4 Reasons to Play Music by Living Composers

Imagine, if you will, a large expanse of fresh snow. Sun sparkles off an unblemished surface—one that shows no animal tracks and no human footprints. Now, feel the joy of being the first one to walk a path across that shimmering field. This is what it’s like to be the first pianist to bring a brand new piece of music to life.

For years, people have asked me why, with centuries of great music available to me, I hold such a passion for the music of living composers. They remind me that concert audiences want to hear music they know. Some dismiss new music as dissonant or inaccessible. One or two bluntly told me they wanted their composers to be dead—less hassle and interference this way. I’ve even had blowback from one teacher over the name of this blog because, in her opinion, No Dead Guys indicated that I “hated” music. 

Years ago, Portland, Oregon pianist Maria Choban referred to the pianist’s standard repertoire as “museum music.” It’s a description that has lingered with me, and one I think about when I consider the place of new music in relation to established masterpieces. Museum music allows us to appreciate and communicate with the best composers of their eras, and to experience the beauty of the music through the lens of our current lives. Love and respect for the music compels us to treat it with reverence, worry about proper interpretations, and (in current performance practice) most of us don’t dare change a jot or tittle of the score. In this way, we preserve the beauty of the past

Modern music lives on the street of everyday life. Some of it will become tomorrow’s museum music; most of it will be forgotten. And we—as pianists—have the incredible opportunity to be midwives who help birth this music by introducing it to the world.  It’s a messy process. We have no guarantees that music we give months of our lives to learning will be appreciated by audiences, nor do we have guarantees that it will find life beyond one or two performances. And yet, for those of us who love it, there’s no place more exciting to be. 

We’re lucky. As pianists, we’re spoiled for choice. We don’t have to abandon the traditional canon in order to play the music of today. We can contribute to the beauty of the past and give voice to the present. But why, when you consider the number of established pieces, should we devote any time to the untried and unproven? In response, I offer these 4 reasons:

Beginner’s Mind

When I play a Chopin Ballade, I’m influenced by all the pianists who have played it before me—even when I try not to be. When I play a brand new piece, it’s just the score, the composer, and me. When I walk across the “snow field” of the music, I’m not following hundreds of other tracks; I’m making my own path. In this empty space, I discover things in the music and myself that I wouldn’t find if burdened by others’ understanding of it.

Today’s Music Speaks Today’s Language

All art reflects the era in which it is created. Musical masterpieces contain universal truths that transcend generations, but they’re rooted in the language of the past. Today’s music, with its global influences, reflects a level of cultural and stylistic diversity that no preceding era has ever shown. It is a reflection of our hyper-connected, multi-cultural world. It is our language, and through it, we can speak the values we hold dear, and we can do this through sounds and forms that reflect who we are today. 

Dialogue With Composers

Unlike some of my friends, I love working directly with composers. Imagine being able to ask Beethoven about something in one of his sonatas—when you learn a piece by a living composer, you get to go to the source of the score. Consulting with composers has taught me that, as a bunch, they’re much more interested in having their concepts communicated beautifully than quibbling over small details. And, when I do my job well, there’s nothing like the camaraderie of our joint endeavor. It reminds me that, as an interpretive artist, I rely on these musical creators. And, in turn, they need performers.

Contribute to the Repertoire

Every new piece that comes to life in the hands of a performer has the potential to become tomorrow’s museum music. These pieces (and the composers who wrote them) have a chance to be loved by listeners. We may even inspire other pianists to play them as well. When I play museum music, I become one of many pianists who interpret familiar favorites. When I champion new music, I contribute to a legacy. Through my work, one more piece may, just may, have a chance of being played by a pianist a century in the future.

Years ago, a friend told me that there are not enough pianists in the world—not when you consider all the music that needs to be played. This is why I spent much of my career walking across “snow fields” of unknown scores. This is why I write about new music and living composers. Because someday, perhaps, others will be inspired to find their own untouched scores and make fresh tracks of their own.