Piano Etudes of the 21st Century

Eleonor Sandresky will be performing selections from Philip Glass' book of etudes, two from Pamela Madsen's Luminous Etudes: Visions of the Black Madonna of Montserrat, and selections from her own Strange Energies. When asked to premier the works of Pamela Madsen, Sandresky was struck by how the concept of an etude had transcended the technical problems of playing an instrument and into something much larger. The Glass pieces treat the piano as a multi-layered ensemble, while the Madsen are meant to possess healing powers. Her own Strange Energies are more about playing with sound in a space: how do certain musical figures and techniques change the way the sound interacts with the space, and therefore how the audience feels? Come to the concert and decide for yourself if these pieces fulfill their mission!