PRESS RELEASE:
International award-winning local composer-pianist Nathan Shirley will perform at a CD release party Thursday, October 27 at 7:30 PM, at the White Horse Black Mountain. Shirley has performed his compositions in Europe and on both coasts of the US. His chamber and orchestral works have been performed in over a dozen countries around the world. He has worked on a number of music education initiatives and also plays for silent films locally in the WNC area.
“I’ve often found people who are enthusiastic about my music fall into two main groups: those who enjoy late-romantic or neo-classical composers (Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky and Prokofiev) and those who are not necessarily classical music aficionados, but who are adventurous with trying new “exotic” music,” says Shirley.
Two years ago Shirley broke his right hand minutes before accompanying a silent film. “Not knowing it was broken I decided to shake it off and go ahead with the performance. It was quite painful playing for a nearly 2 hour film with several fingers not working, but at least the audience enjoyed it!” says Shirley. While the hand was out of commission in a cast he composed an etude for the left hand alone. Once his right hand was ready for physical therapy, he decided to add a part for it to the already exceedingly difficult left hand etude — the result was the Etude for One Hand or Two from which this new album gets its name. It was premiered in the Diana Wortham Theatre at the Asheville Area Piano Forum’s annual benefit concert in 2016. Nathan Shirley is president of the AAPF, a 501c3 charitable organization.
The new album includes over 50 minutes of original solo piano music, but also a Suite for Harpsichord, an experimental Suite for Synthesizer, and ‘The Lake’ for voice and piano — nearly 80 minutes of music in all. ‘Etude for One Hand or Two’ appears in both versions, the original for only one hand, and the later version for two.
The CD release party will include performances by Nathan Shirley of a selection of his piano solos from the new Album. This new album is the result of an extremely successful Kickstarter campaign, which funded the recording of One Hand or Two? The original goal was quickly exceeded and even an ambitious stretch-goal was surpassed.
To sample his music visit: nathanshirley.org/newalbum
Reservations to the CD release party are $12 online, or $15 at the door. To celebrate the album’s release, attendees will be able to pick up the CD at a special ‘CD release party only’ price.
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