PianOrquestra
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Music
Press
With its unique and inspired performance, PianOrquestra has obtained huge news media exposure since the release of their first DVD. Besides having all shows sold out during national tours, the group has been featured in the country’s major national TV shows, radio stations, and newspapers. PianOrquestra recently completed tours in Canada, Chile and Norway to great critical acclaim.
PianOrquestra has been awarded by Itaú Cultural Rumos program and has been sponsored by major music investors in Brazil such as Petrobras, Oi Futuro, Caixa Cultural, Correios, Votorantim.
The group has been praised by some of Brazil’s most important musicians and critics:
I found the options that PianOrquestra found and the amount of solutions to explore the piano's sound really very interesting. It’s definitely worth it.”
- Marisa Monte
“The group explores all the limits and extensions of the piano’s sounds. Fantastic. Getting to know PianOrquestra was a wonderful surprise. We had a great time on tour together!”
- João Bosco
“The research of sonorities that can be drawn from any instrument, any object, is really fantastic. And with all the knowledge that Claudio has… it surpasses everything. Fantastic! I loved it!
- Ana de Hollanda
“It’s an experimental, very contemporary work, from the early 21st century. A fascinating experience.”
- Arthur da Távola
“PianOrquestra is an experience bordering on geniality.”
- Bibi Ferreira
"Fascinating and unforgettable" - Coastal Jazz & Blues Society - Major Brazilian TV shows and newspapers
Discography
DVD - PianOrquestra - 10 hands and a prepared piano (independent, 2007)
CD - PianOrquestra (to be released in Japan, by Amorfon, 2011)
The group is currently composing for the next DVD, to be released in early 2011.
Photos
Bio
PianOrquestra is a ensemble that specializes in extended techniques on a prepared piano, presenting a fascinating approach to the piano. Five classically trained musicians play the keyboard, the inside, the bottom and the sides of a prepared piano. Through a variety of preparation resources that are not normally used by a traditional pianist, the orchestra sounds like a samba band, a gamelan ensemble, a percussion ensemble; the pianists seamlessly exchange function and position to create an instrument that expresses itself as one voice.
PianOrquestra uses prepared piano techniques based on John Cage’s experiments to explore the infinite possibilities of sounds produced by a piano. An intriguing musical experiment transforms the piano into its own orchestra. Timbres range according to the density, weight and texture of the objects used on the preparation, some of which are especially built for the group. This way, PianOrquestra creates possibilities of sounds similar to a guitar, cavaquinho, contrabass, violin, harpsichord, sitar, and others, in addition to the most varied percussive timbres.
The group distinguishes itself from other prepared piano ensembles by the incorporation of Brazilian folk music into their repertoire, combined with dance and vocalization to create a multi-faceted sound-scape. The performance flows easily from classical to popular Brazilian music, including contemporary composers such as Villa-Lobos, Ernesto Nazareth, Tom Jobim and Milton Nascimento and ethnic rhythms such as samba, choro, coco, maracatu and ciranda. Video adds another compelling dimension, with prepared films, as well as images of the musicians as they perform, projected onto large screens. The concert pleases and surprises critics and audiences alike and also includes strong rhythmic sessions and interaction with the audience.
PianOrquestra makes music that reflects contemporary artistic currents, attracting new audiences for instrumental music. This is a musical act that can be appreciated by all audiences, including children and families, breaking down traditional barriers for the instrumental music genre.
The group began in 2003 as an academic research project, conducted by Claudio Dauelsberg, professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Since then recorded one DVD and played in Brazil’s greatest stages and festivals, Canada, Chile, and Europe and has been sponsored by major Brazilian music investors such as Petrobras, Banco do Brasil, Caixa Econômica Federal, Correios, Oi Futuro, Votorantim.
PianOrquestra is managed by Dell’Arte Soluções Culturais, one of the largest and longest-running agencies in Brazil, active for more than 25 years.
Today, four classically trained pianists, Claudio Dauelsberg, Gisele Sant’Ana, Marina Spoladore, Maíra Freitas, and percussionist Masako Tanaka form PianOrquestra.
www.myspace.com/pianorquestra
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