Cal Poly Pomona Piano Ensemble Recital

Cal Poly Pomona Piano Ensemble, directed by Nadia Shpachenko performing
works by Antonín Dvořák, Tom Flaherty, Jerome Kitzke, Thomas Kotcheff, Tristan Perich, Samara Rice, Franz Schubert, and Jack Van Zandt

Full program:

Jack Van Zandt (b. 1954)

“Arebati” for two toy pianos, two pianos, celesta, marimba, vibraphone and electronics (2017) West Coast Premiere

Nadia Shpachenko, celesta, Long Yu, toy piano, Michael Jung, piano, toy piano, Melinda Hovsepian, piano, Sophia Lin, piano, Michael Tran, marimba, vibraphone

Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Fantasia in F minor for piano four-hands, D. 940

Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
“Souvenirs” for piano four-hands

Melinda Hovsepian and Joshua Tessler, piano four-hands

Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
Piano Trio No. 4, Op. 90, “Dumky”

Ilka Bradvica, violin
Adrianna Curcio Rizzato, cello
Michael Tran, piano

Tom Flaherty (b. 1950)

“Airdancing” for toy piano, piano, and electronics (2013)

Nadia Shpachenko, piano, Michael Tran, toy piano

Tristan Perich (b. 1982)

“qsqsqsqsqqqqqqqqq” for three toy pianos and 3-channel 1-bit electronics (2009)

Nadia Shpachenko, Michael Jung, Michael Tran, toy pianos

Samara Rice (b. 1989)

“OnomataPiano” for two toy pianos and voice (2016)

Nadia Shpachenko, toy piano, voice, Long Yu, toy piano, voice

Jerome Kitzke (b. 1955)

“The Animist Child” for toy piano and voice (one performer) (1994, rev. 2016)

Nadia Shpachenko, toy piano, voice

Julia Wolfe (b. 1958)
“East Broadway” for toy piano and electronics (1996)

Nadia Shpachenko, toy piano

Thomas Kotcheff (b. 1988)

“wgah’nagl fhtagn” for piano four hands and toy piano (2017)

Nadia Shpachenko, piano, Michael Tran, piano, toy piano

Nadia Shpachenko & The Cal Poly Pomona Piano Ensemble

The Cal Poly Pomona Piano Ensemble: The Cal Poly Pomona Piano Ensemble is directed by multiple GRAMMY®-nominated pianist Nadia Shpachenko, who often performs with the group. The Piano Ensemble performs repertoire for piano 4-hands, duo-piano and for 3-8 keyboard players on multiple instruments, which include pianos, toy pianos, and harpsichords. In addition to performing repertoire from the classical canon, the group’s mission is to program and promote newly-written piano ensemble repertoire and to collaborate with contemporary composers. Most recently The Cal Poly Pomona Piano Ensemble worked with composers Tom Flaherty, Thomas Kotcheff, James Matheson, Samara Rice, and Jack Van Zandt, whose pieces they will tour during the 2017/2018 concert season.

Multiple GRAMMY® nominated pianist Nadia Shpachenko enjoys bringing into the world things that are outside the box – powerful pieces that often possess unusual sonic qualities or instrumentation. Described by critics as a “truly inspiring and brilliant pianist… spellbinding in sensitivity and mastery of technique,” she performs on piano, toy piano, harpsichord, and percussion in concerts that often also feature recitation, electronics and multimedia. Nadia’s concert highlights include recitals at Concertgebouw, Carnegie Hall, Bargemusic, the Phillips Collection, and Disney Hall, as well as numerous appearances as soloist with orchestras in Europe and the Americas.

An enthusiastic promoter of contemporary music, Nadia has given world and national premieres of more than 60 works by Elliott Carter, George Crumb, Daniel Felsenfeld, Tom Flaherty, Annie Gosfield, Vera Ivanova, Leon Kirchner, Amy Beth Kirsten, Hannah Lash, James Matheson, Missy Mazzoli, Harold Meltzer, Adam Schoenberg, Lewis Spratlan, Gernot Wolfgang, Iannis Xenakis, Peter Yates, Jack Van Zandt, and others. Most recently Nadia performed contemporary solo and chamber compositions on Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella and Chamber Music Series, the Piano Spheres Series, Salastina Music Society, and Hear Now Music Festival.

Described as “an exceptional recording of newly composed piano works,” Nadia’s Reference Recordings CD “Woman at the New Piano: American Music of 2013” was nominated for 58th GRAMMY® Awards in 3 categories: Best Classical Compendium, Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance by Nadia Shpachenko and Genevieve Feiwen Lee for Tom Flaherty’s “Airdancing” for Toy Piano, Piano and Electronics, and Producer of the Year, Classical for Marina A. Ledin and Victor Ledin. Nadia’s upcoming 2018 Reference Recordings release “Quotations and Homages” will feature solo and collaborative works for 6 pianists (performed with Ray-Kallay Duo, HOCKET and Genevieve Feiwen Lee) inspired by a variety of earlier composers and pieces. Nadia’s upcoming 2019 Reference Recordings album “The Poetry of Places” will feature new solo and collaborative works (performed with LA Phil pianist Joanne Pearce Martin and LAPQ percussionists Nick Terry and Cory Hills) inspired by diverse buildings.

Nadia Shpachenko is Professor of Music at Cal Poly Pomona University, where she leads the Piano Performance program and was awarded the 2017 Provost’s Award for Excellence in Scholarly and Creative Activities. She is also on the faculty of Claremont Graduate University, where she teaches Doctoral piano students. Nadia completed her DMA and MM degrees at the University of Southern California, where she was awarded the title of Outstanding Graduate. Her principal teachers included John Perry, Victor Rosenbaum, and Victor Derevianko. Nadia Shpachenko is a Steinway Artist and a Schoenhut Toy Piano Artist.