 The career of pianist Jeffrey Biegel has been marked by bold, creative achievements and highlighted by a series of firsts.
He performed the first live internet recitals in New York and Amsterdam in 1997 and 1998, enabling him to be seen and heard by a global audience. In 1999, he assembled the largest consortium of orchestras (over 25), to celebrate the millennium with a new concerto composed for him by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. The piece, entitled 'Millennium Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra', was premiered with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. In 1997, he performed the World Premiere of the restored, original 1924 manuscript of George Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' with the Boston Pops. Charles Strouse composed a new work titled 'Concerto America' for Biegel, celebrating America and honoring the heroes and events of 9-11. Biegel premiered the piece with the Boston Pops in 2002. He transcribed the first edition of Balakirev's 'Islamey Fantasy' for piano and orchestra, which he premiered with the American Symphony Orchestra in 2001, and edited and recorded the first complete set of all '25 Preludes' by Cesar Cui.
Currently, he is assembling the first global consortium for the new 'Concerto no. 3 for Piano and Orchestra' being composed for him by Lowell Liebermann for 2005-06-07. The World Premiere will take place with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Andreas Delfs on May 12-14 2006, followed by the European Premiere with the Schleswig Holstein Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Gerard Oskamp, February 6-9, 2007.
Biegel is currently on the piano faculty at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College, at the City University of New York (CUNY) and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY).
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Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Steinway: Factory of Dreams
On Monday, May 9th, I had the pleasure to be invited as a Steinway artist to tour the factory in Long Island City and then perform a half hour recital in one of the large manufacturing rooms (on a beautiful new concert 'D' grand piano) for 450 employees. After the tour, I realized that it does indeed take many people to create this 'instrument of the immortals'. Each room has a different purpose, smell, and temperature according to the task. The wood vaults contain woods from all over the world, the bending machines to shape the instruments, the small parts that are individually put together, stringing the harps, etc. The realization of every person's part for every minute detail that goes into making the instruments enhanced my view of the finished product. We rarely have the opportunity to see these people at work, and they rarely have the opportunity to witness the fruits of their labors in concert. The event was enlightening for all of us. If you are ever in the New York area, I would suggest a phone call to Steinway inquiring to take a tour of the factory. It's absolutely fascinating.
posted by Jeffrey Biegel
6:10 AM
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