Jane Boxall, percussion
At the Hand House, Elizabethtown, NY
Photo © Laura Sells Doyle
Ricochet Duoʼs ‘GREATEST HITS’ is a concert program for piano and percussion that will bring together works by a wide-range of living composers and explore the crossover between classical and contemporary styles.
This concert emphasizes rhythm and the incredible variety of interlocking piano and percussive sounds that will merge and creatively coalesce. Many of the works included were written in the last ten years and reflect the shifting trends in much of what we see and hear around us, and all the pieces explore the ‘tip of the iceberg’ of sonic and rhythmic possibilities. These fresh and carefully chosen compositions are sometimes percolating, sometimes wistful, and utilize myriad textures such as minimalist repetition, playful polyrhythms, bold dynamic contrast, and vibrant electronic colors to create their unique soundscapes.
TWO AMAZING CONCERTS:
Saturday, February 15th at 7PM and Sunday, February 16th at 3PM
Piano by Nature is looking forward to presenting both concerts at the beautiful Hand House and warmly invite you to join us for a memorable evening of music, refreshments, and post-concert conversation with our stunning artists.
Doors will open 30 minutes before the performance, and we recommend arriving early to avoid check-in lines. PBN requests a donation of $20 per concert ticket; $5 for children aged 15 and under or call and volunteer—we’ll offer free admission! Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
In an effort to improve ticketing and reservations, we have just started using eventbrite.com and you will have the option of purchasing tickets through them, although they are not yet able to make the reservation. Reservations are still encouraged due to limited availability. You can reserve your spot via email at pianobynature@gmail.com or by phone at 518-962-8899. We look forward to seeing you there!
ABOUT RICOCHET DUO
Pianist Rose Chancler and percussionist Jane Boxall joined forces to form Ricochet Duo in 2008 after Rose advertised on Craigslist: “Seeking classical musicians for collaboration.” Jane, a UK expat, was living in Illinois but planning a move to Vermont and shortly thereafter the two began their collaboration with a concert on the Piano by Nature series in Elizabethtown, New York.
Ricochet Duo continues to be dedicated to celebrating the music of the 21st century and actively promotes the works of living composers. They have performed in numerous venues including Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Vermont’s Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, the Chautauqua Institution, Augsburg College, Eastman School of Music, Tribeca Performing Arts Center, and the Plattsburgh State University of New York. Ricochet Duo was also one of only nine music and dance ensembles performing on the New York State Artist Roster of 2015.
The Program
‘C’ by Hannah Lash for vibraphone and piano 2011
‘Empathy’ by Ivan Trevino 2017
‘Matres Dance’ by John Psathas 1991
‘Play Like a Girl’ by Vermont-based composer Eve Beglarian 2017
Eve Beglarian is an American composer most known for her work in combining acoustic instruments with electronic processing and other electronic elements. Beglarian has composed orchestral, choral, and chamber works, and also has a number of works for piano, one of her most popular being Play Like a Girl, a piece written to be played with piano and toy piano, or only one of the two depending on performance circumstances. Beglarian often writes pieces inspired by or related to various social issues, and Play Like a Girl is no exception, which plays with the idea of “girly” keyboard instruments using a piece by the Bulgarian’s Women’s Chorus as the main melody. Beglarian’s Play Like a Girl is a series of variations on the Bulgarian folk song Kaval Sviri (which many may recognize as the popular theme song from Xena: Warrior Princess)
‘She Quietly Enters’ III from ‘Pidgin Cycles’ by Joshua Clausen
Clausen said “The title of this work refers to a musical ‘pidgin’ language, a metaphor I use to describe my aesthetic choices. In linguistic studies, ‘pidgin’ refers to improvised systems that evolve in border communities when two cultures with different language systems attempt to communicate; they discover and use those overlapping zones of expression that allow for some kind of meaningful exchange. I pursue similar expressive resonances in musical language.”
Described by Public Radio International as “powerful” and “poignant,” Joshua Clausen’s works frequently fuse strong rhythmic textures and intricate patterning with narratives from history, mass culture and current events.
Nobility of Homophones!! for toy pianos by Olivia Kieffer 2017
‘Less Is More’ by Molly Joyce 2017
Less is More was written in the spring of 2017 for the Passepartout Duo for the inaugural Eighth Blackbird Creative Laboratory, with commissioning support from Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting. The work was written in New Haven, CT, and premiered in June 2017 at Besant Hill School in Ojai, CA. Joyce said: “With this work, I wanted to engage in perhaps two artistic ‘guilty’ pleasures of mine: pulse and light, and thus I also composed a lighting part for the piece which I aimed to have equal importance to that of the live performers. I wanted to observe what would happen musically, visually, and overall aesthetically if I lay my two ‘guilty’ pleasures out in the open, with minimal tactile material yet perhaps maximal capacity for interaction and synergy. I therefore hope that through exploring such a minimal yet boundless interaction, I am able to truly uncover what is less and what is more.”
Please consider sending a donation to Piano by Nature to help us continue to support our artists and deliver exceptional live music to the North Country and beyond. You can mail a check to Piano by Nature, 32 Champlain Ave., Westport, NY 12993. Or donate online through the Donate button below (using your Paypal account or credit card). If you have questions or ideas, feel free to call Rose at 518.962.8899. I’d love to hear from you.
Piano By Nature’s programs are made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts. We are also supported by the Essex County Arts Council’s Cultural Assistance Program Grant with funding provided by Essex County. And we’d also like to thank our many patrons and donors for their generous contributions over the past 16 years—you are keeping live music ‘alive’ in the North Country!