Listen to “Infinite Staircase,” our September 2023 concert at National Sawdust with pianist Han Chen.
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National Sawdust
With “Infinite Staircase,” Han Chen and Metropolis Ensemble have effectively commissioned a new catalog of solo piano repertoire that will echo long after the applause.
This was the kind of gripping playing that had one leaning forward, tensing involuntarily, all sensations driven by what was flying off of Chen’s hands and out of the piano.
Here’s a few highlights from the project, including the rehearsal and performance at National Sawdust on September 24.
In addition to Ligeti himself, the program includes established figures like Molly Joyce and Nina Young as well as an intriguing coterie of up-and-coming compositional talents.
It’s rare enough to catch a world premiere. It’s unheard of to catch 18 in one night… The variety is dizzying, and oh-so-enticing.
For Ligeti’s centennial, the pianist Han Chen has commissioned a companion piece for each of the composer’s eighteen études, eruptive works thinly disguised as keyboard exercises.
Get a preview of our new project at National Sawdust with pianist Han Chen performing 18 world premieres after Ligeti’s iconic études.
Featuring the World Premiere of 18 new works for solo piano, co-commissioned by Metropolis Ensemble and pianist Han Chen, celebrating the centenary birthday of Hungarian-Austrian composer György Ligeti.
Him Sophy’s Bangsokol stands on its own as an extraordinary musical experience that brings cultures and people together while serving as a model for how art can be a powerful vehicle for reconciliation in post-conflict societies.
“William Brittelle – Spiritual America – Wye Oak, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Metropolis Ensemble/Andrew Cyr (New Amsterdam/Nonesuch; due May 3, 2019)”