Jeremy Denk, Piano

CAL PERFORMANCES PRESENTS PROGRAM Sunday, October 24, 2010, 3pm Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) Aria with Diverse Variations, BWV 988, Hertz Hall “Goldberg Variations” Aria Variation 1 Jeremy Denk, piano Variation 2 Variation 3: Canon at the Unison Variation 4 PROGRAM Variation 5 Variation 6: Canon at the Second Variation 7 György Ligeti (1923–2006) Études for Piano, Book I (1985) Variation 8 Variation 9: Canon at the Third No. 1: Désordre: Molto vivace, vigoroso, Variation 10: Fughetta molto ritmico Variation 11 No. 2: Cordes à vide: Andantino con moto, Variation 12: Canon at the Fourth molto tenero Variation 13 No. 3: Touches bloquées: Presto possibile, Variation 14 sempre molto ritmico Variation 15: Canon at the Fifth No. 4: Fanfares: Vivacissimo molto ritmico, Variation 16: Ouverture con allegria e slancio Variation 17 No. 5: Arc-en-Ciel: Andante molto rubato, con eleganza, with swing Variation 18: Canon at the Sixth No. 6: Automne à Varsovie: Presto cantabile, Variation 19 molto ritmico e flessibile Variation 20 Variation 21: Canon at the Seventh Ligeti Études for Piano, Book II (1988–1994) Variation 22: Alla breve Variation 23 No. 7: Galamb Borong: Vivacissimo luminoso, Variation 24: Canon at the Octave legato possibile Variation 25 No. 8: Fém: Vivace risoluto, con vigore Variation 26 No. 9: Vertige: Prestissimo sempre molto legato, Variation 27: Canon at the Ninth sehr gleichmässig Variation 28 No. 10: Der Zauberlehrling: Prestissimo, Variation 29 staccatissimo, leggierissimo Variation 30: Quodlibet No. 11: En suspens: Andante con moto, Aria “avec l’élégance du swing” No. 12: Entrelacs: Vivacissimo molto ritmico, Sightlines: Post-performance conversation with Jeremy Denk and composer John Adams. sempre legato, con delicatezza No. 13: L’escalier du diable: Presto legato ma leggiero No. 14: Coloana infinita: Presto possibile, Funded by the Koret Foundation, this performance is part of Cal Performances’ tempestoso con fuoco 2010–2011 Koret Recital Series, which brings world-class artists to our community. This performance is made possible, in part, by Patron Sponsors William and Linda Schieber. INTERMISSION Cal Performances’ 2010–2011 season is sponsored by Wells Fargo. 28 CAL PERFORMANCES CAL PERFORMANCES 29 ABOUT THE ARTIST American pianist on many of his recent compositions, recording his Jeremy Denk has Sonata No. 2 in 2001. steadily built a repu- Mr. Denk is also an avid chamber musician. tation as one of to- He has collaborated with many of the world’s day’s most compel- finest string quartets, has appeared at the Italian ling and persuasive and American Spoleto festivals, the Santa Fe and artists with an unusu- Seattle chamber music festivals, the Verbier and ally broad repertoire. Mostly Mozart festivals, and the Bravo!—Vail He has appeared Valley and Bard music festivals. He has spent sev- as soloist with many eral summers at the Marlboro Music School and major orchestras, in- Festival in Vermont and been part of “Musicians cluding the Atlanta, from Marlboro” national tours. He regularly Dallas, Houston, Dennis Callahan collaborates with cellist Stephen Isserlis at New New World, St. Louis, and San Francisco sym- York’s 92nd Street Y, and gives numerous lectures phonies, the Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestra and master classes. of St. Luke’s, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and In 2004, Mr. Denk met and first performed London’s Philharmonia. Last season, he played with violinist Joshua Bell at the Spoleto Festival concertos by Beethoven, Copland, Mozart, and was invited on a recital tour, sparking off a Schumann and Stravinsky, whose Concerto for musical partnership that continues today. They Piano and Wind Instruments he performed un- toured last season throughout the United States; der the direction of John Adams, first with the a Philadelphia reviewer noted their “equal part- London Symphony in London and Paris, and nership, with no upstaging.” They recorded then as part of Carnegie Hall’s City Noir. He ap- Corigliano’s Violin Sonata for Sony Classical and pears often in recital in New York, Washington, tour together regularly. Boston and Philadelphia. The artist’s widely read blog, “Think Denk,” is During the 2010–2011 season, Mr. Denk highly praised and frequently referenced by many releases his first solo recording, Jeremy Denk in the music press and industry. There, Mr. Denk Plays Ives, on which he plays Charles Ives’s Piano writes about some of his touring, practicing and Sonatas 1 and 2 (“Concord”). He also returns otherwise unrelated experiences, and delves into to Carnegie Hall for his second solo recital, in fairly detailed musical analyses and essays. Alex works by Ligeti and Bach, and a concerto appear- Ross, the music critic of The New Yorker, described ance, featuring Liszt’s First with the Philadelphia the pianist as “a superb musician who writes with Orchestra and Charles Dutoit, after performanc- arresting sensitivity and wit.... This a voice that, es together in Philadelphia. Further concerto en- effectively, could never have been heard before gagements include a U.S. tour with the Moscow the advent of the Internet: sophisticated on the State Symphony under Pavel Kogan and Mozart’s one hand, informal on the other, immediate in “Elvira Madigan” concerto with Peter Oundjian impact. Blogs such as this put a human face on and the Detroit Symphony. an alien culture.” Mr. Denk maintains working relation- After graduating from Oberlin College and ships with a number of living composers and Conservatory in piano and chemistry, Mr. Denk has participated in many premieres, including earned a master’s degree in music from Indiana Jake Heggie’s concerto Cut Time, Libby Larsen’s University as a pupil of György Sebök, and a doc- Collage: Boogie, Kevin Putz’s Alternating Current torate in piano performance from the Juilliard and Ned Rorem’s The Unquestioned Answer. In School, where he worked with Herbert Stessin. 2002, he recorded Tobias Picker’s Second Piano He lives in New York City. Mr. Denk’s web site Concerto with the Moscow Philharmonic. He and blog are at jeremydenk.net. also worked closely with composer Leon Kirchner Jeremy Denk is represented by Opus 3 Artists. 30 CAL PERFORMANCES.

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