Viney-Grinberg Duo

This program for two pianists presented by the Viney-Grinberg Duo touches lightly on a few pandemic-related themes. The early days of the outbreak in Europe this year saw Italy hit especially hard. The world was inspired by the response of that country's musicians and opera stars in particular, serenading neighbourhoods from their balconies, creating beauty as both salve and life raft. The power of singing was deeply understood by Mozart, even when writing for pianos, and his truest love was Italian opera, the dominant musical art form of his day. His sonata for two (socially distanced) pianos exemplifies the dialogue that he so enjoyed in operatic styles and textures, and the opportunity for psychological exploration, play, expressions of love, and the collaborative spirit at the heart of human enterprise. After Italy, Spain also suffered terribly in the early stages of COVID-19. French composer Ravel was acutely aware of his Basque-roots (through his mother), and his love for Spanish culture can be heard in this set of four evocative miniatures. An eerie nocturnal scene, a fleeting malaguena, a slightly steamy Habanera, and a festival scene celebrate all that is fascinating and compelling about Spain, giving us faith in humanity's roots and hope for its resilience.
 

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PROGRAM

Sonata in D for Two Pianos, K. 448     W.A. Mozart  (1756-1791)

i) Allegro con spirito
ii) Andante
iii) Molto Allegro

Rapsodie Espagnole     Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
    i. Prélude à la nuit
    ii. Malaguena
    iii. Habanera   
    iv. Feria

Liam Viney

Professor Liam Viney is the Head of School at the School of Music, University of Queensland. He is active as a solo pianist, collaborative pianist, pedagogue, and academic, with an international performance, teaching and research profile.

As a solo performer Liam has collaborated with international and domestic symphony orchestras, in concertos ranging from those of Mozart and Beethoven to Prokofiev and Ligeti. He is a member of two ensembles in residence at the University of Queensland – White Halo Ensemble (a piano quartet), and the Viney-Grinberg Piano Duo. Each group explores existing bodies of literature while also commissioning numerous new works.

Through his piano duo, he is a leading authority on Australian duo piano music, with a focus on the collaborative creation of new musical practice and thought. His approach involves producing new artistic works while also translating artistic practice and musical thinking into scholarly contexts. He has commissioned and premiered dozens of new works for piano, two pianos, and chamber ensembles from composers in Australia and the United States with funding from sources such as the Australia Council for the Arts, and the Fromm Foundation, Harvard.

After completing his Doctorate at Yale University, studying with Boris Berman, Liam joined the keyboard faculty of California Institute of the Arts, and spent a further five years building a teaching and performing career in the United States. He has won major piano awards and competitions in both Australia and the United States, including First Prize in the Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition and First Prize in the Yamaha Australian Piano Competition, the prize for which was a grand piano.

In recent years his work has been nominated for Australian Music Centre/APRA Awards for Excellence. Liam has been featured on six commercial CDs on labels such as ABC Classics, Tall Poppies, and Innova (USA). A further two CDs are due to be released in 2019.

Anna Grinberg

Dr Anna Grinberg is Piano Performance Fellow and Lecturer at the School of Music, University of Queensland. She has an international profile as a pianist, teacher, and academic, and collaborates widely with orchestras, composers and other performers.

Anna’s engagements have included solo and chamber music performances at prestigious venues in the United States, including Royce Hall in Los Angeles and New York's Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and in Europe, Israel and China. She has performed as soloist with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and the Paul Mellon Chamber Orchestra.

She performs as a member of the Viney-Grinberg Duo, ensemble-in-residence at the University of Queensland, exploring both existing and new repertoire. Through the duo she has commissioned and premiered dozens of new works for piano duo from composers in Australia and the United States, with funding from sources such as the Australia Council for the Arts, and the Fromm Foundation, Harvard. This work has been featured on three compact disc releases by ABC Classics and Tall Poppies, and has been nominated for an Australian Music Centre/APRA Award for Excellence.

After completing postgraduate studies at Yale University (with Boris Berman) and SUNY Stony Brook (with Gil Kalish), Anna served on the piano faculties of Chapman University and California Institute of the Arts prior to her current position at the University of Queensland.

In 2020 she will release on Naxos another CD of commissioned new works for two pianos.