Kellie Galentine
LV Life Editor
Two pianos sat side by side on the stage at Bridges Hall of Music during the highlight piece of the “Music for a New B’ak’tun” concert Sunday.
“Bounce,” composed by Adam Schoenberg, proved to be the audience favorite of the six piano pieces performed by Nadia Shpachenko-Gottesman, a Los Angeles-based composer and Cal Poly Pomona associate professor of music and Genevieve Feiwen Lee, pianist and Pomona College professor of music.
Schoenberg introduced the dual piano piece before it was performed. He described the inspiration behind the music since he wrote the piece when his wife was pregnant.
He and his infant son Luca appeared before an audience of more than 50 people and Schoenberg shared that picturing his son playing inspired him.
“It’s always great to hear your work performed live,” Schoenberg said.
“Different performers have different interpretations and having Nadia and Genevieve perform today as well as being able to bring my son was a special treat,” he said.
The upbeat tempo of the pianos playing simultaneously echoed through the wooden room and left the audience applauding before intermission.
“‘Bounce’ was the best, you can feel it, it’s just so happy,” said Dawn White, a Rancho Cucamonga resident.
Shpachencko-Gottesman performed the first two numbers on her own and during the piece “Part Suite – A for solo piano” composed by Tom Flaherty; the emotion of her performance was particularly present.
Shpachencko-Gottesman played not only with her fingers, but with her entire body.
The piece had abrupt low notes that pulsed throughout Shpachencko-Gottesman’s shoulders each time as she slowly brought her wrists back down to the keys.
Flaherty introduced the piece and he explained the rhythm and composition by having the audience participate singing along to a wedding song.
“What I liked about this concert was that the composers spoke about their pieces,” said Ed Soria, an Upland resident who frequents the concerts.
Shpachencko-Gottesman and Lee both have professional careers as musicians.
Shpachencko-Gottesman is also a faculty member at Claremont Graduate University and the Montecito International Music Festival.
The audience was full of older folks as well as college students. Several members of the audience were parents, bringing their young children to the concert hall for exposure to the arts.
“We usually come to as many concerts as we can,” Aide Soria, Upland resident, said.
Soria and her husband, Ed Soria, said they bring their 6-year-old piano-playing son to the concerts so that he will see what happens if he continues to practice.
Pomona College hosts free public concerts weekly. The next one will feature Pomona College Orchestra on Oct. 11 at the Bridges Hall of Music.
For more information and a schedule of events visit music.pomona.edu.
Kellie Galentine can be reached at kellie.galentine@laverne.edu.
