Nicholas Ross: A Recital for the Left Hand Alone

Pianist and researcher Nick Ross specializes in repertoire for the left hand alone, in programs that feature music by Leopold Godowsky and contemporary composers Kent Holliday, Brian Pearson and Philip Martin among others.

Ross’ previous concerts, recordings and research focused on neglected repertoire of the early Twentieth Century by such composers as Leopold Godowsky and Arthur Honegger. In his research, he has also focused on proportional structures and the golden ratio in the music of Mozart, Debussy, Bartók and others. His research was recently featured in programs on BBC Radio 3 (“A Racist Music”, broadcast in November 2019) and Radio 4 (“A Mathematician’s Guide to Beauty”, broadcast February 2020). He has also presented lecture recitals at conferences in Lancaster, Kraków, and at various universities and colleges in the US.

He has performed recitals and concertos at such venues as St. Martin’s-in-the-Field, St. John’s Smith Square, London, the Field Room in Dublin, and the Engelse Kerk in Amsterdam. Ross has released four solo piano recordings, as well as two collaborative discs of Arthur Honegger’s music on the Centaur Records label as pianist of the Prospero Trio, and in collaboration with baritone Sinan Vural and soprano Claudia Patacca. His latest recording, Leopold Godowsky: Apostle of the Left Hand (Centaur Records Inc., CRC 3754) will be released on May 1, 2020. It was recorded on a Yamaha CFX with the generous support of the Yamaha Corporation of America and Solich Piano Company.

Ross is a Professor of Music and Associate Chairperson of the Music Department at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, where he teaches piano, music theory, and specialized piano courses. Previously he was a professor at Sweet Briar College, Virginia.

His primary piano professors were John Perry, John Bingham, Benno Pierweijer and Matthijs Verschoor. In addition, he worked with Christine Croshaw and David Newbold on collaborative piano, and played in masterclasses and courses for Graham Johnson, Christopher Czaja Sager and Theodore Paraskivesko among others. He obtained piano performance degrees from ArtEz in the Netherlands, Trinity College of Music in London, and a DMA degree in piano performance from Rice University. Ross is a Yamaha Artist.

Program:

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Chaconne by J.S. Bach
from 5 Studies for the Piano, Anh. Ia/1: No. 5. (arr. of Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004: V. Chaconne)

Alexander Scriabin (1871 –1915)
Prelude, op. 9 no. 1
Nocturne, op. 9 no. 2

Kent Holliday (b. 1940)
Four Pieces for the Left Hand
I. Peregrinations
II. Largo
III. Presto
IV. Flowing

Brian Pearson (b. 1939)
That Single Fly

Intermission

Leopold Godowsky (1870-1938)
Suite for the Left Hand Alone
Allemande
Courante
Gavotte
Sarabande
Bourée
Sicilienne
Menuet
Gigue