Featuring the piano music of Zosha Di Castri, Matthew Ricketts, Kotoka Suzuki, Kaija Sariaaho and Adam Sherkin. Japanese-Canadian Kotoko Suzuki's "Hidden Voices" is a richly hued, neo-impressionistic work that explores shadowy counterpoint and integrated reosnances while Ricketts' balladic "Melodia" for solo piano embraces a narrante sound profile. In complement, his “Swallow Songs” (from 2014, on texts by Lauren J. Rogener), are given their world premiere in complete form, with soprano and new music champion, Robin Steitz, at the helm. Vibrant, intrepid composer, Zosha Di Castri, found a distinction and purpose at the keyboard early on in her output: Adam Sherkin performs her newest work, "The Untellable Hour of Quiet," recently commissioned by Clare Longendyke, and inspired by Maurice Ravel's Oiseaux tristes. Di Castri's "The Thinking Eye" of 2006 is played alongside and has been conceived around the following quote from Paul Klee: “One day I must be able to improvise freely on the keyboard of colours: the row of watercolours in my paintbox.”  Finnish composer Saariaho was a friend and mentor of Zosha Di Castri. She also worked with pianist/composer Adam Sherkin in Toronto; the "Ballade" for piano is included on this program. ​

Three singular pianists join forces to celebrate the work of Canadian minimalist, Ann Southam. An  unlikley champion of this aethetic, Southam worked tirelessly thorughout her career, experimenting with style and structure, always staying true to her voice and musicality. As she embraced miniamlism particularly at the keyboard, she navigated her own brand of lyricism, intimacy and efficiency of line not only as feminist, but as an individual artist born of unquestionably North American sensibility. She cohabited a compositonal world heavily dominated be men. Today, in 2023, thirteen years after her death, she is revered more than ever. This presentation on Decmeber 9th celebrates the major piano cycles Southam wrote over a late twenty-year span, forming her final compositional period. Pianists Adrienne Kim, Sarah Cahill and Adam Sherkin take up the challenge.

David Zucchi and Adam Sherkin share a biting, dizzying, and ultramodern program from the repertoire's edge, including solos and duos for each instrument, with a new commission by Sherkin. French composer Philippe Leroux has crafted unmistakable textures and ceberal modes of expression in his work; Brit, Mark-Anthony Turnage has long established himself as the saxophonist's champion-composer, and the precocious Alex Paxton offers a multiverse sound palette that continues to arrest the unssuspecting ear (in the best sort of way.) * This recital repeats in Toronto, on Wednesday, January 16th * PROGRAM: Circling Point (2014) by Charlotte Bray Two Elegies Framing a Shout (1994) by Mark-Anthony Turnage Noûs (2019) by Philippe Leroux Solo for saxophone (2021) by Alex Paxton New Work (2023) by Adam Sherkin ​

Highlighting piano music by emerging and mid-career composers, all currently based in New York City. Premieres by Xavier Muzik, Jonathan Wyatt and Michael Genese complement works for keyboard from the last decade by Chistopher Cerrone, David T. Little and Han Lash. While many of these pieces are in miniature form, the range of expression and innovation of keyboard profile is largely impressive. Adam Sherkin premieres a new set of varations based on a theme by Julia Perry. Many of the composers will be in attendance to discuss their process and practice. This is sure to be an exciting evening of firsts (and seconds), not to be missed!

Adam Sherkin brings a unique program to Tenri, featuring his own cycle of four piano sonatas. These pieces, written over the span of fifteen years, encompass multiple stylistic periods in the artist's output and considerable virtuosic demands. Sherkin has conceived of sonata-form with a broad, 21st century approach: each work has a subtitle bearing an extramusical reference but the materials in play remain abstract and objective. Sonata No. 1, "Sunderance," written in 2008, was inspired by an essay of Virginia Wolfe's. Sonata No. 2 "Cwn Annwn" (or, "Hounds of Hell") is  a three-movement work, depicting various accounts of the spectral hounds of the Welsh afterworld. Ancient folklore tells of eerie dogs with blood red eyes who growl loudest when they are at a distance. As they approach, their cries soften; upon closest appearance they bring a portent of death. The Third Sonata, "Ended in Ice," derives its title from a well-known poem by Roert Frost; the work was written after Sherkin travelled to Iceland in 2017. Finally, Sonata No. 4, "Rumours of Green," recieves its world premiere: imagining the threat of an antidemocratic future plagued by climate crisis and lack of resrouces, while looking backward to history and humanity's cycle of - and compulsion for - war.

The richly lyrical, super-talent of an oboist, Caitlin-Broms Jacobs, takes the Tenri stage in a post-tonal program that features expressive new music for oboe and piano. The highlights of this recital include a fresh commission from award-winning composer, Harry Stafylakis and a new set of five pieces, "Plastic Dawn," by Adam Sherkin. Also on the program: the US premiere of Kevin Lau's "In the Garden of Endless Sleep" and an early work from 1967 by veteran American composer, Joan Tower, entitled, "Opa Eboni."

Jana Luksts, shares the stage with Adam Sherkin in two solo sets that celebrate New York-based composers from CUNY's composition faculty.  Featuring Jason Eckhardt, Jeff Nichols and Phyllis Chen. Works for piano and media are included here, as well as a four-hand piece by Jeff Nichols. Canadians Julia Mermelstein and Keiko Devaux are highlighted; a new work for toy piano and grand piano will be premiered by George Katehis. Adam Sherkin gives the US premiere of his solo toy piano cycle, "Southern Frames." From Julia Mermelstein: "Only Edges explores the intensity of a barren landscape—overwhelmed by extreme heat—exposing the vulnerable to frequent disturbance. There is a sense of desolate space that always lingers throughout the transformations that occur." ​