Adam Sliwinski Études for prepared digital piano from Nostalgic Synchronic by Dan Trueman

As a member of the adventurous ensemble Sō Percussion, noted musician and educator Adam Sliwinski has long performed works by such 20th-century innovators as John Cage and Steve Reich. For this performance held in conjunction with our Leap Before You Look exhibition, Sliwinski plays a series of études by composer Dan Trueman that utilize bitKlavier, software Trueman developed to create a digital prepared piano. Featured on their recording Nostalgic Synchronic, these solo works are a conceptual extension of the prepared piano works devised by Black Mountain composers such as John Cage and Christian Wolff, who sought to alter and extend the sonic possibilities of the piano by inserting screws, bolts, and dampening materials between the instrument’s strings.

As a New York Times reviewer said of Sliwinski’s debut of Nostalgic Synchronic last year, “John Cage would surely approve of the 21st-century version of his ‘prepared piano’….The études, some fast and virtuosic, others spare and introspective, unfolded to beautiful and haunting effect in a haze of pitch-bending, echoes, distorted rhythms and eerie timbres.” Don’t miss this compelling music that exemplifies, among myriad contemporary projects, the lasting impact and influence of Black Mountain College and its trailblazing artists today.

John Cage was a recipient of the prestigious Wexner Prize, which recognizes artists whose achievements in any medium reflect bold originality, innovation, and creative excellence. Cage was awarded the prize jointly with Merce Cunningham in 1993. Read more about the award.