Standard Repertoire, Vol. 1: an interview with pianist and composer Natalie Tenenbaum
“There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind.”
These oft-quoted words were written by the great Duke Ellington in 1962 and they’re still relevant today. As music continues to be divided into ever-smaller styles—usually for the purpose of marketing—it’s easy to forget that good music is no respecter of boundaries.
Pianist and composer Natalie Tenenbaum is a musician who creates cross-disciplinary musical experiences. Classical pieces, improvisational jazz, electronic music, vocals, dramatic visual effects—all serve to invite listeners into the music in ways that challenge expectations and engage the senses. All of this innovation is underpinned by Tenenbaum’s sensitive, virtuosic playing and her deep respect for the music she presents.
In Standard Repertoire, Vol. 1, Tenenbaum brings her creative vision to J.S. Bach’s famous Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D minor, BWV 903. She begins with a Prologue and an Interlude of her own creation before moving into Bach’s timeless notes. The effect is one of going back through time, and when we arrive at the doorstep of the Chromatic Fantasy, we have the stillness of mind to travel with Bach in his universe. Tenenbaum reminds us that boundaries are meant to be ignored, stale approaches to great music can be discarded, and that good music can be enhanced by approaching it in a completely new way. It is an honor to feature Natalie Tenenbaum and her music on No Dead Guys.
What first drew you to the piano and at what age did you begin taking formal lessons?
I first heard my mother play the piano at our house. She plays in different styles and genres and she plays by ear a lot. I was instinctively drawn to the instrument and was very lucky to have had her teach me as a young child (starting at around 5 years old). I started studying with a formal teacher at a conservatory when I was 8 years old.
When you attended The Juilliard School did you study classical, jazz or both?
I always played both and always had a passion for composing and being creative, but my main focus (and my degree) were in Classical Piano Performance.
At what point in your musical life did you start composing and what was your first composition?
I was always playing by ear and improvising melodies, but my first fully notated, complete composition was at about 13 years old. It was a first movement of a piano sonata and I remember feeling so proud of having written it on manuscript paper and presenting it to my teacher.
When did you first start improvising on classical music?
Growing up, playing with and learning from my mom I would frequently improvise. With classical music specifically, I would always try to internalize harmonies and progressions in the pieces I would learn to see if I could memorize faster that way. This really informed my development as a musician and as an improvisor. I always wanted to feel grounded in the understanding of the music and improvising on the pieces I would learn helped me feel more connected and solid when it came to playing them as written.
Have you encountered pushback from classical purists for your fearless improvisations on well-loved masterpieces?
In addition to being a Juilliard-trained classical pianist, I enjoy composing, improvising, producing electronic music & sound designing. For me, this album and this presentation of the music is what felt most natural at the time of making the record. I don’t negate going back into the studio and recording the pieces traditionally sometime; this album represents my current take on these classics. Surprisingly, every professional classical musician that I have shared my music with has been very excited & inspired by the project— so I hope not to encounter too much pushback from purists when the full album comes out ;)
From Lang Lang to Broadway musicals such as Mean Girls and American Utopia, you have enjoyed a successful career as an arranger and orchestrator in addition to your performance career. When did you first begin doing this kind of work and how did you break into it?
It happened quite organically… Starting in the early 2010’s I began composing and writing works for the stage— including scoring a John Guare play & original works of musical theater that were getting workshopped in New York & London. Through connections that I made in that scene, I started getting asked to work as an arranger, music director and orchestrator on projects.
One of the things I enjoy about your music is how fearlessly you combine the acoustic piano with live electronics and light design. When did you first begin expanding the piano’s range with these added effects?
Thank you! My musical influences over the years following my conservatory training were vast and included electronic music artists (James Blake among many others). I absolutely love combining acoustic and electronic elements together in my music. Using electronic sound design opens up a whole new world of inspiration for me in my music and I felt inclined to combine that with my experience and passion for classical music and traditional piano performance. This is something I’ve always experimented with at various capacities, but got deeper into it when I was studying composition with Tania Leon right after Juilliard.
Congratulations on the release of your latest recording, Standard Repertoire, Vol. 1. What was your inspiration for using Bach’s famous Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D Minor as the focal point of this project?
It is one of my favorite piano compositions in the Bach canon and in the entire classical piano music canon. I played it at my Juilliard audition and I played it again for my graduation recital- it is a striking masterpiece showcasing Bach’s mastery of expression, distilled improvisation, utilization of all the different keys, structure, tension and release, command of musical drama and utmost symmetry. When I decided to create this album, this was the first piece that came to mind.
When I listened to Standard Repertoire: Vol. 1 in its entirety it felt very much like a journey—one that starts in the present day with your compositions and progresses to Bach’s world. What can you tell me about your inspiration for the two pieces that lead into Bach’s Fantasy?
It all came about very organically. The first thing that came to me was actually the Interlude (“No One Knows”). I wanted to create a unique piece to set the scene for the Fantasy. I wanted to interweave vocal layers with processed synths, organ and sequencing to express the underlying feeling I get when thinking of and performing BWV903. After that was done, I recorded the Fantasy and layered some additional synth layers & processing on top of it. Once these two were done, I knew they would open the album but I still felt something was missing and I wanted to have a separate statement to open the album and set the tone, which is when the Prologue was created. One of the sentiments I had as a young music artist/professional was that I was always trying to fit into different spaces (classical, jazz, experimental, theater, mainstream, etc.) but always struggled since I never felt like I could only work in one space. The Prologue segmented lyric is “you don’t know. you don’t know how I tried”. This project feels almost cathartic to me since I now get to come full circle and share my rendition of these classical works.
The visuals in your video of Standard Repertoire, Vol. 1 were stunning. How do you feel that adding visuals enhances the listener’s experience with and understanding of the music?
Thank you! I was lucky to work with Four/Ten media (Evan Chapman & Kevin Eikenberg) on the music video for Prologue // Interlude // Chromatic Fantasy. They are incredible visionaries and they crafted the concept for the video and brought the music to life in a way I am very thrilled by. There are other music videos out for other tracks on the album— singles and music videos Oblivion (feat. SUUVI) and Aftermath (ft. D Smoke & SUUVI).
Will you be performing Standard Repertoire, Vol. 1 in concert? If so, will you keep the visuals you included in your video?
Yes! I will be incorporating material and works from the album into my live shows (starting this month in Poznan, Poland & in Vienna). The visual aspect is a big part of the show and I like to include it whenever possible. SUUVI and I are also working with a tech team on creating a live show which will premiere in early 2025 that will include works from this album in it, as well.
What current or future projects are you most excited about?
This album was a long time in the making and I am excited to share it and perform it. I am also currently working on my next album which will be different and all original music.
What advice can you offer young musicians who are seeking to establish careers for themselves in music?
Don’t worry about what others say or think; Don’t try to “fit in”, just work on the craft and the parts of the craft that make you the most excited and fulfilled; Don’t be afraid to start over and to be a “beginner” in learning new skills; There is room for you and for your artistry.
NATALIE TENENBAUM (@NatalieTenenbaum) is a composer, pianist, music producer/director and singer-songwriter, recognized equally on the stages of Carnegie Hall, SXSW and Broadway for "sparkling... consistently invigorating" (The New York Times) performances. A graduate of The Juilliard School, Tenenbaum breaks the boundaries between classical composition, popular storytelling, and improvisational jazz to create acoustic and electro-acoustic concert music for a wide scope of ensembles, soloists, organizations and artistic disciplines.
Based in New York, Tenenbaum has appeared with orchestras in Israel, Europe, Asia and the U.S., premiering her own compositions and real-time composition/improvisations in concert in venues such as The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, The Apollo Theater, Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Blue Note, The National Arts Gallery (NY), Harvard University, Austin’s SXSW, Jerusalem Music Center, Berlin's Konzerthaus, Korea's National Theater, and the Monk to Bach jazz club in Seoul, among many others.
In 2022, Tenenbaum created arrangements and orchestrations for Lang Lang's most recent album release with London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Universal Media Group/Deutsche Grammophon/Disney) and composed an original work for Lang Lang and Pentatonix. Other collaborations include duos with Eitan Kenner and Julian "J3PO" Pollack; plus music direction for Titus Burgess, Lea Michele, The 8-Bit Big Band and Tori Kelly (for the 2020 Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center) along with many others. She has been featured in NBC's Maya & Marty as associate Music Director, performing with guests such as Maya Rudolph, Martin Short, Steve Martin, Emma Stone, Kenan Thompson, and Nick Jonas.
As a follow-up to her 2023 album Duos/Solos with Eitan Kenner (La Reserve Records), Tenenbaum is due to release her second album Standard Repertoire Vol. 1 on Platoon. This post-classical album features original music, sound design, and reimaginings of works by Bach, Stravinsky, Debussy, Liszt and others.
Active in the new music scene, Tenenbaum has performed as a soloist and collaborator with various musicians and ensembles, including Jason Eckardt and AUDITIVOKKAL DRESDEN. She premiered her piece for two pianos, Ra'ash, with fellow pianist and composer Julian Pollack in NYC and at the Mendocino Music Festival. She has also recorded arrangements and original music for the Steinway Spirio R piano catalog.
On Broadway, Tenenbaum has created arrangements for Tina Fey's musical, Mean Girls, and worked with David Byrne on American Utopia (2021-2022). She co-wrote the scores for theatrical pieces Juliet & Juliet (York Theater, NY) and Little Black Dress (US & Canada Tour, 2018-2020) as well as writing and performing the original score for John Guare's play, More Stars Than There Are In Heaven (2016) at the Tennessee Williams festival in Provincetown, MA. Her score for the staged adaptation of Benjamin Button (in collaboration with librettist and lyricist Brett Boles) was performed in 2013 as part of the Fundamental Theater Project and workshopped in London in 2019 at the Southwark Playhouse.
Tenenbaum was honored with both the Harrington Award and the Jean Banks Award from BMI. In 2014, she was awarded membership to the BMI Lehman-Engle Advanced Workshop. Her catalog of works is represented through ASCAP.
Natalie Tenenbaum is a Nord Artist and a Yamaha Artist, and has also created music internationally licensed for use by Walmart.