WIND-UP BIRD Preludes

tango-cortina-2

Ryan Anthony Francis, composer (www.ryananthonyfrancis.com)
Vicky Chow, piano (www.vickychow.com

Released April 19th 2011
tzadik

Wind-Up Bird Preludes : Overture

Wind-Up Bird Preludes : Eternal Half-Moon

Wind-Up Bird Preludes : Empty Guitar Case

Wind-Up Bird Preludes : Bird as Prophet

Wind-Up Bird Preludes : What Happened in the Night I

Track featuring Paola Caridi on V-Drums with BFD Retro Modern startup preset + bass by Chocolate Audio BBassV for Kontakt + Simone Sello on guitars

Modern Retro SiLo Demo

Stay Silent - Sonor British

Stay Silent - Sonor Ballad

Rameau 1

A Young Gavotte Indeed

Album release: February 2017

Over 100 years after the Inventione et usu musicae (c.1481) by Johannes Tinctoris and the visits of famed lutenists Conrad Paumann and Pietrobono de Burzellis, the city of Naples remained a strong centre of instrumental music,  especially known for its lute players. Scipione Cerreto’s 1601 list of «routsanding lute players of the city of Naples » included fifteen players, four of whom left pieces for the lute. After Francesco da Milano visited the city in 1536 to print his lute book, the leading figure to emerge in the next generation was the enigmatic knight Fabrizio Dentice (born c.1540), a top-notch lutenist of «rexcessive self-esteem » yet «rprodigious facility ». Along with his fellow Neapolitans Giulio Severino and Francesco Cardone, he produced a unique style of lute music, far removed from that of central and northern Italy. A couple of large lute manuscripts that portray the sophisticated and uniquely dense style of lute playing from this beautiful southern city – a style unheard by modern ears until now – have recently come to light.

Plus de 100 ans après l’Inventione et usu musicae (c. 1481) de Johannes Tinctoris et la visite des fameux luthistes Conrad Paumann et Pietrobono de Burzellis, la ville de Naples restait un important centre de musique instrumentale, spécialement réputée pour ses luthistes. La liste dressée en 1601 par Scipione Cerreto des « remarquables joueurs de luth de la cité de           Naples » incluait 15 joueurs, dont quatre laissèrent des pièces pour le luth. Après que Francesco da Milano eut visité la ville en 1536 pour y imprimer son livre de luth, la figure principale à émerger de la génération suivante fut l’énigmatique chevalier Fabrizio Dentice (né vers 1540), un luthiste de haut vol d’une « estime de soi excessive » mais « d’une facilité prodigieuse ». Avec ses compatriotes napolitains Giulio Severino et Francesco Cardone, il produisit un style unique, bien loin de celui de l’Italie centrale et du nord. Deux grands manuscrits pour luth qui témoignent du style sophistiqué et de la densité unique du jeu de luth de cette belle cité du sud – inconu de nos oreilles jusqu’ici – ont récemment été redécouverts.

Volta de Spagna

Canadian pianist Vicky Chow has been described as “brilliant” (New York Times), “a monster pianist” (Time Out New York), "virtuosic" (New Jersey Star Ledger), and “one of the new stars of new music” (Los Angeles Times). Besides being a member of the Bang on a Can All-Stars, she is also a founding member of DUO X88, a piano duo with Dutch pianist Saskia Lankhoorn and GRANDBAND, a six keyboard ensemble with pianists Lisa Moore, Blair McMillen, David Friend, Isabelle O'Connell and Paul Kerekes..Most recently she gave the North American premiere of Steve Reich's work 'Piano Counterpoint' and also the world premiere of a new evening length work by artist/composer Tristan Perich for solo piano and 40 channel 1-bit electronics titled 'Surface Image'. Her next solo projects include commissions from American composers Chris Cerrone, Neil Rolnick, and Canadian composer Adam Basanta and recording releases on the New Amsterdam and nonesuch labels. 

Vicky’s passion for new music has propelled her to work with an A-to-Z of leading composers and musicians such as John Adams, Louis Andriessen, Bryce Dessner (The National) Philip Glass, Glenn Kotche (Wilco), David Longstreth (Dirty Projectors), Steve Reich, Terry Riley, and Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth). Her recorded work can be found on the ‘tzadik’, ‘Cantaloupe’,' innova', 'hinterzimmer', and ‘altaVoz’ labels. Her performances can be heard on WQXR, WNYC, CBC and BBC Radio 3. In addition to performing, Ms. Chow also produces and curates “Contagious Sounds”, a new music series focusing on adventurous contemporary artists and composers in New York City. She receives continuous support from the Canada Council for the Arts and has received grants from the Fromm Foundation, Vancouver Foundation, and the BC Arts Council.

Originally from Vancouver Canada, Ms. Chow studied at The Juilliard School with Yoheved Kaplinsky and Julian Martin before continuing studies at Manhattan School of Music with Christopher Oldfather.

Starting the piano at age 5, she was invited to perform at the age of 9 at the International Gilmore Music Keyboard Festival. She made her orchestral debut at the age of 10 with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra made her NY orchestral debut appearance at Alice Tully Hall with the Juilliard Symphony performing Bartok’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

www.vickychow.com