Project In Brief

  • Metropolis and pianist Han Chen co-commissioned 18 world premieres after Ligeti’s iconic piano études.

  • Each new work was paired with one of Ligeti’s 18 études for a sold-out piano recital at National Sawdust.

  • The concert was inspired by Han Chen’s latest studio album of Ligeti works along with his Metropolis interview series, Migration Music.

  • “Infinite Staircase was a marathon of canonical music and new works that displayed exquisite programming, stupendous technique, and forward-thinking expansion of classical music’s best traditions… Han Chen’s perfectly calibrated touch and transitions created an immersive and seamless musical universe.” (I Care If You Listen)

 
Project Partners
 
 

Commissioning Project

2022–2023
  • Metropolis and pianist Han Chen co-commissioned a diverse cohort of 18 contemporary composers to study a specific Ligeti etude and create a response.
  • Composers included Nick Bentz, Shiuan Chang, Victoria Cheah, Jessie Cox, Fjóla Evans, Vivian Fung, David Fulmer, Chiayu Hsu, Tengku Irfan, Molly Joyce, Jihyun Kim, Jared Miller, Tom Morrison, Gity Razaz, Sugar Vendil, Meng Wang, Xinyang Wang, and Nina Young.
 
 

Infinite Staircase Concert

September 24, 2023 at National Sawdust
  • World premiere of 18 new solo piano works paired with Ligeti's 18 piano études, performed by Han Chen.
  • The concert featured an immersive audiovisual experience with sound art (Metropolis Ensemble commission, 2023) by Phong Tran and lighting design by Dominick Chang.
 
 

Ligeti Études Album

Released May 26, 2023 on Naxos Records
  • Recorded at Oktaven Audio (Mount Vernon NY), Han Chen's solo album featured Ligeti's complete piano études and inspired the Infinite Staircase project.
  • The studio recording was selected as one of Gramophone’s Best Classical Albums of 2023.
 
 

Migration Music

2021—2023 via YouTube
  • Han Chen hosts a Metropolis commissioned video interview series, with conversations with immigrant composers and performances of their works.
  • Four composers from the Infinite Staircase project have been interviewed to date: Vivian Fung, Jihyun Kim, Chiayu Hsu, and Gity Razaz.
 
 
 

More Projects

Take an in-depth look at Metropolis Ensemble projects over the years.