and inventive soundscapes. Her artistic vision continues to evolve, and she is quickly establishing herself as a notable emerging artist in the industry.

You can see more about her at : https://christineelise.com/

and more archived interviews at: https://www.acomposerscorner.com/video-interviews

Philip Wesley, is an award-winning and best-selling solo piano artist. His compositions, which have featured prominently in radio, TV, and film, resonate with listeners worldwide and are easily accessible on platforms such as Pandora, Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon. Wesley has achieved impressive chart-topping success, including reaching #1 on iTunes and multiple Billboard charts.

He started out as a guitar player and then gravitated to the piano when it was required in his musical training. Philip entered the world of Music Therapy and his album "Dark Night of the Soul" has touched the hearts of many deeply, helped them deal with tough times and depression. You will see some of that evidenced in this interview.

For more information, visit his website: www.philipwesley.com

You will find over 30 complete songs on the website. In addition, he has a blog with wonderful insight into the musical chords he uses and the composer's thoughts behind the construction of some of his pieces.

Born and raised in Borrisokane, County Tipperary, Ireland, Áine Minogue is an award-winning harpist, singer, arranger and composer who has entertained Presidents and Prime Ministers, as well as traveled extensively to perform at concerts across the United States and around the world. At the age of 12, while at boarding school in County Galway, Áine discovered her true love - the harp. After completing school, she spent three years developing her incomparable talent as a harpist at Bunratty Castle, one of Ireland’s most treasured landmarks and the perfect setting to accentuate the harp's emotional and lyrical connections to Irish history. With a dozen solo album recordings to her credit, Áine has been nominated for several awards for her work as a record producer. Her recordings include Were You at the Rock, To Warm the Winter's Night, The Mysts of Time, Between the Worlds, Circle of the Sun, The Twilight Realm, Celtic Meditation Music, Celtic Pilgrimage, Celtic Lamentations, and Close Your Eyes, Love. She also has collaborated on a series of music videos with filmmaker Michael Yip entitled Winter, A Celtic Meditation. Áine’s music, in varying styles including Celtic, World, Folk, Spiritual and New Age, has appeared on compilations for industry labels such as BMG, Decca, Universal, Virgin Records, Windham Hill and Putumayo. Many of these albums have topped Billboard Magazine’s World, New Age and Classical Charts for months at a time. In addition, she has completed extensive soundtrack work for PBS, NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and MTV. She has a Master’s Degree in Traditional Irish Harp Performance from the University of Limerick, Ireland. Her music is on Pandora, Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon. You can follow Áine on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. you can find more here: https://aineminogue.com/ and more interviews here: https://www.acomposerscorner.com/vide...

Jacob “NTHNL” Rudin is a classically trained composer and pianist turned multi-flutist, producer and sound-healing practitioner. Having created electronic and acoustic music in a wide variety of contexts since 2012, Jacob works in both the healing and contemporary music worlds, drawing on a rich sonic practice that involves experimental sound design, field recording, and virtuosic performances on a wide range of instruments. He frequently holds meditative sound baths in the greater NYC area. You can find more on Instagram and https://www.nthnlsound.com/ Here is an overseas review: The American producer serves us a sumptuous instrument work that reminds us of Floating Points, Anenon and Nils Petter Molvaer for the approach at Ambient meditative qualities. Organic arrangements, with its recording of the surrounding sounds, juxtaposed with the Nippon -inspired flute and electronic sounds are moving away from the sempiternal New Age music with grace. You can find more interviews like this at: www.AComposersCorner.com

Leonard Bernstein said of pianist Jeffrey Biegel: "He plays fantastic Liszt. He is a splendid musician and a brilliant performer." These comments helped launch his career. He was chosen as the first pianist to record for the Steinway & Sons recording label. His 'Bach On a Steinway' debuted #3 on the Classical Billboard charts, followed by 'A Steinway Christmas Album' reaching the #1 spot on the Billboard chart. Jeffrey has commissioned more than 25 works for piano and orchestra by living composers, including classical composers like Kenneth Fuchs. Mr. Biegel has also featured works including Keith Emerson's "Concerto no. 1" and Peter Tork's (of Monkee's Fame) "Moderato ma non troppo."

Mr. Biegel appeared on ABC-TV's Good Morning America, where he performed the missing sections of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. That was followed by a performance with the American Symphony Orchestra in New York's Avery Fisher Hall, which among other things, featured the World Premiere of Mr. Biegel's transcription of Mily Balakirev's 'Islamey Fantasy' for piano and orchestra. Jeffrey has performed with orchestras across the US including Philadelphia, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Buffalo and Cincinnati as well as around the world, including Tokyo, Oslo, Bergen, London, Singapore, Denmark, Ulster, Monte Carlo, Istanbul, Palermo, France and more.

see more at https://jeffreybiegel.com/

see more interviews at https://www.acomposerscorner.com/

David Nevue is an internationally recognized pianist, composer, and recording artist. David has released seventeen albums of his original piano works and arrangements, including two "Piano Album of the Year" winners; Overcome (2005) and Winding Down (2015). His latest album of new works, 2019's In the Soft Light of Grace, went to #1 on both the Amazon.com and iTunes music sales charts for his genre and entered the top 5 on Billboard's album charts. David's music has surpassed 1.8 Billion spins on Pandora Radio, a remarkable feat for an independent artist. A seasoned performer, David has shared the stage with some of the genre's most recognized names, including David Lanz, Wayne Gratz, Peter Kater, Suzanne Ciani, Chad Lawson, Michele McLaughlin and seventy other pianists. David’s music can be heard virtually anywhere you listen to music, including Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, Amazon Music, Alexa ("Alexa, play David Nevue"), YouTube, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, Music Choice and Pandora Radio. You can find out much more on his website: https://www.davidnevue.com/about.htm which includes samples from ALL his CDs and full tracks on this page: https://www.davidnevue.com/listen.htm You can find more interviews like this at: https://www.acomposerscorner.com/video-interviews

Andrew Celentano interviews 3 time Grammy Award Winner Paul Avgerinos for A Composers Corner

Join Andrew Celentano, a talented local pianist and composer himself, for an interesting interview with David Vess: a composer, conductor, and musician, previously based in New England and how hailing from Florida. His music has been characterized by a sensitivity to sonority and unrelenting energy. His music has been commissioned and performed in the US, Canada, Italy, and Japan. He studied with renowned soloist Øystein Baadsvik. David holds degrees from the Boston Conservatory and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Before his move to Florida he was on the staff at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. You can find out more about him here: https://www.davidvessmusic.com/music

Join Interviewer Andrew Celentano, a New England pianist and composer himself, as he interviews composer, Dr. Elizabeth R. Austin. Learn about her musical beginnings to becoming a talented contemporary classical composer with compositions ranging from solo piano pieces to chamber music to orchestral works to operas. Elizabeth’s education includes The Peabody Conservatory, The Conservatoire Americana in Fontainebleau, France, and The Hartt School of Music (University of Hartford) where she earned a Master’s in Music. While studying for her Ph.D. at The University of Connecticut, she won her First Prize in the Lipscomb Electronic Music Competition. Elizabeth’s awards have included a Connecticut Commission on the Arts grant, First Prize in The Mariam Gideon Competition and a Rockefeller Foundation residency at Bellagio, Italy. Dr. Austin was also the Vanderbilt University Composer in Residence in 2015.

Phil Young composes music in various forms, including symphonic, chamber, electronic, vocal, and film. His ability fusing Chinese and western elements in his music enriches his originality. His music has been performed at music institutions and venues throughout the United States and all around the world including Shanghai, Germany, Russia, Hong Kong, Barcelona, and England.

His music “Reverie” and “Reflection on a Tang Poem” have been published in exclusive anthologies of contemporary Chinese music. His composition for cello and piano “Consolation” (for all the people Suffering from the Pandemic) has been included in the KDFC Classical Music Station’s programing. “Fantasy for Orchestra”, “Lament”, “Suzhou River Fantasie”, “Sea Waves ” and “Fire Dance” have all received special recognition.

A graduate and a scholarship recipient of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Phil Young studied composition with professor Elinor Armer. Phil Young currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area and has been involved with various local performing groups including as Music Director of the Chinese Performing Artists of America and Conductor of CPAA Youth Chamber Orchestra.

You find out more about him at https://philyoungmusic.com/

And you can find other interviews at https://www.acomposerscorner.com/

Kevin Tracy was born and raised in Rhode Island and now lives in Connecticut. He has taught at many levels, from grade four up through “grade fourteen.” Mr. Tracy is a teacher, a conductor, and a composer of music in a variety of genres, including classical, jazz, funk, avant-garde, and heavy metal.

For those musicians out there, we will hear a piece that was composed in the Locrian Mode and also one using the Octatonic Scale. I heard one of his compositions recently played by the Windham Concert band on the Windham Green called “North Windham Overture”.

Kevin is a trombone player in the Willimantic Orchestra.

You can watch more interviews here:

https://www.acomposerscorner.com/video-interviews

Didi Stewart is an associate professor in the Voice Department at Berklee College of Music. A two-time winner of the Boston Music Award for best female vocalist, Stewart has been a longtime fixture on the Boston music scene. Her first original rock band, Didi Stewart and the Amplifiers, recorded the album Begin Here for Kirshner/Epic Records in 1983. Her second band, Girls' Night Out, was one of the top-grossing acts in New England and was named best unsigned band by Musician magazine in 1986. Throughout the 1990s, Stewart was known her ongoing series of songwriter tributes, celebrating such composers as Laura Nyro, Carole King, Randy Newman, Jacques Brel, Rodgers & Hart, and Cole Porter. The critically acclaimed An Evening of Burt Bacharach and Hal David won a Boston Magazine award for best club performance. A prolific composer for film and television, Stewart's songs have been featured on Melrose Place, One Life to Live, The Young and the Restless, Touched by an Angel, Dark Skies, Any Day Now, The Twilight Zone, and The Beast. Her most recent album, the country-pop excursion Harmonyville, was released in 2006. We will be covering a wide range of her music including some very topical political satire. You can find out more about Didi here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063706440404

J.J. Hollingsworth, who is of Native American descent, was born in Colorado Springs and has composed over one hundred works, including three musicals, a symphony, and a film score. JJ holds a masters degree in composition from the highly regarded San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Elinor Armer, one of California’s outstanding composers.

She was named one of the 2000 outstanding musicians of the 20th century by the International Who’s Who in Music in the area of composition. She also won the Raymond Hubbell award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

Pianist and composer Charu Suri treads fearlessly between genres, pulling global influences that range from the mood-anchoring Indian ragas, Sufi music, to the trio. Her ground-breaking albums, The Book of Ragas, and its sequel, The Book of Ragas vol. 2 have often elicited the response, "I've never heard this type of sound before."

One of the few female composers from India to perform works at Carnegie Hall, Charu has lived in four continents, and writes music that reflects her journey as both a traveler and her training as a classical music piano prodigy. She has been playing the piano since the age of five, and performing since the age of nine, and one of her best memories is winning an international piano competition at the age of 15.

Her last album, RAGAS & WALTZES has received a lot of praise from critics and reviews in magazines like JAZZIA and All About Jazz. "The New American Songbook" has garnered many awards, including a "Band Single of the Year" crystal trophy for her song, Bluesy, awarded by the International Singer-Songwriters Association (ISSA) in 2021.

you can find out more about Charu at: https://www.charusuri.com/

and see more interviews at: https://www.acomposerscorner.com/video-interviews

Marti Epstein (November 25, 1959) started studying composition in 1977 with Professor Robert Beadell at the University of Nebraska. She has degrees from the University of Colorado and Boston University, and her principal teachers were Cecil Effinger, Charles Eakin, Joyce Mekeel, Bunita Marcus, and Bernard Rands. Marti’s music has been performed all over the world by ensembles, which include the San Francisco Symphony, the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Frankfurt, the Atlantic Brass Quintet, and Ensemble Modern. She is Professor of Composition at Berklee College of Music, where she has taught harmony, counterpoint, and composition since 1991, and is also on the faculty of Boston Conservatory. Marti is a 2020 Guggenheim Fellow in Music Composition. You can find out more about her here: https://martiepstein.com/ You can see more interviews here: https://www.acomposerscorner.com/vide...

Kimberly StarKey, also known as The Rogue Pianist, is a multi award-winning classically trained contemporary pianist, composer, and piano teacher born and raised in Southern Oregon's Rogue Valley. Her musical style can be described as powerful, radiant, and inspiring. Rooted in both romantic-classical and contemporary styles, her composition Approach to the Inmost Cave won Best Original Composition at the 2023 Lit Talent Awards, and her Composition Symphony of Angels won Best Original Composition. Kimberly co-wrote a contemporary double piano concerto named The Fire Within, the title track of Jennifer Thomas' album The Fire Within. She has been featured in 7 music videos including Pride and Prejudice, a Spoken Word piece by Journal awarded Best Music Video by the LA Independent Film Festival in 2019. Kimberly founded Keys Unleashed Academy, an online-based program that teaches adults and children of all levels to improvise and compose beautiful music on the piano. You can see more interviews here: https://www.acomposerscorner.com/