Tardigrade Stage
Joining arts with action for resilient communities
Inside the Piano, Outside the Box
Beyond the Keys
Piano Safety
Tardigrade Stage
Tardigrade Stage is a concert series that focuses the power of live arts to build resilient communities. Tardigrade artists range from string quartets to belly dancers and Tardigrade venues range from concert halls to playgrounds. We are inspired by the resilient and easy-to-overlook tardigrades that manage to proliferate in even the most extreme environments – hence our name.
Events may center around live music, storytelling, dancing, poetry, visual arts, or more – all determined event-by-event. We keep it personal and interactive, because that is how good stuff gets done.
To learn more, visit the Tardigrade Stage Page
Inside the Piano, Outside the Box
Combining daring programming with an engaging performance style, Barbara Lieurance brings pianistic virtuosity of an entirely new kind to the concert hall. In this program Ms. Lieurance champions the compositional tour-de-force Rhapsodies by C. Curtis-Smith – the first piece to ever be written for bowed piano – along with the jazzy Russian virtuosity of Gubaidulina and a new commission inspired by the Rhapsodies. Composers that have contributed new pieces include John Oliver, Hubert Ho, and Margaret McAllister. For the coming season, a new work for interactive electronics and piano by Stephan Moore is added to the mix. This program was developed during an artist residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts.
Barbara Lieurance is a pianist with an assured technique and abundant musicality. But equally important, she is an artist with a strong vision and perfervid imagination– important qualities that infuse all her work. A persuasive communicator, she introduces the music she is to perform with real insight into the music and without condescension to her audiences. We have been pleased to welcome her to the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival activities.
Dan Gustin, Director, Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival
Beyond the Keys Workshop
BEYOND THE KEYS is a workshop exploring groundbreaking works for piano that use non-traditional piano sounds like bowed, prepared, and harp piano. We will look at how each piece was conceptualized, how to study them and perform them, how to use these techniques safely so that the piano is not affected, and discuss practical ways to use these non-traditional techniques in your own writing and performance. A special feature is the music of composer C. Curtis-Smith, the inventor of the modern piano bow. Other techniques include string piano (Cowell), prepared piano (Cage), masking and overtones (Lachenmann), and extended techniques (Crumb).
This unique program is designed for both composers and pianists. All techniques are safe for the piano, and a unit on piano preparation and piano safety is included.
“Barbara Lieurance’s performance of this prepared piano music was one of the most thoughtful, engaging, and imaginative that I’ve heard. In working with our students, she combined history, technique, and musical philosophy in a concert/demonstration tailored young composers and performers. I would unreservedly recommend both concert and the presentation to other educators and music lovers.” Lisa Coons, Professor of Music Composition, Western Michigan University.
Piano Safety
When performing music that asks for extended techniques, the safety of the piano is a primary concern. Following are the rules that I follow to be sure that the piano is exactly the same when I am finished as when I start. Piano technicians: please feel free to contribute if you have more thoughts. A world filled with well-treated pianos is one to strive for! (A note about the bowed piano program: The piano bows are made of fishing line, and are woven underneath the strings and pulled to create the sound. I have performed the pieces many times without problems, but I am always very willing to meet with the technician, go through the score, and find alternate solutions if there are concerns about any of the techniques that are asked for in the score).
1. Always wash hands
2. Stay away from dampers (though I do need to mark them, I avoid them when actually playing. When I mark them I use post-it flags because they are removed easily and leave no residue).
3. Never force things between strings (though I do insert things, when inserting I make sure that it is done gently – and I can usually do it without touching the string with my hands).
4. If using objects to pluck or strike the strings, make sure that they are made of a softer material that the strings themselves so that they won’t scratch the strings. I am especially careful around the bass strings, as copper is quite soft.
5. When marking, don’t use any materials that can’t be completely removed. For example, I mark harmonics with embroidery thread tied loosely around the string, and it can be removed easily. This is in contrast to pianos that are left with pen marks on the strings to mark harmonics. I make sure that when I am done with a piano nobody would be able to tell that I was there.
6. If inserting anything between the strings, always lift the dampers first to avoid any pinching of the felt.