The Styriarte Music Festival in Graz, Austria, invited Greg and me to participate in the world premiere of Gerd Kühr’s “Corona Meditation.” The reflective composition, written in response to the pandemic, was designed to be performed by any number of pianists in (approximate) simultaneity, creating “an effect of expansion similar to the expansion of the cosmos.” The stars aligned at the last minute: we had the privilege of joining the premiere performance on April 30th 2020 at 20:20.
From the Top, Part I /
Just before the world turned upside down we had the amazing opportunity to co-host two episodes of NPR's From the Top, featuring performances and interviews with outstanding young musicians from around the country. One of the two shows began broadcasting this past week and is archived here.
We were honored to host the show given our long history with the program, the sponsoring foundation, and our overlapping missions, but nothing could have prepared us for what a meaningful experience it would turn out to be. We loved getting to know the young musicians; their artistry and enthusiasm elevated our hopes for the future of classical music. Each of their stories and performances were uniquely inspiring and we were grateful to have so many opportunities to interact with them over the course of this project.
In the week preceding the live taping, we joined the young musicians in community engagement sessions at Edgar Allan Poe Middle School in Annandale, VA. We especially enjoyed observing the middle schoolers’ genuine excitement and enthusiasm. They were clearly inspired!
To celebrate the episode’s release, we capped off our From the Top hosting experience with a Facebook LiveChat with the young musicians, discussing everything from life on the stage to life in isolation.
Will & Grace Series Finale! /
During our days at The Juilliard School we were affectionately referred to as “Will & Grace,” and so we felt compelled to make this short video in honor of the show’s 2017 season premiere. Following last night’s series finale, we were utterly surprised, overjoyed, and touched to see ourselves featured in the opening credits of the series retrospective, woven into a quilt of loving fan tributes. This show has contributed so much to society and changed countless hearts and minds; we wouldn’t be the people—or duo!—we are today without the trails it blazed.
THANK YOU to this iconic show for the laughter and inspiration!