Videos
David Rakowski is the creator of piano études: studies for solo piano that explore a musical or technical idea. My collaboration with ‘Uncle Davy’ began in 2001, when I was asked to play four of his études on a Chicago Symphony Orchestra MusicNOW concert. I fell in love with these short, witty, often treacherously difficult pieces, and made it my mission to record as many of them as I could. To date, I have recorded 92 of Davy’s 100 piano études on four separate discs for Bridge Records. This is just a smattering of them!
David Rakowski's 74th piano étude for speaking pianist, played by Amy Briggs during a recording session at the American Academy of Arts and Letters, June 9, 2014. The text was written by Rick Moody.
David Rakowski's 85th piano étude on fading repeated notes, recorded during sessions at the American Academy of Arts and Letters in June, 2014.
David Rakowski's 79th piano étude, a fast mirror étude (the left hand is the mirror). American Academy of Arts and Letters, June 2014.
A re-upload of David Rakowski's 14th piano étude in better resolution and audio fidelity. This is a crossing-hands étude composed in 1997.
A re-uploaded performance of David Rakowski's 22nd piano étude for melody in the nose.
David Rakowski's 77th piano étude on echoes, played during a take during recording sessions at the American Academy of Arts and Letters in June, 2014.
David Rakowski's 97th piano étude on dominant seventh chords, played during recording sessions at the American Academy of Arts and Letters in June, 2014.
A re-upload of David Rakowski's 71st piano étude for piano and celesta, one player. Video made on a GoPro camera.
A performance of David Rakowski's 68th piano étude (a funk étude) during a recording session at the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
A run through of David Rakowski's 40th piano étude, a stride étude, by Amy Briggs in Slosberg Hall, Brandeis University, on December 24, 2002.
Videos from Project Incubator and 3Arts Awards. Project Incubator is a collaboration between young composers and Chicago performers that I organized along with composer Iddo Aharony. The 3Arts Artist Awards are given each year to support the work of individual Chicago artists. My 3Arts Artist grant helped to produce my Contemporary Tangos for Piano CD for Ravello Records.
Project Incubator Promo.
Project Incubator | Iddo Aharony and Amy Briggs.
Project Incubator | Joungbum Lee and Amy Briggs.
3Arts Artist Awards 2008: Amy Briggs, Pianist.