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Richard Rodney Bennett
Donal Fox George Gershwin Jun Nagao Astor Piazzolla Astor Piazzolla |
Ballad in Memory of Shirley Horn
Peace Out, My Brother An American in Paris Your Kindness Le Grand Tango Soledad |
The compositions by Bennett, Fox, Gershwin, Nagao and Piazzolla are all works receiving world premier recordings by the Piercy & Hickman. The works have been arranged by the composers (Bennett, Fox, Nagao) or arranged by Piercy (Gershwin, Piazzolla) for this recording.
A concert review of the Piercy & Hickman described their “meticulous yet spirited performances” and how they “managed to silence the sold-out room.” After an all-Piazzolla concert at the Trinity “Music At One Series”, a review described them as performing the “best Piazzolla in NYC...with Piercy’s often mournful clarinet flying over Hickman’s tasteful, understated piano in an impressively inclusive overview of Piazzolla’s career.” Frequently performing new works, the Piercy & Hickman recently premiered 15 pieces written for them on the theme "Nihon no Shiten - Japan Perspective."
Preview "Ballad in Memory of Shirley Horn"
Clarinetist THOMAS PIERCY is a critically acclaimed musician with orchestral, concerto, solo recital and chamber music appearances throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. A versatile artist defying categorization - the clarinetist on the Emmy Award-winning Juno Baby CDs and DVDs; performing Mozart with mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade; playing Broadway songs with Raoul Julia; working with the composer Leonard Bernstein; appearing in a KRS-ONE rap music video; performing concert improvisations with pianist Donal Fox; performing at the infamous CBGBs; performing and premiering demanding contemporary works; performing with some of the best tango musicians in NYC, recording with members of Maroon 5 - as an instrumentalist, singer, director/music director/conductor and actor, he has performed and/or recorded for Broadway and Off-Broadway, commercials, television, radio, videos, and movie soundtracks. Mr. Piercy has performed at many of the world’s acclaimed concert halls including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Centre Pompidou (Paris, France), Wigmore Hall (London, England), Accademia di Santa Cecilia (Rome, Italy) and Parthenon (Tokyo, Japan). A frequent performer of new music, Piercy has premiered numerous compositions, many of them written for him. Pulitzer Prize winner and Grammy Award-winning composer Ned Rorem wrote his only clarinet and piano piece, "Four Colors," for Mr. Piercy; the work had its premiere at a concert celebration for Mr. Rorem at Carnegie Hall.
Upcoming projects for Piercy include recordings of Piazzolla, a second CD of chamber works by Ned Rorem, and concerts in Japan which include new works for clarinet, hichiriki and shakuhachi. More information at www.ThomasPiercy.com
Critics’ comments about Mr. Piercy
A classic performance. The Clarinet Magazine
The crowd was spellbound. If Piercy’s planned upcoming recording of Piazzolla works is anything like this, it’ll be amazing. Lucid Culture Magazine
Mr. Piercy is masterly on his clarinet. The New York Sun
“Brilliant”…“playing with refinement and flair”…“evoking a panache in the contemporary works.” The New York Times
Upcoming projects for Piercy include recordings of Piazzolla, a second CD of chamber works by Ned Rorem, and concerts in Japan which include new works for clarinet, hichiriki and shakuhachi. More information at www.ThomasPiercy.com
Critics’ comments about Mr. Piercy
A classic performance. The Clarinet Magazine
The crowd was spellbound. If Piercy’s planned upcoming recording of Piazzolla works is anything like this, it’ll be amazing. Lucid Culture Magazine
Mr. Piercy is masterly on his clarinet. The New York Sun
“Brilliant”…“playing with refinement and flair”…“evoking a panache in the contemporary works.” The New York Times
Pianist CLAUDINE HICKMAN, born and raised in New York City, began her piano study at an early age with her father, Thames Hickman, a student of Rosina Lhevinne at the Juilliard School. Claudine went on to study on full scholarship in the Honors Program at the Mannes College of Music Preparatory Division with Arkady Aronov and Edward Aldwell. She holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in piano performance from the Manhattan School of Music.
Ms. Hickman's performances have been described by critics as "practically telepathic, emotionally rich", with "bright yet haunting precision" and "vivid, Brubeck-esque melodicism". Her passion for the music of Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla has led to her frequent collaboration with clarinetist Thomas Piercy and Argentinian bassist and Latin Grammy nominee Pablo Aslan, premiering many of Piercy's arrangements of Piazzolla's music.
Ms. Hickman's performances have been described by critics as "practically telepathic, emotionally rich", with "bright yet haunting precision" and "vivid, Brubeck-esque melodicism". Her passion for the music of Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla has led to her frequent collaboration with clarinetist Thomas Piercy and Argentinian bassist and Latin Grammy nominee Pablo Aslan, premiering many of Piercy's arrangements of Piazzolla's music.
With live music seven days a week, The Listening Room at Caffe Vivaldi is one of New York’s wonderfully intimate spots for music of all types: classical, avant-garde, jazz, singer/songwriter, folk and more. For an authentic Greenwich Village experience, Caffe Vivaldi offers fine dining, a full bar, coffee drinks and desserts – all combined with great live music. Never a cover charge, never a minimum. A great place to hear live music in the center of Greenwich Village, NYC.
www.CaffeVivaldi.com
www.CaffeVivaldi.com