Acclaimed American pianist Simone Dinnerstein will hold a concert and master class at Bucks on Thursday, March 10.
Dinnerstein has made a previous appearance here at Bucks with huge success. Bucks music Professor Jeff Baumeister refers to Dinnerstein as “a remarkable pianist.”
Bach seems to be a favorite of Dinnerstein. She teaches children how to appreciate classical music in a video on her website called “An Honest Guide to Bach’s Inventions: Bachpacking to School.”
Back at the elementary school she went to as a little girl, she plays a piece that Bach wrote to teach his children how to play a piano. She splits the kids in two groups to teach them about the layers of music. She has half of the class sing “Row, row row your boat” and the other half sing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”
New-York-based Dinnerstein’s audience is not just limited to students; she has an international following. She has been praised by many famous publications and news outlets including NPR, The Independent, TIME, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Oprah’s O Magazine, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Critics describe her work as fresh, original, thoughtful, elegant, and expressive.
The Philadelphia Inquirer says she is “in a league with any of the great Beethoven pianists of our time.” She stands like a giant oak as “an utterly distinctive voice in the forest of voice interpretation,” according to The New York Times.
Her music flows like a brook. It is smooth and gentle but, “compels the listener to follow her in a journey filled with unscheduled detours…She’s actively listening to every not she plays, and the result is a wonderfully expressive interpretation,” according to NPR.
Watching her perform reveals the intricate hand motions behind the music. She utilizes the piano and weaves the notes together like a scarf. She moves up, down, and across the keyboard in such a fast and precise way that is it difficult to comprehend.
Beginning at 2 p.m. she will hold a free master class that is open to all. An open discussion will be held from 6:30-7 p.m. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Kevin and Sima Zlock Performing Arts Center at the Newtown campus.
Tickets are $15 for students and children, $20 for seniors and alumni, and $25 for the general public.