Haskell Small
Haskell Small | |
---|---|
Also known as | Hal Small |
Born | 3 June 1948 Washington, D.C., USA |
Occupation(s) | composer, pianist, music teacher |
Instrument(s) | piano |
Haskell "Hal" Small, born 3 June 1948, is a composer, pianist,[1] and music teacher in Washington, D.C.
Musical background
After starting college as a science and engineering major, Haskell Small began his musical education at the
In addition to his mastery of the standard classical repertoire, including works by
Pianist
Small has given concerts in major European capitals, South America, Japan and China, and was hailed for his "dazzlingly prodigious technique" by England's venerable
's "All Things Considered" in 1988. In 21st-century seasons, he has played recitals in Japan, Paris and London and participated in the 2007 Festival of American Music in Poland.Small has recorded an extensive discography, including a
Haskell Small is a Steinway Artist.
Composer
Small follows in the tradition of 18th- and 19th-century pianist/composers. In addition to music for the piano, he has written works for woodwinds and other instruments, ensembles and the symphony orchestra, as well as choral pieces and music with narration. He has received commissions from such organizations as the
In 2005 Small completed "Renoir's Feast," a piano piece commissioned by the
In 2006 Small composed a suite of miniature blues and jazz pieces, "Scraps," for Dutch pianist Marcel Worms's multi-national Blues Project.
In 2007 he was commissioned by pianist Soheil Nasseri to write "Lullaby of War," an emotionally charged series of piano accompaniments and interludes for the recitation of several poems about war from various eras. Although the piece expresses a powerful anti-war sentiment, a preview performance featured readings by a U.S. Air Force general and his wife. Nasseri performed the world premiere of the composition in Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, and was soon invited to perform it in Berlin, with Small narrating.
Renoir's Feast and Small's own orchestral transcription of Scraps have been published by PeerMusic.
Teacher
Small is a member of the piano faculty[4] and former Piano Department Chair at the Washington Conservatory of Music, where he has taught since 1984.[5]
Reviews
According to "A Golden 'Silence' From Haskell Small" by Stephen Brookes of the
He has also received favorable reviews from
Go
Small is a 4-dan
Family
Haskell's wife Betsy Small, born 1947, is a certified yoga instructor, and also a musician (lute, voice, guitar) and a go player. They have two grown daughters, Rachel and Sarah (a photographer, filmmaker and musician, known for singing as part of the New York City-based a cappella Balkan music group Black Sea Hotel).
References
- ^ Roberts, Ed (1988). "On the 88 for '88; At the Wolf Trap Gala, Celebrating the Piano". Washington Post. HighBeam. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ McLellan, Joseph (1999). "Andrea Bocelli, on 'Sacred' Ground; Christmas Day 'Great Performances' Telecast to Spotlight Italian Tenor". Washington Post. HighBeam Research. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ OCLC 43475038
- ^ "Piano Faculty Listing". washingtonconservatory.org. Washington Conservatory of Music. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ "Biography". haskellsmall.com. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ Brookes, Stephen (2007). "A Golden 'Silence' from Haskell Small". Washington Post. HighBeam. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ Page, Tim (1999). "Haskell Small's Great Premiere". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 21 January 2017 – via HighBeam.
- ^ Dunnett, Roderic. "Lisztian sparkle: Roderic Dunnett talks to American piano virtuoso Haskell Small". mvdaily.com. Music & Vision. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ Canfield, David DeBoor (2015). "SMALL: The Rothko Room: Journeys in Silence. Visions of Childhood. A Glimpse of Silence". Fanfare Magazine. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ Hutchinson, Craig R. (1995). "American Go Association 1995 Historical Book". usgo.org. The American Go Association. Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ "Haskell Small: A Game of Go for 2 pianos". allmusic.com. Allmusic. 1987. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ "Quattro Mani: A Game of Go". allmusic.com. 2000. Retrieved 21 January 2017.