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“Composers will confirm that there is nothing more difficult than finding performers willing to carry out the noble task of learning and premiering their works with enthusiasm, and in a sympathetic and meticulous manner. In the performance of the compositions of many young composers David Kaplan has shown to be that kind of pianist.”

- Walter Ponce

:: 4.05.2008

This has been my last few months at Yale, and I'm trying to soak up the maximum. Recently, I'm engaged with organ playing, composition, conducting, and writing a thesis, and I feel as if the only thing I'm NOT doing is playing the piano. I mean, of course I exaggerate, but that's how it feels at the moment. I get to conduct the Yale Symphony Orchestra next week, even if it's just for 5 or 6 glorious minutes! That will be a big rush, and I'm sure to be very nervous. It will be useful practice though, because my actual debut as a conductor comes very soon after that, when I conduct a chamber orchestra in a performance of Mozart's Piano Concerto K. 414. And yes, I'll play as well.
Timothy Andres, the fantastic young composer who has just been commissioned by the Green Umbrellas Series of the LA Phil, and who has just won yet another ASCAP award for something we premiered together last May, is providing the companion piece for the program: a thoroughly modern chamber concerto for the same orchestration (plus a real bassoon part) called Home Stretch. The original idea was to conduct both from the keyboard, but his score won't allow for that, at least with only a month before the show.
The highlight is that Katia and I will perform a suite by Rachamaninov for two pianos. We were nervous, I think, to start working together, but we began playing together "for real" recently, and it really works great! That concert will be in New Haven, on April 30th.
This weekend has been spent rehearsing with some old friends for a concert in Maryland (4/15), playing Beethoven, Debussy and Brahms, and it should be wonderful music making!
Looking forward to telling you more!

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