Hi and welcome to my SDPA faculty recital! I want to mention a few things about my program.

To start things off, two of my students will be opening the program for about 20 minutes. Luna has been studying with me for about a year now. She is beginning with the 3rd movement of a Beethoven Sonata that is quite challenging. Then she’ll be playing the beautiful 2nd movement of Grieg’s famous piano concerto. My lovely wife will be playing the orchestra part on the second piano. Luna is quite a talent and is only 13 years of age. I’m quite proud of the work she’s doing!

Then Julian will be playing the 1st movement of one of Beethoven’s most difficult piano sonatas. He’s been working with me for about two years now. He’s a very hard working student who is as passionate about music and the piano as any you’ll meet. Soon he’ll be heading off to UT Austin on nearly a full scholarship to continue his pianistic studies.

My program is split into two mini sets, in total lasting about 45 minutes in length, and my aim is to bring you on a deep musical journey through each. I am starting the program with one of my original compositions. My music is quite different from the music of Bach and Chopin as I have a modern and minimalist style. My music is meant to be hypnotic, meditative and reflective. I hope to lull you into a trance-like state as a prelude for what’s to come.

Then I’m playing a couple short pieces by Bach of which I absolutely adore. The first piece is a transcription from an Oboe concerto he wrote. I discovered this piece over the last year and after teaching it I completely fell in love with it and had to add it to my program.

After the two pieces by Bach I’m leading into the biggest piece on the program, Chopin’s 4th Ballade. It tells a long and emotional story of pain, triumph, anger and everything in between. This is a piece I used to play back in my teens; in fact I won the state of California competition with this piece when I was 18. I decided to bring it back in my fingers a couple years ago and have been playing it off and on ever since. It is undoubtedly one of Chopin’s most beautiful works.

To begin my second mini set I’m starting with another one of my original compositions. It’s a short piece meant to be a palate cleanser and set the stage again for the rest of the program. My small secret is also that it gives me a quick physical and emotional breather after the difficulties present in the Ballade.

The next two Nocturnes by Chopin are really special to me. The first is an eerie piece, dark and manic, a bit unusual for Chopin. It gives way however to his Db Nocturne which as of writing this is my favorite all time piece by Chopin. I think it might be his most beautiful work. I hear it as a love story, and you can hear the two characters exchange many varying moments together until the end where they float off into the sunset, happily ever after.

To end my program I’m playing the fiendishly difficult 4th movement from his 3rd Sonata. This is one of the all time most difficult pieces in the piano repertoire. It’s also the newest piece on the program for me. I just began working on it earlier this year. It’s an exciting roller-coaster of a piece that ends triumphantly. 

Thank you for coming to my concert, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed practicing it and putting it together. I have been recording this music as well and plan to release some of it on streaming platforms later this year. If you’d like to keep in touch to know when this will be coming out you can find me @ChetanTierra on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

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-Chetan Tierra