An Evening with Kit Armstrong: Liszt’s Pilgrimage
Pianist Kit Armstrong returns after his electrifying debut last summer with a recital that traces Franz Liszt’s idea of “home,” shaped by the cities that defined his artistic path. From the musical vibrancy of Paris, through the philosophical ideals of Weimar, to the spiritual reflection of Rome, this musical pilgrimage weaves together works by Chopin, Alkan, and Liszt—echoing our Week 2 theme Songs from Home. Join us for an illuminating journey curated by one of today’s most original and imaginative artistic voices.
Reed College, Kaul Auditorium
Friday, 7/3 • 8:00 pm
Program
Click on any piece of music below to learn more about it.
- CHOPIN Selections from Ètudes, Op. 10
CHOPIN (1810–1849) Selections from Ètudes, Op. 10
III. Ètude in E Major, “Tristesse”
IV. Ètude in C-sharp Minor, “Torrent”
IX. Ètude in F Minor
XII. Ètude in C Minor, “Revolutionary”- CHARLES-VALENTIN ALKAN Selections from 25 Prèludes, Op. 31
CHARLES-VALENTIN ALKAN (1813–1888) Selections from 25 Prèludes, Op. 31
VIII. La chanson de la folle au bord de la mer (The Song of the Madwoman at the Seashore)
- CHARLES-VALENTIN ALKAN “Bourrée d’Auvergne,” Op. 29
CHARLES-VALENTIN ALKAN (1813–1888)
Bourrée d’Auvergne, Op. 29
- LISZT Eight Variations, S. 148
LISZT (1811–1886)
Eight Variations, S. 148
- LISZT Selections
Faust Symphony
II. Gretchen: Andante soavePrometheus
Harmonies poétiques et religieuses III
VIII. Miserere d’après PalestrinaAve Maria (Die Glocken von Rom)
Années de pèlerinage III
III. Aux cypres de la Villa d’Este: Threnodi: Andante non troppo lento
IV. Les jeux d’aeux à la Villa d’Este
Artists
-
Kit Armstrong
Piano/Organ
-
Ever since Kit Armstrong entered the international music stage twenty years ago, his activities have exerted an enduring fascination upon music lovers. He performs recitals in major series, appears with the world’s finest orchestras, and has developed close artistic partnerships with leading instrumentalists and vocalists. He has held artist-in-residence appointments incorporating a wide spectrum of musical formats, combining his roles as composer, pianist, conductor, and organist. His project, Expedition Mozart, traverses Mozart’s music in various genres with an international group of distinguished chamber musicians and soloists—and has become a main feature at prestigious festivals and venues.
Armstrong came to classical music through composition at the age of five. He has since created a broad oeuvre of vocal, instrumental, chamber, and symphonic works, many of which have been commissioned by notable European cultural institutions. His compositions are published by Edition Peters.
Born in 1992 in California, USA, Armstrong pursued undergraduate studies in physics at California State University, chemistry, and mathematics at the University of Pennsylvania and mathematics at Imperial College London. Alfred Brendel has guided Armstrong as a musical mentor since 2005. In 2008, he earned a bachelor’s degree in music at the Royal Academy of Music, London, and in 2012 a master’s degree in pure mathematics at the University of Paris VI.
In 2012, Kit Armstrong purchased the Church of Sainte-Thérèse in Hirson, France, and transformed it into a hall for concerts, exhibitions, and outreach. This cultural centre has become home to interdisciplinary projects, reaching a regional as well as cosmopolitan public.
Upcoming Concerts & Events
- Jazz Notes: Gershwin Piano Concerto
- An Evening with Kit Armstrong: Liszt’s Pilgrimage (currently selected)
- Folk Voices: Dvořák Dumky Trio
- NEW@NIGHT: Echoes of Home