A new phenomenon in piano recital takes place Saturday evening at the Music Center at Strathmore. It’s called Brian Ganz and the Strathmore Chopin Project. The 50-year-old artist endeavors to perform all of the works of Frederic Chopin over the next decade. These compositions number approximately 250 strong. “All of my life I’ve loved Chopin’s work and I’ve always had the goal of learning and performing all of it,” said Ganz, an international piano competition winner, respected Peabody Conservatory teacher and soloist with such orchestras as the St. Louis Symphony, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the City of London Sinfonia and Paris L’Orchestre. “I’m 50 years old and only one-half to two-thirds the way through. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s a wonderful challenge [and] I’m looking forward to every note.”
Brian Ganz and the “Strathmore Chopin Project”
| If you go |
| Where: The Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, Bethesda |
| When: 8 p.m., Saturday |
| Info: $34 to $44; kids 7-17 free; 301-581-5100; nationalphilharmonic.org |
There are times Ganz sees the project as a quest, sometimes he calls it a journey. As for an obsession, he says, “Well, it’s a positive one.”
Saturday’s inaugural recital will highlight the solo works of Chopin. Ganz will first perform very early compositions — Chopin was 7 when he composed his first piece — and then move on to later works. Ganz will then follow Chopin through early adulthood when he composed mazurkas (Polish folk dances) and waltzes, as illustrated by the rarely heard Rondo in C minor, Op. 1, written when Chopin was 15, as well as later pieces such as the Scherzo No. 2, Op. 31 and Funeral March Sonata No. 2, Op. 35.
“Dum, dum, da-dum, dum-da-dum,” Ganz drones, and then notes emphatically, “Everyone will recognize that!”
His future performances will include all of Chopin’s chamber works, four piano sonatas and the composer’s orchestral works, which will feature the National Philharmonic, led by Music Director and Conductor Piotr Gajewski, who enthused, “Brian is the perfect pianist to play all of Chopin’s works, not only because of his great love for the composer, but also because of his intense connection with his audience.”
