Out of My Hands
Castleton is pleased to welcome renowned pianist Christopher O’Riley to Casella Theater on Tuesday, April 15 at 7 p.m. for his performance "Out of My Hands."
O’Riley is recognized as one of the leading American pianists of his generation, touring extensively as a recitalist and chamber musician and appearing with every major orchestra. He has released numerous recordings on a variety of labels including SONY, Harmonia Mundi and now White Tie Records.
The evening concert features music of R.E.M., Portishead, Cocteau Twins, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, and many more, as well as material from Radiohead and Elliott Smith.
Guests are also invited to attend a free Lunchbag Workshop at 12:30 p.m. in the Casella Theater.
Tickets for this performance are available at the Fine Arts Center Box Office and are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors/students and $10 for children. For more information or to reserve tickets go online or contact the Fine Arts Center box office at 802-468-1119.
Since the triumphant release in 2003 of True Love Waits, pianist Christopher O’Riley’s reimagining of works by Radiohead, Elliott Smith and Nick Drake have garnered critical accolades and international acclaim, including the only four-star review ever given by Rolling Stone to a Classical pianist.
His latest White Tie Classics/Mesa-BlueMoon release, Out Of My Hands, includes music of R.E.M., Portishead, Cocteau Twins, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, The Bad Plus, The Smiths, Tears for Fears as well as material from Radiohead and a newly released song by Elliott Smith.
As host of the popular NPR music program, From the Top, Mr. O’Riley is well known for his eloquent and compelling musings on music and popular culture. His latest performances stretch the piano beyond the classical repertoire and into the rich uncharted territory of contemporary and alt-rock. Announcing the program from the stage allows Mr. O’Riley to share discoveries, such as World Premieres this past season by From The Top alum, Tim Woos (a piece written when he was 15 years old), Kenneth Fuchs’ set of “Falling Canons,” inspired by texts drawn from Don DeLillo’s 9/11 novel, Falling Man, and David Neal Lewis’ “Tale of Three Kitties.” He explores paths in and out of a wealth of material with serendipitous inclusions by local artists such as John Adams’ “China Gates,” played at San Francisco’s Yoshi’s jazz club, and a LACMA performance of “Venus in 94,” in celebration of California composer Terry Riley’s 75th birthday. The music flows seamlessly from one genre to another, from the familiar to the fresh. From Robert Pollard to Rickie Lee Jones to Maurice Ravel; A Perfect Circle to Piazzolla; Thomas Ades’s “Darknesse Visible” to Tears for Fears’ “Mad World,” to Toru Takemitsu to Nine Inch Nails.
Christopher O’Riley is recognized as one of the leading American pianists of his generation, touring extensively as a recitalist and chamber musician and appearing with every major orchestra. He has toured the U.S. with the world-famous Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Orchestra. He has appeared with the philharmonic orchestras of Los Angeles, New York, Moscow and the Royal Philharmonic in London, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the symphonies of Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Baltimore, Philadelphia and San Francisco. The illustrious group of conductors with whom he has collaborated includes Michael Tilson Thomas, Semyon Bychkov, JoAnn Falletta, Krystof Penderecki, Kurt Mazur, James Gaffigan, Vassily Sinaisky, Christopher Hogwood, Roger Norrington and Leonard Bernstein.
From early in his career, Mr. O’Riley was honored with many awards at the Leeds, Van Cliburn, Busoni and Montreal competitions, as well as an Avery Fisher Career Grant. O’Riley studied with Russell Sherman at the New England Conservatory of Music. He has released numerous recordings on a variety of labels including SONY, Harmonia Mundi and now White Tie Records. Christopher O’Riley makes his home in Cleveland, OH.