CANADIAN PIANIST
Piano Pinnacle (Deborah Grimmett and Iman Habibi), along with percussionists Martin Fisk and Brian Nesselroad, will premiere seven new works for two pianos and percussion at the Sonic Boom Festival on Saturday, March 29, 2014.
Time: Saturday, March 29, 2014, 7:30pm
Where: Pyatt Hall, VSO School of Music, 843 Seymour Street, Vancouver, BC
I am pleased to announce that I will join the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra (VPO), led by Jin Zhang, as they perform Stravinsky’s magnificent work, Firebird Suite. For more details on the rest of the program, please visit Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra’s website. http://www.vanphil.ca/
Concert details are as follows:
Saturday, December 6, 2013, 8:00pm
Shaughnessy Heights United Church, 1550 West 33rd Avenue, Vancouver, BC
I am pleased to announce that I have been invited to join NOVO ensemble for an upcoming concert at Orpheum Annex Theatre. We will be performing Cendres by Saariajo and Chaconne and Tocatta by Ethan Wickman for piano, cello, and flute. I will be joining Marina Hasselberg, cello, and Heather Beaty, flute.
I am very much looking forward to this exciting collaboration!
The concert at which we are performing, entitled Chambercon, is co-presented by Vancouver New Music and Redshift Music.
Details: Sunday, November 17, 2013, 3pm.
Orpheum Annex, 823 Seymour Street, Vancouver BC
Deadline: December 10, 2013
Vox Novus is calling for one-minute pieces composed for Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame:
Piano Pinnacle, piano duo to be premiered April 27, 2014 on the Composer’s Voice concert series in New York City. This call is open to all composers.
Composition guidelines:
All works must be 60 seconds or less.
Theme: Canada
The composers can interpret this creatively. Submitted works can be written in any style and use any technique.
Submission guidelines:
-Submission Deadline December 10, 2013
-Works written for piano duo (2 pianos) in accordance with the theme described above.
-Works must be submitted as a PDF file.
Along with a jpg photograph of the composer,
-50-word biography, and 50-word program note about the piece submitted as text in the email. Do not send these as an attachment
Works must be one-minute in length. No works over a minute will be reviewed
-Include the dedication to Piano Pinnacle on the score.
-Works should be composed specifically for this project and performers.
-All pieces must be premieres and not previously written or performed.
-Works need to be submitted via email to: [email protected]
-The subject line should read 15-Minutes-of-Fame: Piano Pinnacle – Composer’s Name – Title
-Include a 50-word biography and 50 word program note as text in the body of the email. Please do not send these as attachments.
The email must include the following attachments:
-The composer’s picture as a jpg file.
-The score in pdf format (performance notes should be included with the score.)
-Do Not send soundfiles
-Include your contact information in the text of the submission email: your name, street address, city, state/province(if applicable), postal code(zip code), country, your email, and phone number
No works over a minute will be reviewed. Multiple submissions are not accepted. Send your best work!
The results will be available on or around February 27, 2014. The selected composers will be emailed and the results announced via the Vox Novus webpage and Newsletter.
On Monday, September 16, 2013, from 6 – 7 pm, I will be live on the air of CiTR radio, 101.9 FM in Vancouver, performing with my piano duo ensemble, Piano Pinnacle. The radio program, 4:33, hosted by Gregory Gan, is dedicated to showcasing Canadian performers and composers of new music. Tune in for this live performance, as well as a live interview with Piano Pinnacle. The rest of the hour-long program will feature the other half of our ensemble, award-winning composer, Iman, and his music. Iman will be giving a live performance of his new Piano Sonata, and chatting about his recent and upcoming projects.
On September 27, 2013, I am delighted to be giving a live performance and lecture on Evan Chambers’ work for solo piano, Torn (2010) at the Score Reading Club held at Canadian Music Centre in Vancouver, BC.
Score Reading Club is a wonderful new initiative where presenters share new music (written within the last 10 years) with the community, followed by a lecture and discussion. It begun in the Vancouver branch of Canadian Music Centre (CMC) and has since been adopted by the Victoria, Montreal and Toronto branches of CMC.
Please join us at this free event:
Friday, September 27, 2013, 2pm, CMC Vancouver Branch: 837 Davie Street.
My ensemble Piano Pinnacle is looking forward to presenting this wonderful programme of duets for the NorthWest Piano Ensemble Society. Here is the press release for the event.
NorthWest Piano Ensemble Society Presents:
SLAVIC LEGENDS
A musical journey through Eastern Europe with Piano Pinnacle
VANCOUVER, BC – Piano Pinnacle (pianists Deborah Grimmett and Iman Habibi), whose performances have been hailed as “a true tour de force” and “an absolute delight” (Musetta Stone) will present a recital of piano duet works in Vancouver, BC on Saturday, May 11th 2013, at 7pm. The concert is presented by the NorthWest Piano Ensemble Society (NWPES), and will be held at Immanuel Church (109 East 40th Avenue, Vancouver, BC). Admission is by donation.
As a two-time winner and Audience Choice Award recipient at the NorthWest International Piano Ensemble Competition (NWIPEC), Piano Pinnacle is invited back to perform a recital in which they explore some of the music of the Slavic traditions. The programme will consist of selections by two Czech composers, including Dvorak’s Legends, as well as some wonderful, yet rarely performed Dadaist music written by Erwin Schulhoff. Also featured on the programme are selections from the Hungarian Dances by Johannes Brahms, and the Sonata by a young Francis Poulenc, which was influenced by his Russian contemporary and idol, Igor Stravinsky.
Piano Pinnacle has established itself as a leading new piano duo ensemble in Canada. It has recently garnered a host of accolades worldwide, including a 2nd Prize at the United States International Piano Duo Competition in January, 2013. It has given performances across North America and Europe, in cities such as Paris, Oslo, Chicago, Seattle, Vancouver, Colorado Springs, Salt Spring Island, and Toronto. The duo
is dedicated to rejuvenating the piano duo and duet genre, by presenting an eclectic mix of old and new repertoire, with “a passion that could only be achieved by years of patience […]” (The Other Press). For more information, please visit www.pianopinnacle.com.
This concert can be heard on:
• Saturday, May 11th, 2013, at 7pm. Immanuel Church – 109 East 40th Avenue, Vancouver BC.
Admission by donation (suggested $20).
• www.pianopinnacle.com • www.nwpes.ca
Piano Pinnacle (Deborah Grimmett and Iman Habibi)
Email: [email protected] Website: www.pianopinnacle.com
203-3091 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC, V6K 2G9 Tel: 1 (604) 440-4126
I have a passion for chamber music, and I have experience collaborating with a broad range of instruments, chamber ensembles, choirs, and singers.
I would love to work with you! Please send me an email to inquire about my availability and rates as a collaborative artist.
Iman Habibi and Deborah Grimmett with friends and fans. Photo credit: Kayla Steinman.
Arts at One presents Iman Habibi and Deborah Grimmett in ‘Piano Pinnacle’
By Kayla Steinman, Contributor
Last Thursday in the Laura C. Muir Performing Arts Theatre, one of Douglas’ immensely talented graduates returned and proved that hard work and determination can make just about anyone’s dreams come true. Iman Habibi, once a Douglas music student, now a composer and pianist, came back to his beloved college to premier one of his own compositions, along with his partner and Vancouver-based music teacher, Deborah Grimmett. These two brought with them a passion that could only be achieved by years of patience as they developed their music.
Focusing on music from the 19th and the 20th centuries, the duo played for us the sounds of Spain in “Ritmo” from Danses Andalouses, composed by Manuel Infante; the piece expresses the fun, energetic, and busy life of a person in Spain. Using two pianos for all of the compositions performed, one was able to hear, as well as picture, what life would have been like in Spain when this composition was created.
For this concert in particular, Habibi and Grimmett did something amazing by requesting for a number of miniature compositions, averaging a minute each, from all around Canada, which they went on to showcase five of. This experiment was intended to bring British Columbian composers more attention, a topic that means a great deal to the duo; they went on to wish to encourage more students and music enthusiasts to show off their talents. In these miniatures, they played the sounds of rain falling, a gentle breeze, and “Off to the Races,” a high energy and fast-paced piece.
The one song that they both agreed on as having been the most fun to play was a piece that was found in a box of unwanted music outside of Grimmett’s studio, entitled “In a Persian Market.” This piece allowed one to easily hear the hustle and bustle of a market: the camels coming and going as bookends, with a princess arriving in-between. Habibi, who hails from a Persian background, used said reasoning as a personal encouragement to initially read through the piece, and later perform it.
Habibi, as was stated before, premiered an original piece, entitled “Towering.” He further stated that he had gotten the idea for the piece from viewing a concert, in which the entire movement was a crescendo. “Towering” was very lovely, with the melodies and harmonies shared between the two pianos, it could make anyone want to become a music student. The piece was simply one of the most amazing original compositions I’ve heard created in modern times, and it was very special to have been a part of experiencing the piece first hand.
Take the time next week to see some of our very own Douglas alumni perform in the Arts at One’s “Alumni Vocal Recital,” once again taking place at 1 p.m. in the Laura C. Muir Performing Arts Theatre at the New West campus—don’t forget, all Arts at One performances are absolutely free!
Piano Pinnacle (piano duo comprised of Deborah Grimmett and Iman Habibi) has been selected as the only North American team to perform at the second round of the Torneo Internazionale di Musica, held in Paris, France, in June 2012.