Orchestral and chamber playlist of more recent piano and strings work...

Emotional Piano and Strings

Peaceful Journeys

Official Piano Day 2020 Playlist
Happy Piano Day!

Artwork: Alice Baldwin.

Piano Day 2020 Playlist

New & hot: Classical

This collection is some of the best music I have heard recently. Thank you each for pursuing your passion, as your art fulfills me and brings me joy.

Finding Beauty Is Easy If You Open Your Ears

Two of my works included in the #PianoDay2020 playlist found here:
https://soundcloud.com/nils_frahm/sets/piano-day-2020-playlist

Piano Day 2020

Flying in the Dream (The New Album is Coming Soon)

Remastered by Houman (https://soundcloud.com/houmans)

Flying in the Dream

Flying In The Dream

Pan was a lascivious Satyr of the mountains and the God of the Shepherds and the Flocks. His main task was to render the flocks fertile.
Of course, this mythical character relates to a fragment of the human psyche, which if given free rein...often shepherds those under "his" spell through the garden of delights, leaving them to repent at their leisure.

Here is also an attempt a composition in the Dorian Mode.
I don't really know if I even got close.
It was my best guess.

You may notice that the underlying rhythm is 8/8,
while the overlaid melodies are 3/4.

Image by: Majid Esmaeili
http://www.majidsmiley.com/portfolio

Pan Dorian

I created this little ditty back in the early 1980's back when our son was born.

Mike Kenneally
https://unsplash.com/@asthetik

Irish Spring Morn

I tried to capture the dawn of a forest,when the first sun rays wakes every living creature of the forest,this is basically how i would like to wake up every morning,if you listen carefully you can hear bird tweeting in the beginning.
I dedicate this track to a Soundcloud user I met last year,his work is really good,experienced composer that gave me the motivation I needed at the time.
Thank you Luppi Davide Como,hopefully one day ill compose a piece as grandeur as some of yours,kind regards.
Artwork by the wonderful Ray , https://www.raybilcliff.com/

The Forest Awakes

On October 4th 2019, Penguin Cafe released 'Handfuls of Night', the highly anticipated follow-up to their much applauded 2017 album 'The Imperfect Sea' 

Using gut-stringed violins, viola, cello, bass, percussion, upright and grand pianos, synthesiser, harmonium and more, Arthur Jeffes and his cohorts have crafted a vivid series of panoramic sonic landscapes, that are as rich in cerebral poignancy as they are in emotional depth.

Bookended by the atmospheric ambient piano pieces ‘Winter Sun’ and ‘Midnight Sun’, the album traverses glacial minimalism with ease, combining their signature contemporary classical panoramas, such as the melancholic yet upbeat lead track ‘At the Top of the Hill, They Stood...’ and the colossal cinematic piece ‘Chapter’, with the crystalline folktronica on ‘Pythagorus on the Line Again’ — a re-visiting and continuation of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra’s 1993 Union Cafe song on the principles of harmonics.

'Handfuls of Night' began life after Greenpeace commissioned Jeffes to write four pieces of music corresponding to four breeds of penguins, to help raise awareness for the endangered Antarctic seas . A fundraising evening at EartH in Hackney followed, where Penguin Cafe premiered the four songs named after their feathered counterparts to a sold out audience; the rousing contemporary folk inflected ‘Chinstrap’, the mournful and minimalistic ‘Adelie’, stoic and rhythmic ‘The Life of an Emperor’ and the wistful, string-laden ‘Gentoo Origin’.

“Such is its mastery of slowly uncoiling drama you can almost taste the salt in the breeze" ★★★★ — MOJO⠀
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"Arthur Jeffes' music has a direct clarity. Dramatic swells and sweeps showcase the jaw-dropping landscape. Most importantly, though, the music carries an environmental message, which is a critical issue for this generation" — A Closer Listen ⠀
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"One of their most impeccable moments to date" ★★★★ — Music OMH ⠀
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"Elegiac strides across epic landscapes... Arthur Jeffes is doing the legacy of his father proud" — Prog Magazine ⠀
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"Another winner from this group, with Jeffes and company mixing minimalism, folk music and classical string writing into a charming combination” ★★★★ — All About Jazz ⠀
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"A sensitive, frequently lovely follow-up to 2017’s ‘The Imperfect Sea… Handfuls of Night’ conjures pastoral panoramas and weathered vistas" — DJ Magazine⠀

Handfuls of Night

Midnight Sun

Buy LP/CD/DL

Penguin Cafe - Midnight Sun

26 June 2020:
Here are some free download codes to my song ‘Flower of Sorrow, the Dream’ at #BandCamp, released hours before my brain surgery in November.… Check out my latest releases too.. On July 3, 2020 BandCamp will waive their fee to help artists during the Covid-19 crisis. Hope you enjoy them and follow me on BandCamp! 

https://sharonchen.bandcamp.com/yum

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w9w2-w6yb
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dw6l-ys6t
ppyh-7l87
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6w98-eglp
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~~
Today is my brain surgery. While I will be in the hospital for a little while, I wanted to release this song, the first in a series from my album, Flower of Sorrow.  It is 'The Dream'..  Thanks for your support.  12/3/19 - Now on major platforms:

https://open.spotify.com/album/1MPNetrIEFZol2ivOpG5LT
https://music.apple.com/us/album/flower-of-sorrow-the-dream-single/1490160021?app=apple%20music&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
https://sharonchen.bandcamp.com/track/flower-of-sorrow-the-dream
https://www.deezer.com/us/album/121507002

Flower Of Sorrow, The Dream

This is Charnia.
Charnia is the oldest extinct  organism known to man.
We still dont know if it was a plant or animal.
What we do know is that it lived alone in the bottom of the ocean in freezing temperatures and total darkness.
Charnia died .... without ever feeling the warmth of the sun.
Art work idea by me,done by SamBuddz.

Charnia

Journey into time through the persona of the piano. Melody first played on Schimmel alone and then on Steinway D joined by violin and cellos. Part of my new album 'Winter Solstice'. Pre-cursor to 'Winter Sun'. Proceeds go towards my expenses for brain surgery and recovery. Thanks for your support! Now on BandCamp and being released on streaming platforms  (new mix version on BC and streaming platforms):

https://sharonchen.bandcamp.com/track/desert-serenade
YouTube piano performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44r6pule2FE
https://open.spotify.com/album/1j3k3w6eZ9Y7w73AHbNKiV
https://music.apple.com/us/album/desert-serenade-single/1498301072?app=apple%20music&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
https://music.apple.com/us/album/desert-serenade-single/1498301072?app=itunes&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
https://www.deezer.com/us/album/130806902
https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Sharon_Chen_Desert_Serenade?id=Baqmiefrms5lvtumnxdxabmxbz4
https://us.napster.com/artist/sharon-chen/album/desert-serenade
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084LDBDXJ

Desert Serenade

#pianoday2020

Taken from the album 'To Believe (Remixes)', released 6 March on Ninja Tune: http://tco.lnk.to/remixesSo

Follow James Heather -
Spotify: http://found.ee/jheather-sp
Apple Music: http://found.ee/jheather-am
Instagram: http://found.ee/jheather-ig
Facebook: http://found.ee/jheather-fb
Twitter: http://found.ee/jheather-tw
Youtube: http://found.ee/jheather-yt
Soundcloud: http://found.ee/jheather-sc

Follow The Cinematic Orchestra -
Spotify: https://found.ee/tco-sp
Apple Music: https://found.ee/tco-am
Instagram: https://found.ee/tco-ig
Facebook: https://found.ee/tco-fb
Twitter: https://found.ee/tco-tw
Youtube: https://found.ee/tco-yt
Bandcamp: https://found.ee/tco-bc
Soundcloud: https://found.ee/tco-sc

To Believe (Remixes)

A Caged Bird/Imitations of Life (James Heather Rework) [feat. Roots Manuva]

8/9/20 Pre-order EP 'Blissful and Beyond' at BandCamp, includes new release 'Waves of my Heart' and six 
more...https://sharonchen.bandcamp.com/album/blissful-and-beyond-2

Thanks to Adam4le (https://soundcloud.com/adam4le) for his inspirational piano track. I improvised strings in one or takes on top of piano and mixed it with two reverbs. Solo strings and piano in a medium hall and larger string orchestra in a large hall. (I used the Medium Hall and the Dream Hall in Logic Pro.) Coming to streaming platforms. Proceeds go to my brain surgery and medical expenses. 

Through all heartaches and sorrows, the River Runs Through...

https://spoti.fi/2wPdPvc (Spotify)
https://apple.co/3cnkvkP (iTunes)
https://apple.co/2PABQg9  (AppleMusic)
https://sharonchen.bandcamp.com/track/river-runs-through
https://www.deezer.com/us/album/133781272
https://www.iheart.com/artist/sharon-chen-32687006/albums/river-runs-through-94030453/
https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Sharon_Chen_River_Runs_Through?id=B65f72dfxecc7susthnmhxntjmy
https://us.napster.com/artist/sharon-chen/album/river-runs-through

River Runs Through

Glad to present a new collab with the exceptional https://soundcloud.com/muterial

The ambiance of https://soundcloud.com/muterial/chroma is incredible and it inspired me the below lyrics! Enjoy!

Blind, I'm blind
I can't see your colors
cauz I'm blind
But I can feel that you're bright
I can't see but I can feel
your warm being

But in the darkness the colors have a smell
the black of darkness colors my hell
but I can feel your warm being
by my side heating up with a light
a light full of colors

Black is all I know
I sometimes see a light
I sometimes feel a light
a colorful light

Collabs

Blind (Chroma)

Blind (Chroma) feat. Muterial

Please listen to the scientists.
Thanks to asianews.it, for the use of their image.

Cult

12 Jan '21: New YouTube performance: https://youtu.be/A8RCDIktTkQ

Looking back, the character dreams of dimmed childhood aspirations... One goes on as Life continually challenges, always attempting to reach the picture perfect ideal in mind's eye. 

https://sharonchen.bandcamp.com/track/life-as-is
https://open.spotify.com/track/1hWXiqfJyd7kwMmAUzDtJn?si=riOM6NlzRG63YQbM5nRPEw
(I have a new mix of this on Spotify and BandCamp now).


I have released this song for #PianoDay2020. Whenever I put in a lot of strings, I am reminded of the Barber 'Adagio.'  In this track I combined several pianos to get a unique timbre.

Life...As Is... (PianoDay2020)

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
That I should say Goodnight
A Thousand Times Goodnight
Until it be the Morrow.

Remembrance

The uplifting and reflective closing track from the documentary 'Chasing the Present'. 

Scored by Icelandic composer @snorrihallgrimsson, this intimate piece for piano and cello gently pulls the listener from the stresses of everyday life, immersing them for a moment in a peaceful, dream-like world. 

Stream the full album OST : https://orcd.co/chasing-the-present

Chasing the Present

Acceptance

Download

Snorri Hallgrímsson - Acceptance

improvisation 3 winter mood by Alina Gaieva

12 Jan '21: 
New YouTube: 
https://youtu.be/ZAUHeDIsrNk

On Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/track/40GsRYroCAz8rMtWiYPDea?si=hBOxgEU_RbaPIeWb00LXqQ

New piano and orchestra work for #PianoDay2020…Different from my norm, this work is fantastical, whimsical, and uses granular synthesis as well as tuned percussion, harp, and guitar. String flautando and harmonics create the sotte voce effect. Dedicated to my friend Lisa who has terminal cancer. Just learned Lisa passed away on 4/1. May she be in eternal peace...
https://sharonchen.bandcamp.com/track/silence-of-the-moonlight
YouTube pre-release piano performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GzwsqgN7Ag

Silence Of The Moonlight (PianoDay2020)

Music to keep dancing during quarantine..

De quoi faire sa barre en confinement.
Production réalisée en une prise et 2h, sans retouches. Et après le déjeuner.
J'espère que cela vous plaira

1 Preparation  7x8 - Nature Boy

Partition en PDF : https://achampion.oss-eu-central-1.aliyuncs.com/monome_impromptu.pdf

Monome Impromptu in D Minor (1.0)

St Wulfram's Church Choir - first effort at a virtual anthem, with singers recording remotely from their homes. Tallis, If ye love me, for Mothering Sunday 2020

Virtual Anthem, Tallis, If Ye Love Me

Do colors have their own special sound? What if colors sounded like piano? Red of the warm and cozy fireplace? Yellow - playful and sunny? The relaxing serenity of Green? The deep and moody Indigo... I invite you to the world of colorful piano! Today is the time for YELLOW!

Artwork by Anastasia Frenkel

Spettro

Giallo

"Giallo" from "Spettro" by Milana Zilnik

thesisproject.bandcamp.com/album/thesi…artyn-heyne

Ben Lukas Boysen - editing, zen garden.
Martyn Heyne - guitar, organ.

Composed, mixed, and mastered by Martyn Heyne + Ben Lukas Boysen at Lichte Studio Berlin.
Additional engineering by Matthias H. Franz Hahn. Vinyl cut by Mike Grinser.

Thank You!
Gregory Euclide, Matthias H. Franz Hahn, everyone at Manners McDade, Erased Tapes Records & Publishing, Claudia Gödke, and Karolina Zenobia Heyne.

Dedicated to Frieda and Frau Bellmann.

Thesis 16

& Martyn Heyne - June

I’m a piano and mallets type of guy when it all comes down to it.  Those are my tools to hopefully bring a little joy.
Stay well, enjoy, and be thankful for what you have.

Mood Exhibit - Cautious Optimism

To mark this year’s 88th day and as an acknowledgement to these unprecedented circumstances we find ourselves in, Piano Day founder, pianist and producer Nils Frahm releases a collection of eight solo piano pieces titled 'Empty'. 

Stream and download 'Empty': https://idol.lnk.to/nils-frahm-empty

Conceived of just before Nils broke his thumb and composed the similarly intimate solo piano album 'Screws', 'Empty' is a soothing vessel of eight simple and serene pieces originally recorded as the music to a short art film he shot with his friend and film director Benoit Toulemonde. Drifting through emotions from the stark and sobering opener 'First Defeat', to the gently euphoric 'No Step On Wing' and the contemplative but hopeful closer 'Black Notes', with its poignant minute of silence, 'Empty' is a comforting score for these turbulent times.

“When I came back from the hospital with a broken thumb and listened to the recordings, I felt they were unfinished. I decided to put them aside and started to work on my small album, 'Screws'. 

Many many other notes of the piano have been struck since these days, and before we all forget about this, I thought it would be a good moment to share these lullabies with you. I hope they help you stay all strong and calm in these days of solitude – despite the hardship, we can discover introspection and reflection unexpectedly. Who knows what it is good for.  
 
Much love, Nils”

Empty

No Step On Wing

Stream & order LP · CD

Nils Frahm - No Step On Wing

Ever so thankful to work with the amazing Nic Evennett on this song.  Her talent is special and I strongly recommend you listen to more of her wonderful work
https://soundcloud.com/wingless-night
Pleased to report this piece recently aired on Exile FM in the UK.
For a video version go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jxq88LAwrtc&amp=&feature=youtu.be

Whispers

The upside
We're in this together.
My ally,
Faring the weather.
Mistaking
The wicked for the wise,
They're shaking
The thunder from the skies.

I worry, I worry...
Is that the wind in the tree?
The swaying,
Is she waving goodbye to me?
Oh darling,
Cradle my fears,
They're pooling
Under my head.

You'll surely listen, you'll surely listen now,
Whispers tell you everything.

She's waiting
For sorrys on the breeze.
The sun is sore,
The rain is hard to please,
The silvergrass
Is curling around me,
Forgiving,
And soft on my feet.

You'll surely listen, you'll surely listen now.
Whispers tell you everything.

(lyrics by Nic Evennett)

Whispers (Classical Glass and Nic Evennett)

Kindred piano lovers Peter Broderick and David Allred have gifted the sheet music for their song Hey Stranger, taken from their collaborative 2017 record Find The Ways. Reminding us of the importance and power of friendship, it was originally performed on double bass, with Peter on violin and the two singing together. David kindly recorded this solo piano version to make it easier for you to follow the notes.

www.allredbroderick.com
www.pianoday.org

Find The Ways

Hey Stranger (Solo Piano Version)

Free sheet music

Allred & Broderick - Hey Stranger (Solo Piano Version)

Another excellent musical experience working with @muterial on this. Always a wealth of ideas flowing.

Notions Of Unsinkable Reflection | Belial Pelegrim & muterial

Hot beats and synths to enliven those living the 'locked in' experience. 

I recently saw videos of cities with wild animals entering as if they are at home. The ozone's condition is said to have improved. Some have commented that the sky view from their city apartments seems to be more blue during the slowing of industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
A pandemic is not a time for joy, but an optimist maintains hope. The earth's current 'healing' appears to be a silver lining that helps to fuel that hope.

The Healing

Houman - Orationis

18 August 2025
https://sharonelainechen.com/so/11PYyZ4__?languageTag=en

Thanks for subbing to my YouTube for piano and violin performances/lives! https://www.youtube.com/c/SharonChenMusic

~~~
Classically-trained, award-nominated composer. What Was I Made For? won Steve Sheppard’s Award for Best Single in April 2024, One World Music Radio, UK. Blissful and Beyond Album won third place Best Album (Sept ’24) Harvard College graduate with honors in Music and East Asian Languages and Civilizations.. I am a poet, dreamer; see my poems on Twitter. 

My songs tell stories of darkness evolving into light. I play piano lives on many medias - classical, jazz, neoclassical and somewhere in-between. My YouTube has over 640k views in classical, originals, jazz. Each of my feel-good orchestral works from Blissful and Beyond album has a story of gratitude.

New EP’s in progress in different genres. Disney/jazz (Once Upon a Time, Long,Long Ago);  Album, The Five Elements - wood, water, metal, earth, fire - elements intrinsic to ancient Chinese philosophy, poetry, landscape art.. works either sounds Chinese or western with Chinese philosophy behind it. Chopin EP with new and classic takes. 10 million+ Spotify streams.
https://www.sharonelainechen.com/ 

Watch for originals and covers on both instruments on YouTube and Spotify. Thanks for subbing to my YouTube and following me on Spotify. Find different works on my Bandcamp, One World Music Radio too.
~~~

Dawn of the morning lightly caresses
The moon touch of our hearts reveals 
In the blackest of nights..
In the breathlessness of circumstances 
The embracing hearts slowly heals..

~SEC

Silence Of The Moonlight (PianoDay2020)

Sharon Chen Music