Greg Anderson (pianist)

Early years, education, and piano studies

Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Greg Anderson began his piano studies at the age of seven. He soon became a student of Kim Craig, with whom he studied for eleven years at the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music. Craig encouraged Anderson to compete in regional piano competitions and participate in music festivals. During his high school years, he attended the Aspen Music Festival and the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival. He also sat as concertmaster of the Stillwater Area High School Orchestra.

At the age of 18, Anderson moved to Manhattan to study with Julian Martin at The Juilliard School. He attended Pianofest in the Hamptons and the Banff Keyboard Festival during his undergraduate years. During this period in his life, Anderson was influenced heavily by the intense energy at Juilliard and the friends he made there, including Elizabeth Joy Roe (who would become his piano duo partner), The 5 Browns, Helen Huang, and other members of Anderson's piano class. One of Anderson's most frequently cited memories from Juilliard is his piano class's creation of a musical production entitled "Life Between the Keys," which chronicled life at Juilliard and highlighted the camaraderie among members of the piano class, dispelling rumors of cut-throat competition at the conservatory.

Anderson received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Piano Performance from Juilliard in 2004 and 2006. He was also awarded the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship in 2004. He then studied with Peter Frankl in the Master of Musical Arts (MMA) program at the Yale School of Music, where he received his Doctorate of Musical Arts. Aside from his work in academic settings, Anderson also has a long history of studying with distinguished pianist and pedagogue Aiko Onishi.

Solo career

Anderson performs as a solo artist around the world. He is known for his exciting thematic programming which runs the gamut from standard piano solo repertoire to his own compositions and arrangements. Anderson believes that the salon phenomenon, in which the performer engages the audience and encourages questions, comments, and participation, is the quintessential musical experience. Thus, many of his concerts include these elements.

Anderson and Roe piano duo

In addition to playing solo performances, Anderson concertizes with his piano duo partner Elizabeth Joy Roe. During 2010, they played concerts in at least 15 venues in the United States. They have achieved fame through their concerts, CDs, and, perhaps most significantly, their music videos (see below).

The duo's partnership has been characterized as "the intense synchronization of genius" and "the most innovative piano duo around." They are widely known for their daring four-hand piano technique, as described by the Southampton Press: "Their hand movements and the intertwining of arms, and it seemed at times of fingers, was elaborately and brilliantly choreographed. There were times when their hands seemed magically to occupy the same space, though they were playing different notes. The entire process was a small ballet of the hands, as wonderful to watch as to hear."

Solo videos

According to Anderson, producing music videos began as an experiment with the medium "for the fun of it." His two solo music videos, Ligeti's The Devil's Staircase and Bach's Sheep May Safely Graze, were two of the first videos he ever produced, and he clearly envisioned them as complementary works. During the introduction to the Ligeti, Anderson instructs listeners: "Imagine you're in hell and you want out." In the Bach video, on the other hand, he instead instructs listeners: "Imagine you're in heaven and all is at peace." These videos demonstrate that Anderson believes in contextualizing classical music for his listeners. This will become a theme in his later works.

Piano duo videos

Anderson also produces Anderson and Roe's music videos (all of which were produced after the aforementioned solo videos). The videos add several extra dimensions to Anderson and Roe's already stellar artistry. For example, as demonstrated in the video of Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos, visual cues express the alternation of orderly and chaotic sections of Mozart's music when video frames show a symmetric performance stage juxtaposed with a stage in which the pianos begin to flicker and even disappear. Other videos, such as the duo's version of Piazzolla's Libertango, demonstrate the sheer physicality, danger, and sexuality that four hands at one piano embody.

In summary, as Jay Wilson blogs, Anderson and Roe's videos "explore the narrative suggested by the music they play, [and they] allow the viewer access to the physical element of piano duetting."

Composition

Anderson's oeuvre consists of arrangements, fantasies, and original compositions. Many of the works written for the piano duo are credited in concert programs and on CD notes as being by Anderson & Roe; however, ASCAP and the published scores list Anderson as the sole composer.

Anderson's works have been premiered in such venues as the Rose Bowl, Alice Tully Hall, and the Grand National Theater in China. His compositions for The 5 Browns have appeared on the EMI, Sony/BMG, and E1 Entertainment record labels. His compositions are published by Awkward Fermata Press.

Web publishing

The websites Greg has created (gregandersonpiano.com & andersonroe.com) are a form of artistic expression in themselves, while they also allow his fans to interact directly with him and the piano duo. The websites include comment boxes where visitors can suggest works for future performances, ask questions of the performers, and vote in polls regarding their favorite classical music composers. There are also forums that recommend how audience members can best listen to classical music and forums that solicit advice from visitors on the same topic. Each website also includes biographies in two forms: a classic form and a choose-your-own-adventure form, which seems to espouse Anderson's reverence for audience and fan participation in all walks of life.

Solo videos

Piano Duo videos

Other videos

Five pianos

Solo

Duo

Other

Solo piano

Two piano

Piano Four Hands

Piano Ensemble

Other

Writing

Media Appearances

Miscellaneous endeavors

Honors