The SunBreak » pianist

Jon Kimura Parker Takes on Mussorgsky, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev & Stravinsky

Philippa Kiraly — Fri, 10 May 2013 18:21:35 +0000

The evening was an awesome physical feat for any performer, but at the very end, Parker’s fingers were as nimble, as accurate, his touch as relaxed, his playing as clean and rhymic as it all had been at the start. And after it, he played an encore, a quiet, rippling Rachmaninoff prelude.

A Piano Recital For the 21st Century With Cristina Valdes

Dana Wen — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 18:30:34 +0000

As in any typical piano recital, technical virtuosity and emotional expression were certainly on display. However, this concert showcased a wider spectrum of Valdes' talents as a performer, sending the pianist on a tour of her instrument -- reaching inside the case to pluck the strings, creating sheets of sound by slamming her forearm on the keys, and playing alongside pre-recorded piano sounds.

Pianist Alexandre Dossin Shines in Russian “Winter Nights”

Philippa Kiraly — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 22:29:03 +0000

I had reviewed some of Dossin’s recordings for the now defunct magazine Clavier, and expected good things. It was more than good. I was bowled over by the technique, the musicianship, the beauty of his interpretations and the way he made himself invisible, allowing the composers’ intentions to come through.

NPR’s Christopher O’Riley Takes Liszt Over the Top

Philippa Kiraly — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:11:33 +0000

There’s no doubt about O’Riley’s ability. There were beautiful moments of thoughtful touch, sensitive phrasing, fine technique throughout, but in fast, dense and loud passages—and Liszt loved these and inserted them as major portions of his compositions—O’Riley tended to go overboard and the results often were not as clean as they might have been.

The Week Ahead for Fans of Icelandic Music

Michael van Baker — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 23:25:10 +0000

Thursday, June 21, the Sunna Gunnlaugs Trio plays at jazz club Tula's in Belltown. It's a 7:30 p.m. show with a $10 cover. (Tula's, if you, like me, haven't been, features a Mediterranean menu. I thought it was a rule jazz clubs had to be Italian? But no, they've got spanokopita on the menu, large as life.)