 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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Monday, September 08, 2008
Back to School
In the return to Brooklyn College, I noticed a difference in my teaching--as did my pupils who responded positively to it. I remember how my teacher, Adele Marcus played during lessons and was able to say exactly what needed to be done--I always wondered if I would be able to do the same, as a servant of the music, a transmitter of the traditions to the next generation. I think it finally clicked, at the age of 47! I felt the ease and flow of playing and verbalization for my students--well, most of them, and it felt, well, great! Can I keep that up for the 14 week term? Will they 'get it'? Will they improve? Do we, as teachers, always have that spark that flames the imagination of the student week after week? This being my tenth year at Brooklyn College, I have seen some amazing talents come into our midst, some achieving wonderful dreams now, and a new flock studying to make their dreams a reality. There is also a sense of nostalgia, as this will be our last year in the building before they start a new arts center in 2009-10--wow! Traditions are instilled in the cracks of the walls of the institution, but we will take those traditions into the next phase of this college as it develops. I wish everyone a splendid year of teaching, concerts, writing and everything that makes us musicians and stewards of beauty.
posted by Jeffrey Biegel
6:15 AM
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