Arts Jan 01 Renowned pianist Lang Lang’s Brief But Spectacular take on loving what you play By Brief But Spectacular
Arts Oct 08 Watch 7:04 How natural environments are making piano recitals less formal and more accessible Traditional piano recitals can often be intimidating for performers and audiences alike. Two California pianists have made it their mission to use outdoor spaces to make them less formal and more accessible. Special correspondent Mike Cerre reports from San Francisco… By Mike Cerre
Arts May 11 Watch 6:54 In bringing the Song of Rapa Nui to the world, pianist brings music education home Mahani Teave grew up on one of the most remote islands on Earth, but the 38-year-old pianist still found a way to bring her music to the world — and music education to Rapa Nui. Jeffrey Brown tells the story… By Jeffrey Brown, Mike Fritz
Arts Jan 12 Watch A classical pianist on her genre’s ‘golden time’ — and Ray Charles “Music entered my life before I knew it,” says classical pianist Jeanne Stark. Stark grew up in Belgium during what she calls a “golden time” for classical music and was granted a scholarship by the queen herself, who recognized Stark’s… By PBS News Hour
Arts Dec 06 Watch 6:37 The ‘white heat’ and vulnerability of improvisational jazz What is improvisational jazz all about? Saxophonist Joshua Redman and pianist Brad Mehldau agree that the answer is vulnerability. Their musical genre requires players to follow one another’s lead -- often letting another performer dictate the musical conversation. Jeffrey Brown… By PBS News Hour
Feb 16 How a composer turned 6 abandoned pianos into a unique concert By KLRU Composer Nathan Felix was living in Los Angeles when he decided to write a piece for six pianos played at once. The catch? He doesn't play the piano. Continue reading
Sep 25 Why the mentor-musician bond is so important for classical pianist Yuja Wang By Abhi Singh, KQED When Michael Tilson Thomas works with precocious young musicians, they generally show up with an entourage. But not Yuja Wang. Continue reading
Dec 26 The musicians we listened to in 2014 By Victoria Fleischer Before we ring in 2015, we want to reflect on some of the great Art Beat stories from this past year. So who did we listen to in 2014?… Continue reading
Sep 05 Agnes Obel taps into the piano’s ‘dreamy nature’ By Victoria Fleischer Danish singer/songwriter Agnes Obel grew up surrounded by guitars, pianos, marimbas and double basses. Her father collected and sold instruments and her mother was a classical pianist, so perhaps music was in her blood. Continue reading