{"id":15583,"date":"2022-11-30T14:43:39","date_gmt":"2022-11-30T21:43:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/?p=15583"},"modified":"2022-11-30T14:43:41","modified_gmt":"2022-11-30T21:43:41","slug":"keyboard-conversations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/2022\/11\/30\/keyboard-conversations\/","title":{"rendered":"Keyboard Conversations"},"content":{"rendered":"
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. <\/a>30, 2022
MEDIA CONTACT: Brian Passey | BrianP@ScottsdaleArts.org | 480-874-4626<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After 44 Years, Keyboard Conversations Still Helping Arizonans to Love Classical Music<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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Pianist Jeffrey Siegel will present his 44th season of Keyboard Conversations at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts during the 2022\u201323 Season. Photo by Brian Passey \/ Scottsdale Arts.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona \u2014 Watching Jeffrey Siegel\u2019s Keyboard Conversations\u00ae is like going to a lecture from your favorite professor, except this classical music historian also provides captivating entertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the magic of Keyboard Conversations, a series of concerts plus commentary that Siegel has presented at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts for 43 consective years. The latest series \u2014 with performances on Dec. 13, Jan. 17, Feb. 21 and March 14 \u2014 will mark Siegel\u2019s 44th season at the center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYear after year, Jeffrey fascinates and educates audiences with the stories of composers and the beauty of classical music, and we are honored to continue this special, decades-long partnership,\u201d said Abbey Mesmer, director of programming at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Siegel has been doing Keyboard Conversations even longer than his four-plus decades in Scottsdale. In his native Chicago, Siegel will mark his 54th season of Keyboard Conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What keeps audience members returning year after year? Perhaps it\u2019s the format, uncommon for classical concert halls, that prominently features remarks from the performer. There\u2019s plenty of gorgeous music too, but Siegel presents it in a way that enables audience members to appreciate it even more. New listeners discover an informal, entertaining and instantly accessible introduction to the vast repertoire of the piano and to classical music, in general. Seasoned music lovers discover an enriched, more focused listening experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The format is similar from show to show. Siegel briefly introduces the theme of the show, followed by some remarks about the first piece. Then, he sits at the piano and begins to play while continuing his lecture, noting details he wants audience members to listen for when he plays the piece through in full. Finally, when the audience is prepared with educated ears, Siegel plays through the full piece, sparking excitement in the listeners when they recognize certain elements from his remarks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process repeats for additional pieces at each show, leading to a brisk question-and-answer session following the performance. Throughout it all, from the opening remarks to the audience\u2019s answered questions, Siegel\u2019s encylopedic knowledge of classical music, professional charisma and trademark wit are all on display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scottsdale audiences have the added bonus of a camera positioned directly above Siegel\u2019s keyboard so you can watch Siegel\u2019s hands dance across the keys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This season\u2019s series includes four unique shows: \u201cAmerican Pianistic Treasures\u201d (Dec. 13), \u201cImmortal Impromptus\u201d (Jan. 17), \u201cMusical Valentines\u201d (Feb. 21) and \u201cMozart and Friends: Beethoven and Haydn\u201d (March 14).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAmerican Pianistic Treasures\u201d is a rousing program of American musical favorites, including George Gershwin\u2019s rarely heard solo piano version of \u201cRhapsody in Blue,\u201d Scott Joplin\u2019s \u201cMaple Leaf Rag\u201d and an unpublished piano work of Leonard Bernstein. Then, moving into 2023, \u201cImmortal Impromptus\u201d will feature the works of Chopin and Schubert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it will be a week past Valentine\u2019s Day, audience members are still sure to find a little something sweet with \u201cMusical Valentines\u201d as Siegel waxes romantic with the love-inspired music of Liszt, Chopin, Schumann and Brahms. And the last show of the season, March\u2019s \u201cMozart and Friends\u201d explores the connections between the legend and his equally famous contemporaries Beethoven and Haydn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese are concerts with commentary, in which every musical masterpiece is briefly introduced and then performed,\u201d Siegel said. \u201cBring the joy of great music into your life: attend Keyboard Conversations!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though he\u2019s best known for his Keyboard Conversations, Siegel has been a soloist with the world\u2019s great orchestras, from London, Berlin and Moscow to New York City, Boston and Chicago. He has appeared in radio interviews on classical music stations across the United States and has been a frequent guest on the popular BBC program \u201cIn Tune in the United Kingdom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKeyboard Conversations: Piano Treasures,\u201d a Time Life production, has been broadcast by PBS to more than 150 cities nationwide while Siegel\u2019s recording of Gershwin\u2019s complete works for piano and orchestra, with Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony, continues to be a best seller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All Keyboard Conversations performances take place at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. 2nd St., Scottsdale, Arizona. Tickets are $25 to 45. Visit ScottsdalePerformingArts.org\/events<\/a> or call Scottsdale Arts Guest Services at 480-499-TKTS (8587) for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scottsdale Arts is continually striving to increase our accessibility offerings to provide enriching arts opportunities for everyone in the community. For more information about services we offer, please visit ScottsdalePerformingArts.org\/visit\/accessibility<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel is sponsored by the Dr. David and Joan Goldfarb Trust.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona \u2014 Watching Jeffrey Siegel\u2019s Keyboard Conversations is like going to a lecture from your favorite professor, except this classical music historian also provides captivating entertainment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":15584,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[33],"tags":[253,94,243],"acf":[],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Scottsdale Center For The Performing Arts","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15583"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15583"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15583\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scottsdaleperformingarts.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}