 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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Thursday, June 16, 2005
Christmas Minute Waltz Ready for Orchestra
For maestros and maestras on the lookout for some new holiday pieces for female vocalist and orchestra, the following press release for 'Christmas In A Minute' tells all about the new chart. I am especially grateful to Kermit Poling for creating such a festive arrangement!
Biegel's 'Christmas In A Minute' Now Available for Orchestra
By Naturally Sharp Inc.
June 15, 2005
Renowned composer/arranger/conductor Kermit Poling has created a new arrangement of pianist/composer Jeffrey Biegel's "Christmas In A Minute" for female vocalist and orchestra. The song is based on Chopin's 'Minute Waltz' with original lyrics by Mr. Biegel, who had initially composed the song in 2001 with the legendary voice of Barbra Streisand in mind. Full score and parts are available through Helene Blue Musique Ltd. at 1-212-724-5900.
During a visit to a mutual friend's home in 2001, Mr. Biegel had the privilege to perform the piano/vocal arrangement of "Christmas In A Minute" for Ms. Streisand during a telephone call. As Ms. Streisand had previously recorded an arrangement of the Chopin waltz in an earlier setting during the 1960s, it was decidedly not to be used again in another setting. However, through the wisdom and guidance of the brilliant Canadian producer David Foster, Mr. Biegel re-created the composition as an a cappella SATB arrangement which was recently published by the Hal Leonard Corporation and is a current Editor's Choice composition at the www.jwpepper.com web site. .
The song is challenging as a perpetual motion waltz set alongside a dazzling orchestration of the famous Chopin miniature.
In addition, the Hal Leonard Corporation has also published Mr. Biegel's arrangement for SATB a cappella divisi of 'The Twelve Days of Christmas', 'Hey Ho, The Wind and the Rain' for SSA/piano, and 'The World In Our Hands', co-written with Mr. Biegel's son, Craig. His latest compositions are an SATB arrangement of 'The Christmas Song' ("Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire") and 'A Different Kind of Hero' for chorus/piano.
Jeffrey Biegel has established himself as one of the most versatile artists on the stage today. He has consistently amazed audiences and critics throughout the world with his electrifying technique, elegant pianism, warmth and artistic maturity. Critics compare him to legendary pianists Cliburn, Kapell, Lhevinne, Fleisher and Horowitz. With his acclaimed interpretations of standard repertoire, to his affinity for "Rare Gems of the Golden Age" and unique piano concerti (Duke Ellington, Keith Emerson, Leroy Anderson) he is placed among the front ranks of today's pianists.
Mr. Biegel has been the focus of two previous orchestral commissioning consortiums: Pulitzer Prize Winner Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Millennium Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra - Premiered in September, 2000 with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jesus Lopez-Cobos and performed by Mr. Biegel with 27 consortium member orchestras throughout the United States during the 2000-05 seasons, and Broadway legend Charles Strouse’s Concerto America for Piano and Orchestra. He will perform the World Premiere of Lowell Liebermann's 'Concerto no. 3 for Piano and Orchestra' in May 2006 with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Andreas Delfs conducting, as part of an 18 orchestra co-commissioning project worldwide during the 2006-07 season.
In addition, American composer Richard Danielpour will compose a new work for Mr. Biegel, tentatively titled "Concerto for Piano & Percussion" (5 players and piano). This new composition is slated for premieres in the 2006-07 season with the esteemed Canadian percussion ensemble, Nexus.
His solo piano transcriptions of 17 of David Foster's best known songs will be available at www.pianodisc.com end of June, and his arrangements of Josh Groban's first cd songbook (plus three selections from 'Closer', Mr. Groban's second cd songbook), will be released late in 2005 by PianoDisc. You can find much more about Mr. Biegel at his website - http://www.cyberecital.com/.
posted by Jeffrey Biegel
2:31 PM
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