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Artist: Nic Gerpe
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Nic Gerpe:

The Makrokosmos 50 Project

Pianist Nic Gerpe, a Los Angeles native, has been hailed as “magnetic” (Dan Johnson, L.A. Downtown News) and “prodigious… heroic” (Kevin McMahon, silverlakeblvd.com). L.A. Times music critic Mark Swed described his playing as “wonderfully illuminating… his tone is crystalline. His technique is dazzlingly fluid.” A dedicated proponent of new music, Nic has worked with composers such as Steve Reich, Gernot Wolfgang, Anne LeBaron, Michael Gordon and Donald Crockett, and has given numerous world premieres in the Los Angeles area and abroad. Nic has performed throughout Southern California and at festivals including the Beverly Hills International Music Festival, Banff International Keyboard Festival, the Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice at the New England Conservatory, and the Tahoe Chamber Music Festival. Nic has performed in such venues as Walt Disney Concert Hall, Zipper Hall, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, and the Roy and Edna Disney Cal Arts Theater. Nic’s performances have also been nationally broadcast on 91.5 KUSC and classicalkusc.org.

As one of four young pianists featured on L.A.-based Piano Spheres’ new Satellite Series, Nic recently performed a critically-acclaimed solo recital at the Roy And Edna Disney Cal Arts Theater. He also gave the world premiere of James Matheson’s “Chapter 1…” at Walt Disney Concert Hall as part of the Radical Light Tribute Concert for Steven Stucky. Nic recently performed on the Green Umbrella series’ “Noon to Midnight” concert, an all-day celebration of contemporary music, at Disney Hall. Nic has also performed on the Sundays Live series, the longest-running live music broadcast in L.A., at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Nic Gerpe, an acclaimed solo and collaborative pianist, is set to release a stunning album commemorating the work of composer George Crumb. The album, titled “The Makrokosmos 50 Project,” pays homage to Crumb’s landmark piece Makrokosmos, Volume 1 for piano solo and will be available for fans to enjoy on March 15, 2023.

Gerpe’s album is a beautiful tribute to the legendary work of George Crumb, and it showcases his exceptional skill and talent as a pianist. The album features Gerpe’s performance of Makrokosmos, Volume 1, and twelve newly composed pieces by an immensely talented and diverse group of composers. Vera Ivanova, Fernanda Aoki Navarro, Gernot Wolfgang, Eric Guinivan, Alexander Elliott Miller, Viet Cuong, Julie Herndon, Gilda Lyons, Timothy Peterson, Juhi Bansal, Thomas Osborne, and Gerpe himself have each written a new piece in response to one movement of Makrokosmos, Volume 1, each inspired by themes and motifs drawn from Crumb. This new celestial cycle is a celebration and commemoration of Crumb’s original masterpiece.

“Crumb’s music in general, but Makrokosmos, Volume I in particular, has been a source of tremendous artistic inspiration for me throughout my musical life,” said Gerpe. “Makrokosmos is loaded with musical and extramusical associations - poetry, spirituality, and big metaphysical and cosmic ideas. To me, however, the most special thing about the piece is its celebration of connections between people - friends, family, teachers, colleagues and those who inspire us, shape our lives and make us who we are.”

“The Makrokosmos 50 Project” is a breathtaking album that is sure to leave a lasting impact on fans of classical and contemporary music. It is a testament to the power of music and the enduring influence of a groundbreaking work like Makrokosmos, Volume 1. Don’t miss out on this incredible tribute to George Crumb’s legacy, brought to life by the exceptional talent of pianist Nic Gerpe.