Students of the Piano Technology program and the Contemporary Ensemble in the Don Wright Faculty of Music at the University of Western Ontario will offer a unique performance Tuesday, Jan. 13 using pianos that have been given a new life.
The Piano Technology students have refurbished seven Yamaha upright pianos from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. To show off their work, the students are rolling the pianos into the three story concrete lobby of the Don Wright Music Faculty to perform Terry Riley’s classic minimalist composition “In C.”
The piano ensemble is headed by Piano Technology student Andrew Wedman, who has performed “In C” at the Music Gallery in Toronto and New York’s Lincoln Center. The Contemporary Ensemble is directed by prominent Canadian pianist John Hess and Composer Paul Frehner.
“This is an exciting event for London, Ont., where contemporary music performances are rare. A unique ensemble is playing one of the great minimalist compositions of the 20th century, in an architecturally interesting space,” says Wedman.
Riley’s score is an aleatoric composition, or a ‘chance piece’ in which the instrumentation and size of ensemble is not stipulated, but is up to the discretion of the musicians. As a result, no performance is ever the same.
The Western student’s performance will feature a 25 piece ensemble, including the seven refurbished pianos.
The concert is free, but donations to the Piano Technology program are encouraged. This unique concert is also a fundraising event for the student’s upcoming trip to the Steinway Piano factory in New York.
Also for sale at the event will be jewelry made from recycled piano parts (ebony, ivory, piano wire, etc.) created by artists and students, Andrew Patten and Sarah Davignon.