Called “exceptional” by the Los Angeles Times, pianist DANNY HOLT specializes in performing contemporary works, 20th century music, and obscure and neglected repertoire from past centuries. The late music critic Alan Rich praised one of Holt’s recent performances as "phenomenal" (SoIveHeard.com) and The Record (Waterloo, Ontario) called him "the classical music equivalent of an extreme sports athlete." In addition to championing the works of emerging composers, Holt has worked with composers such as Steve Reich, Louis Andriessen, Christian Wolff, James Tenney, David Lang, Michael Gordon, Augusta Read Thomas, and many others. Holt's Fast Jump CD (Innova, 2009) was a featured new release on both WNYC and iTunes, and includes world premiere recordings of works by David Lang (co-founder of Bang on a Can), Caleb Burhans, Lona Kozik, Graham Fitkin, and Jascha Narveson. Gramophone called the disc "a compelling showcase for Holt's innate virtuosity and gregarious temperament" and Sequenza21.com called Holt's playing "brilliant". Holt resides in Los Angeles, where he is an active freelance performer and educator, and he serves on the faculty of the Herb Alpert School of Music at California Institute of the Arts. For more information, visit: www.dannyholt.net

PROGRAM INFO:
Known for his no-holds-barred style, Danny Holt’s Piano/Percussion Project places the pianist amid an array of percussion instruments, calling for acrobatic feats of multi-instrumentalism. Holt takes on Andrew Tholl’s hitting things won’t solve your problems (but it might make you feel better) in which influences as diverse as Cecil Taylor, drum ’n’ bass, post-rock, and Richard Strauss playfully co-mingle. By contrast, Sarah Seelig’s meditative Tingsha explores more resonant qualities to create textures of sublime beauty. Oscar Bettison’s new An Inventory of Remnants creates an epic sonic landscape by adding toy piano, melodica, glockenspiel, and metronomes. And Liza White pits jazzy piano solo against violent multi-percussion tantrums in Ballad of the Mean Angry Jazz Hater Monster!, with an LP player thrown in for good measure. The program also includes Hymns and Spirituals: Reflections on a Boy’s Loss of Faith, one of the last major works by the late Arthur Jarvinen.

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Thursday, March 31, 2011, 4:00am to 6:00am
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