MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN
These concerts are generously sponsored by Judy and Hank Hummelt.
SUN, OCT 15, 2023
4:00PM / Lincoln Performance Hall, PSU
TUES, OCT 17, 2023
7:30PM / Lewis & Clark College
“seeing clearly in the night”
"A performer of near-superhuman technical prowess" (New York Times), Marc-André Hamelin returns to PPI with an adventurous program that reminds us of the solo piano's ability to conjure astonishingly vivid musical worlds. Among the piano's most ambitious and satisfying works to experience, Ives's "Concord" Sonata pays homage to four giants of American Transcendentalism — Emerson, Hawthorne, Alcott, and Thoreau — with music ranging from pastoral hymns to raucous ragtime. Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit transports us to a shadowy world of nymphs and goblins, making it the perfect companion to Robert Schumann's Forest Scenes, which beckons listeners to embark on a journey both serene and sinister.
SUNDAY CONCERT — OCT 15
IVES Sonata No. 2, Concord, Mass., 1840–60
— Intermission—
R. SCHUMANN Waldszenen (Forest Scenes), op. 82
RAVEL Gaspard de la nuit
TUESDAY EVENT — OCT 17
Join us on Tuesday, October 17, at Flanagan Chapel on the campus of Lewis & Clark College for a more personal encounter with our long-time and much-admired friend, Marc-André Hamelin (our first guest artistic curator in our 2019-20 season), when he will share insights about his musical choices for his recitals with us this season.
We're calling it "Marc-André Annotated" and it promises to be an exceptional evening of tales from the keyboard with a special in-depth look at Ives's monumental "Concord Sonata." Too, you will get a master raconteur's stories about life as an internationally sought recitalist and collaborator.
A festive reception will follow in the pavilion adjacent to the chapel. Come revel with your fellow piano lovers. Tickets to this special program are $48, general admission.
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Box Office
Seating Map (PDF)
We participate in the Arts for All ticketing discount program. Student tickets, $10.
Questions? Call (503) 228-1388
or email robin@portlandpiano.org.Lincoln Performance Hall at Portland State University
1620 SW Park Ave (at Market St.)
Portland, OR 97201Driving Directions | Trimet Directions
Parking is available nearby in PSU Parking Structure 2, diagonally across the street from Lincoln Hall. However, there is a parking fee. Please visit the kiosk at the entrance and have your license plate number handy. Park in the areas marked "Permit Parking Only".
For more information about parking and Lincoln Performance Hall, call our office at 503.228.1388. Office hours are Monday through Thursday 9am - 4pm.
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PRE-CONCERT LECTURE: Arrive early to the concert and listen to an insightful pre-concert lecture given by Bill Crane, executive director of PPI — 3:15 PM (Sunday).
PROGRAM NOTES: Get a start on learning about this program by reading the program notes.
GET tO KNOW MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN
NATIONALITY: Canadian
HOME: Waltham, Massachusetts
NOTEWORTHY: Mr. Hamelin began his piano studies at the age of five. His father, a pharmacist by trade who was also an amateur pianist, introduced him to the works of Charles-Valentin Alkan, Leopold Godowsky, and Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji when he was still young.
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION TO CREATE MUSIC?
There is music going on in my head almost all the time. It’s another natural language to me. When all is said and done, almost anything can inspire me. Life itself. As a boy, it was my father’s loving involvement with music as an amateur, and his excellent piano playing that struck something deep in me. We listened together, played together, and pored over any new scores he would buy.
WHAT ENERGIZES YOU IN LIFE TO KEEP GOING, TO KEEP CREATING?
I go for daily walks with my dog in a beautiful, ancient woodland near my house. I like to think about how the land binds us to history and, like great art, enables us to reach across the centuries to people who led very different lives, and find essential shared truths and meaning.
Preview the artist’s playing.