Bowerbird is pleased to present a two night residency featuring pianist Adam Tendler. On the first evening Adam Tendler will perform the Philadelphia premiere of FANTAIL, a new work by iconic American composer Christian Wolff. Commissioned by the pianist, FANTAIL is a 22 movement, unofficial response to Robert Schumann’s Carnaval, and like Schumann’s legendary set, a tour of Wolff’s musical laboratory and universe. Tendler will intersperse Wolff’s FANTAIL with Schumann’s Carnaval in a mash-up that puts both complete works, and their composers, in a fresh dialogue – reframing, blurring, even challenging our notions of what is classical and what is contemporary.

PROGRAM

Robert Schumann: Carnaval Op. 9 (1834-35)
Christian Wolff: FANTAIL (22 pieces for a pianist) (2020)

ABOUT THE ARTIST
A recipient of the Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists, “currently the hottest pianist on the American contemporary classical scene” (Minneapolis Star Tribune), a “remarkable and insightful musician” (LA Times), and “relentlessly adventurous pianist” (Washington Post) “joyfully rocking out at his keyboard” (New York Times), Adam Tendler is an internationally recognized interpreter of living, modern and classical composers. A pioneer of DIY culture in concert music who has commissioned and premiered major works by Christian Wolff and Devonté Hynes alike, at age 23 Tendler performed solo recitals in all fifty United States as part of a grassroots tour he called America 88×50, which became the subject of his memoir, 88×50, a Kirkus Indie Book of the Month and Lambda Literary Award nominee. He has gone on to become one of classical and contemporary music’s most recognized and celebrated artists, active as a soloist, recording artist, composer, speaker and educator. He has curated and performed series for the Broad Museum and Little Island, and in 2022 alone, appeared as soloist at BAM and Carnegie Hall, and with the LA Philharmonic. Tendler recently released an album of Liszt’s Harmonies Poétiques et Religieuses on the Steinway Label, Robert Palmer: Piano Music on New World Records, and published his second book, tidepools. In 2022 he will premiere 16 newly commissioned works by composers including Laurie Anderson, Nico Muhly, Missy Mazzoli, Christopher Cerrone, Timo Andres and Pamela Z as part of a project called Inheritances. Adam Tendler is a Yamaha Artist.