Greenroom Conversations

Contemporary Pianist, Anthony de Mare shares his journey to his current career.  He talks about his influences that formed his path to studying classical piano, leading him to find an affinity to the repertoire of contemporary composers.  At the University of Buffalo he found his way to new music exploring late Liszt to the present and hosting a radio program about new music.  He examines the skills that a pianist needs to be successful at learning contemporary music and the importance of including contemporary music within standard repertoire curriculum.  We discuss the difficulties that arise from learning and teaching contemporary music, how competitions fit into creating a career, and defining what is included in contemporary piano music.  Reinventing himself every five years or so, he shares his current project “Liaisons”, commissioning 36 of the world’s foremost contemporary composers from across the musical spectrum to “re-imagine” one of Sondheim’s songs as a solo piano piece.