Kit Armstrong: The Goldberg Variations
Experience a rare event of profound musical mastery as acclaimed pianist Kit Armstrong—hailed as the Mozart of our era—performs Bach’s Goldberg Variations in its entirety…a feat undertaken at CMNW only twice in our 55 years! This monumental work, celebrated for its intellectual depth and intricate beauty, will be performed with unparalleled precision and artistry by one of the world’s most gifted pianists, bringing the Goldbergs to life in a way that will resonate long after the final note.
6:30pm | Kaul Auditorium Prelude Performance with our Young Artist Institute musicians
We have a special tradition of “picnics” before concerts at Reed College’s Kaul Auditorium. Reed’s catering service, Bon Appétit, offers food and drink service beginning at 6pm. Alternately, you can bring your own picnic, but alcoholic beverages must be purchased on-site.
Reed College, Kaul Auditorium
Tuesday, 7/1 • 8:00 pm PT
Program
Click on any piece of music below to learn more about it.
- J. S. BACH Goldberg Variations, BWV 988
J. S. BACH (1685–1750)
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (80’)Aria
Variatio 1: a 1 Clav.
Variatio 2: a 1 Clav.
Variatio 3: Canone all’Unisuono: a 1 Clav.
Variatio 4: a 1 Clav.
Variatio 5: a 1 ô vero 2 Clav.
Variatio 6: Canone alla Seconda. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 7: a 1 ô vero 2 Clav. al tempo di Giga
Variatio 8: a 2 Clav.
Variatio 9: Canone alla Terza. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 10: Fughetta. a 1 Clav
Variatio 11: a 2 Clav.
Variatio 12: a 1 Clav. Canone alla Quarta. a1 Clav. in moto contrario
Variatio 13: a 2 Clav.
Variatio 14: a 2 Clav.
Variatio 15: Canone all Quinta. a 1 Clav: Andante
Variatio 16: Ouverture. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 17: a 2 Clav.
Variatio 18: Canone alla Sesta. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 19: a 1 Clav.
Variatio 20: a 2 Clav.
Varatio 21: Cacone alla Settima. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 22: a 1 Clav. alla breve
Variatio 23: a 2 Clav.
Variatio 24: Canone all’Ottava. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 25: a 2 Clav.: Adagio
Variatio 26: a 2 Clav.
Variatio 27: Canone all Nona. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 28: a 2 Clav.
Variatio 29: a 1 ô vero 2 Clav.
Variatio 30: Quodlibet. a 1 Clav.
Aria de Capo
Artists
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Kit Armstrong
Piano/Harpsichord
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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.