Pianists Fred Hersch and Ethan Iverson are among those joining with fellow pianist Anthony de Mare to present “LIAISONS: Re-Imagining Sondheim from the Piano,” a program featuring 36 short solo piano pieces based on the music composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim. Commissioned purely for this project, composers of varying genres and generations are coming together to pay homage to Sondheim, whose music has dominated American musical theater for the past four decades.
This marks the first time that Sondheim songs have ever been adapted for solo piano. “‘LIAISONS’ demonstrates just how universal and timeless Sondheim’s music truly is,” explains de Mare. “The program’s collection of composers, ranging from jazz pianist Fred Hersch to film composer Thomas Newman to maverick Steve Reich, reveals Sondheim’s amazing ability to transcend the traditional boundaries of musical theater.”
