Performer Blogs@Sequenza21.com

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).

Visit Jeffrey Biegel's Web Site
Sunday, May 20, 2007
New Dorff Concerto and Rare Electric Strings

I am in Gadsden, AL this weekend to premiere Daniel Dorff's delightful Piano Concerto with the ever-resourceful Maestro Mike Gagliardo and his Etowah Youth Symphony. Some know Daniel as a composer of wonderful music, or as Head of Publications at Theodore Presser Inc.The youngsters play their hearts out, and last night, we were treated to a special concert featuring an Electric Strings ensemble made up of members of the Etowah Youth Symphony. These beautiful instruments are made by the amazing Mark Wood, a founding member and artist with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I was amazed! The sounds Mark is able to get from his electric violin was astounding--much more than saying it is like an electric guitar with a bow--it's very special. Youth orchestras should seek him out for a special guest visit. The kids were terrific and he enjoyed working with them immensely.