Randall Faber’s Three Characters Ventures Beyond the Piano to Explore Collaborative Music and Nurture Ensemble Musicianship
Ann Arbor, MI — March 31, 2016 – The world premiere of Three Characters, a trio composed by Randall Faber for violin, viola and piano, and commissioned by the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), will be performed in San Antonio, TX as part of the 2016 MTNA Conference. The release and performance marks the latest achievement penned for MTNA since the Collaborative Music initiative was launched in 2011. Three Characters takes its place as the 2016 milestone, and continues the effort to encourage ensemble play.
The MTNA Collaborative Music initiative has developed an enthusiastic following — from private piano studios featuring these works in recitals, to University faculty embracing the format, to summer programs where musicians of all backgrounds and abilities share ideas in rehearsals and enjoy fresh performances. MTNA has been sponsoring commissions originating with state chapters since 1968. This latest attention to collaborative works has gained momentum.
Ann Witherspoon, National Chair, MTNA Composer Commissioning Program commented, “Collaborative music can be much more precise and demanding, but also more fun and social. When pieces are first commissioned there’s no designation of style. The composer has free reign. We’re pleased it has attracted so many artists, and the end result is we have more musicians playing, which is in keeping with our mission.”
The premieres will be introduced by Ann during the Sunday session entitled “From the Pen to the Premiere: Randall Faber and Tom Gerou,” featuring Janice Wenger, NCTM, piano, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri; Leslie Perna, viola, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri; and Julie Rosenfeld, violin, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, with Ann Rivers Witherspoon moderating.
Collaborative music, known more familiarly as chamber music, has its own long history of superb repertoire. While orchestral and solo pieces are widely heard and performed for larger audiences, trios, quartets and other small ensembles provide a more intimate setting. MTNA has recognized that most of the chamber music repertoire is too difficult for high school musicians. Nancy Faber had previously been awarded the Distinguished Composer of the Year by MTNA. She composed Curiouser and Curiouser for piano, saxophone and clarinet for that first MTNA collaborative music event, held in Milwaukee in 2011.
About Faber Piano Adventures
Nancy and Randall Faber have combined their backgrounds as composer and performer to become leading supporters of piano teachers and students. The husband and wife team has authored over 300 publications, including the bestselling Piano Adventures method and the PreTime® to BigTime® Piano Supplementary Library. Their innovative and exciting methods continue to enjoy an unprecedented response from teachers and students around the world, setting a new standard for quality educational publications in print, audio and digital formats. Piano Adventures has been translated into seven languages and is distributed by the Hal Leonard Corporation.