Cann Sisters, duo pianists

We invite you to attend the fourth concert of our 25th Anniversary, 2019-20 Concert Series for The Artist Series of Tallahassee, featuring the Cann Sisters, duo pianists.

Sisters Michelle and Kimberly Cann have been making music together since they were in elementary school in Florida. Both grew up playing multiple instruments but the piano was their first love. They won many of the same competitions (often simultaneously in the junior and senior divisions); performed as soloists with the same ensembles, such as the Florida Orchestra;  and worked with many of the same artists.

The sisters are both passionate about outreach and education. Kimberly founded an El Sistema-inspired program called “Keys for Kidz” which is geared towards providing free group-piano instruction for under-served children. Michelle is an instructor in a thriving, El Sistema-based, music program called “Play on, Philly” (POP).

Michelle Cann began studying piano at the age of seven and has placed in various state, national, and international competitions including the Music Teacher’s National Association Competition, the International Russian Piano Music Competition, the Gilmore Piano Foundation Competition, and the Blount Young Artists National Competition. She made her orchestral debut at the age of 14. Michelle was selected to perform in both Beijing and Shanghai, China and Seoul, South Korea. Michelle received a BM and MM from the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Artist Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music where she studied under Robert McDonald. In 2016, Michelle gave the New York premiere of the Piano Concerto by Florence Price (1887-1953), the first African-American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer.

Kimberly Cann made her solo début at age 12 and her orchestral debut (with Beethoven´s “Emperor” Concerto) at age 13. She received a MM from the Eastman School of Music and was a Visiting Professor of Music and Artist-in-Residence at Northern Caribbean University (Jamaica). President of the Asheville Area Piano Forum and VP of Marketing for the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, she maintains a thriving teaching studio in Asheville, NC and performs regularly as a soloist and chamber musician.

PROGRAM

Sonata No.4 in E minor, BWV 528                     Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) / arr. Victor Babin
   Adagio
   Andante
   Un poco allegro

Serenade, Op. 17 No.2 “Ständchen”                        Richard Strauss (1864-1949) / arr. Abram Chasins

Fantaisie sur des Vals de Johann Strauss               Alexandre Tansman (1897-1986)

Variations on a Theme of Paganini                           Witold Lutoslawski (1913-1994)

INTERMISSION

Symphonic Dances from “West Side Story”            Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) / arr. John Musto
   Somewhere
   Scherzo
   Mambo
   Cha-Cha
   Meeting Scene
   Finale

Let my People Go                                                                    Michael Leibowitz (b.1981)

Fantasy on George Gershwin’s Songs                                  Yuri Mayevsky (b.1942)

           This concert is dedicated in honor of Ginny Densmore and in memory of Laird Anderson.

The Cann Sisters Piano Duo appear by arrangement with Lisa Sapinkopf Artists

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