Piano By Nature Opens 16th Season with

SINGING NOISE COLORS

The Life and Time Signatures of Composer
Dennis Báthory-Kitsz

Piano by Nature is pleased to announce the opening of its 16th concert season with an engaging series of events taking place on Thursday, October 5th through Sunday, October 8th. Titled Singing Noise Colors, five events invite audiences of all ages on an incredible journey into the life and music of one very extraordinary living composer, Dennis Báthory-Kitsz. No reservations required—just come and enjoy a whirlwind musical experience!

Dennis Báthory-Kitsz (fondly referred to as DBK) is a man of incredible intelligence, endless curiosity, and one of the world’s most open minds with sound and music. His craft is well-honed while continually experimenting and flexing his abilities within visionary constructs, often of his own making. At the pinnacle of his profession, DBK’s catalog of 1,100+ compositions includes chamber music, sound sculpture, dance, tape, electronics, interactive media, sound installations, and concert works for non-traditional instruments such as the chalumeau, theremin, bouzouki, Jew’s harp, mandocello, ukulele among others. A tireless advocate for contemporary classical music–sometimes referred to as “New Music” or “Nonpop”–Báthory-Kitsz has earned numerous accolades from his peers, including 28 ASCAP awards. For six decades, DBK has been completely fearless in his compositions as he continues to explore new boundaries that many still dare not tread.

Dennis Báthory-Kitsz

Dennis Báthory-Kitsz

Piano By Nature’s Singing Noise Colors kicks off similar events throughout North America and beyond honoring this extraordinary composer as he celebrates his 75th birthday in the 2023-2024 concert season. The Piano By Nature (PBN) events are:

  • Thursday, Oct. 5th – DBK Day at Willsboro Central School

DBK will work with K-12 students exploring, creating, and storytelling through music. A PBN ensemble will help realize the student works alongside some of DBKs own works in an all-school assembly.

  • Friday, Oct. 6th at 3:30PM – Pop-Up Performance at The Champlain Centre Mall in Plattsburgh

Hosted by Rawson Family Pianos, a PBN ensemble and DBK will perform an afternoon sampling from the weekend’s concert programs and be available for some fun and interesting chats on the nature of composition.

The week of Oct. 1, bring your favorite poetry or song lyrics to the Rawson Family Pianos shop located in the Plattsburgh Champlain Centre Mall before Friday, October 6th for a chance to have composer Dennis Báthory-Kitsz write a piece of music on the spot with YOUR words. All you have to do is write down your favorite poetry and put it in the Piano by Nature box at the Rawson Family Pianos shop sometime this week. It is THAT easy. Then Dennis will look at all of them on Friday morning, pick 3, write it out during the day to give to the winners, and debut the new work with professional singer and piano on the 3:30 Pop-Up Concert in front of the store. The lucky winners will take away a brand-new, written-out piece of music—newly-composed from their words. Free and Fun!

  • Friday, Oct. 6th at 7PM – A Deep Dive ‘Informance’ at the Historic Hand House (8273 River St) in Elizabethtown

Led by the composer himself and with a PBN ensemble, this relaxed and interactive “deep dive” performance will showcase specific works to demonstrate some of the compositional pathways DBK has followed over the past six decades. Conversation will highlight history, music, math, rural issues, and encourage a dynamic Q&A.

  • Saturday, Oct. 7th at 7PM – Concert at the Historic Hand House (8273 River St) in Elizabethtown

An evening program** of DBK works performed in combinations from solo to quartets, from acoustic to electronic, vocal to instrumental.

  • Sunday, Oct. 8th at 3 PM – Concert at the Historic Hand House (8273 River St) in Elizabethtown

An afternoon program** of DBK works performed in combinations from solo to quartets, from acoustic to electronic, vocal to instrumental.

**Note: Saturday and Sunday programs are not repeats. Each program is unique **

The goal of Singing Noise Colors is to perform a plethora of works of one living composer allowing the audience to hear monumental stylistic and textural changes while also showing consistent and unique elements evident throughout his decades of creation. The quality and variety of Dennis Báthory-Kitsz’s music as well as his ability to connect with audiences generates a menu for which, literally, there is “something for everyone.” DBK ’s fertile imagination and musical intelligence make his body of work a logical choice for this project. His oeuvre is phenomenal. It spans simple works for children to highly complex compositions or extreme difficulty; has a piece that is 17 seconds in length, yet another that is described as “27 years long and turned off after 6 weeks.” DBK has written works that follow Romantic modes, mathematical modes, those of delightful good humor, and many with endearing moments and true beauty. All inspired, full of imagination, and extremely well-crafted works of art.

This, as Rose Chancler–Piano By Nature’s Artistic Director–notes, has presented a huge challenge, “Choosing the repertoire for these events has been full of joy and sorrow. The joy is being a musician in DBK’s candy shop of works, listening and focusing on individual scores and recordings, immersing myself fully in the absolute creativity and coherence in every piece. The sorrow, as one may imagine, is having to limit myself to only three unique concert programs.” It is anticipated that about 40+ works will be performed throughout Singing Noise Colors, 16 of which will be world premieres. Individual programs and the PBN ensemble roster will be made available shortly.

“Tyranny and the Tree” by Dennis Báthory-Kitsz.
Jai Jeffryes, piano.

“Water No Fire” by Dennis Bathory-Kitsz.

“Windows on the Moon” by Dennis Báthory-Kitsz.
Dorothy Braker, cello.

See more at Dennis Báthory-Kitsz’s Youtube Channel.

CONCERT INFO

Admission to each of the three events at the Historic Hand House are $20 each with a special $5 price for children 15 years of age and under. A special package for those who choose to attend all three concerts can be purchased for $50. All seating is available in a first-come-first-served capacity. Reservations are no longer required. The Pop-Up performance at Plattsburgh’s Champlain Centre Mall is free of charge.

All concerts Friday 7PM through Sunday 3PM will be held at the Hand House in Elizabethtown, NY.

Questions? Please call 518-962-8899 or email pianobynature@gmail.com.

Lake Champlain Weekly, "Beyond Perception" (page 1)
Lake Champlain Weekly, "Beyond Perception" (page 2)
Lake Champlain Weekly, "Beyond Perception" (page 3)

Read the Lake Champlain Weekly article about this concert by clicking on the images in the gallery or download the PDF here: “Beyond Perception.”

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, in part, by the Essex County Arts Council’s Cultural Assistance Program Grant with funding provided by Essex County. Piano By Nature’s programs are also 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. “Singing Noise Colors” is also supported by the Audience Building Project and the Artists in Communities Fund, both programs of the Lake Placid Center for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts with support from the Governor and New York State Legislature.

See the full schedule of concerts in Piano by Nature’s 16th Season: The Sound of Color.