Blog - Page 2 of 4 - Deborah Grimmett

This coming March, I am very excited to be making my debut with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, along with my partner, Iman Habibi (Piano Pinnacle). We will be performing as soloists in Camille Saint-Saëns’ ever-popular Carnival of the Animals, under the baton of the esteemed Maestro Bramwell Tovey.

Saint-Saëns wrote Carnival of the Animals in 1886, but purposely withheld the work from publication during his lifetime (with the exception of the famous Swan movement), fearing it would ruin his reputation as a serious musician and composer. In a letter to his publisher at the time, he admitted that he should be working on his Third Symphony, but that Carnival of the Animals was “such fun” (“…mais c’est si amusant!”). Subtitled a Grand Zoological Fantasy, the work is comprised of 14 movements, each representing a different animal. The result is a composition that is brimming with energy, humour, and catchy melodies. It is little wonder that once the work was published, it quickly became one of Saint Saëns’ best known and most loved compositions.

The concert will take place on Sunday, March 12, 2017, at 2:00 pm, in the beautiful Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver, BC. Children are encouraged to attend, although people of all ages are sure to enjoy it! For more information, and to purchase tickets, please visit: http://www.vancouversymphony.ca/concert/16KIDS04/

Orpheum Theatre:
601 Smithe St
Vancouver, BC V6B 3L4, Canada

Thursday March 17, 2016, 7:30pm
The Firehouse Space
Brooklyn, New York

I am thrilled to be premiering 15 wonderful miniature works for two pianos with my ensemble, Piano Pinnacle, in New York City later this month. The pieces, which are dedicated to us, were selected from a pool of over 80 submissions, all composed on the theme: Canada. The compositions came from an vast array of countries around the world, including Scotland, Italy, Iran, Russia, USA, Singapore, Greece, Jordan, Romania, Australia, France, Germany, Argentina, England, Taiwan, Portugal, Venezuela, Sweden, and of course, Canada!

Join us at The Firehouse Space (246 Frost St., Brooklyn, NY) for the world premiere of these new works at a Vox Novus 15 Minutes of Fame concert, entitled Women, Words, and Music.

Myself, along with my partner, Iman Habibi, are tremendously excited to be performing Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra in D minor with Dexter Community Orchestra on Sunday, Feb. 21st, 2016 at 4pm at the Dexter Center for the Performing Arts, conducted by the esteemed cellist and maestro, Anthony Elliott, Professor of Cello at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theater and Dance.

In a letter to the Belgian musicologist, Paul Collaer, Francis Poulenc wrote that he considered this concerto to be “an enormous step forward” and the beginning of his “great period.” He premiered this concerto at ISCM(International Society of Contemporary Music) in Venice with his long-time friend Jacques Février (a video was later made showcasing the two pianists performing the work, with a number of adjustments made to the two piano arrangement). The concerto has become one of the staple works of the piano duo repertoire, and is revered as one the greatest piano duo concerti ever written.

Poulenc juxtaposes dissonant chords with neoclassic lyricism, drawing influences from Mozart, Liszt, and Ravel, as well as gamelan music, which Poulenc would have heard at the Exposition Coloniale de Paris in 1931, a year before composing the concerto. The result is a colourful work that can perhaps be considered post-modern, rarely staying in one style for more than a few measures.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Due to emergency repairs to the water main at the Dexter Center for the Performing Arts, the concert will now be held at the Towsley Auditorium in the Morris Lawrence Building at Washtenaw Community College. 4800 E. Huron River Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105

On November 26, 2015, I will be performing a duo piano recital with my ensemble, Piano Pinnacle. The concert is presented by Muzewest Concert Series. We will be presenting a wonderful programme of works by J.S. Bach, Adolphe Blanc, Chopin, Yoshibumi Fujiwara, Albert Ketelbey, Lutoslawski, as well the world premiere of Iman’s new piano duo work!

We are very much looking forward to this event. Please see the poster below:

Tickets may be purchased here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2024708

I am thrilled to announce that my new recording of Iman Habibi’s Prelude a la Gershwin has been released. It is available for purchase on cdbaby, itunes, Amazon, Google Play, and a host of other online mediums. The score is also available on my bandcamp page. Please check it out:

https://deborahgrimmett.bandcamp.com/

Also don’t forget to visit Iman Habibi’s website for updates on his latest activities. www.imanhabibi.com

Thanks for listening!

On Tuesday, April 14, 2015, I feel privileged to be giving the world premiere of Iman Habibi‘s latest prelude for solo piano, Prelude a la Gershwin, written as a tribute to George Gershwin.

It is always a joy to perform new music, and having the pleasure of introducing the music to the audience for the first time makes it even more thrilling.

Stay tuned for a recording of this piece coming soon!

Details of the performance:

University of Michigan Composers Concert
Britton Hall, Earl V. Moore Building, Ann Arbor, MI
Tuesday, April 14, 2015, 8pm

In November 2015, I will be giving a recital with my ensemble Piano Pinnacle for Muzewest concert series in Vancouver BC. Stay tuned as we announce the date for this November concert soon!

Muzewest is an exciting new voice in the Vancouver concert scene. Apart from having a wonderful line up of concerts each year, they also have a worthy initiative in bringing classical music to children in schools. Each artist gives a concert to school age children, a wonderful way to inspire the next generation of musicians and music appreciators.

I am happy to announce that I will join the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra (VPO), led by Jin Zhang, for Prokofiev’s great work, Romeo and Juliet Suite. Also on the concert’s programme is a world premiere of Iman Habibi‘s latest orchestral piece, The Promised Hand. Iman is VPO’s composer in residence, and the other half of my ensemble Piano Pinnacle.

Concert details are as follows:

Saturday, February 21, 2014, 8:00pm
Shaughnessy Heights United Church, 1550 West 33rd Avenue, Vancouver, BC

I am pleased to announce my upcoming performance with Piano Pinnacle of the Brahms Requiem for piano duo and choir (two pianos and chorus), in collaboration with the Vancouver Peace Choir. The concerts will take place on November 22 and 23, 2014:

November 22nd, 7:30 PM– Vancouver Community College Auditorium, 1155 E Broadway, Vancouver

November 23rd , 3:00 PM- Highlands United Church, 3255 Edgemont Blvd, North Vancouver

Brahms’ Requiem is a monumental work of great beauty and power – I look forward to going on this journey with the Vancouver Peace Choir.

I am proud to announce that my ensemble Piano Pinnacle won First Prize at the 2014 United States International Duo Piano Competition (USIDPC), held in Colorado. This has been a wonderful way to start 2014, and we are now enjoying a beautiful snowy day in the picturesque town of Colorado Springs.

We would like to also congratulate the duos of Bellani e Peroni from Italy and Tang and Jiang from the United States for winning the Second and Third Prizes, respectively.

We wish you all a Happy New Year!

Here is an image from the final round concert:

Deborah Grimmett

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Debut

Concert in New York City of Fifteen World Premieres for Piano Duo

Thursday March 17, 2016, 7:30pm
The Firehouse Space
Brooklyn, New York

Performance of Poulenc Concerto

Poulenc Concerto For Two Pianos And Orchestra

Upcoming Concert with Piano Pinnacle presented by Muzewest Concert Series

Release of New Recording

Solo Performance in Ann Arbor, MI – world premiere of Iman Habibi’s music

Muzewest Concerts

Joining the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra in their performance of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite

Brahms Requiem with Vancouver Peace Choir

First Prize Win at the United States International Duo Piano Competition

Thursday March 17, 2016, 7:30pm The Firehouse Space Brooklyn, New York

Poulenc Concerto For Two Pianos And Orchestra

Thursday March 17, 2016, 7:30pm
The Firehouse Space
Brooklyn, New York