Pianist Danny Holt returns to Boston Court and brings with him an array of percussion instruments. Called “the classical music equivalent of an extreme sports athlete” (The Record) Holt’s unique virtuosity shines in his Piano/Percussion Project, which calls for acrobatic feats of multi-instrumentalism.
Program
- Antar’s Revenge (2011) by David Johnson
- Aegri Somnia (2012, rev. 2017) by Milen Kirov
- four pieces (2011, rev. 2017): I.very fragile; II.shrinking intervals (of despair); III.oddity; IV.song-sing by Jonathan Russell
- hitting things won’t solve your problems (but it might make you feel better) (2009) by Andrew Tholl
- Tingsha (2010) by Sarah Seelig
- Tint (2011) by Jascha Narveson
- Chrysalis (2016) *world premiere* by Sean Friar
Holt’s Piano/Percussion Project places the pianist amid an array of percussion instruments, calling for acrobatic feats of multi-instrumentalism. More than 25 composers have contributed new works to the project, and Holt’s Boston Court performances includes a world premiere, as well as works by several Los Angeles composers.
Pianist/Percussionist Danny Holt performs across the globe in concert hall, clubs, art galleries, churches, living rooms, and wherever else he can find a piano and someone to listen. Known for his no-holds-barred style, he has been called “the classical music equivalent of an extreme sports athlete” (The Record) and Los Angeles City Beatnamed him one of the “local heroes” of L.A.’s music scene.
A specialist in contemporary music, Holt has held fellowships at the Bang On a Can Summer Music Institute, the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall, and New England Conservatory’s Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice, and he has worked with such composers as Steve Reich, Louis Andriessen, Christian Wolff, James Tenney, Graham Fitkin, David Lang, Michael Gordon, Augusta Read Thomas, and Michael Finnissy, among others. He also proudly champions the works of emerging composers. Holt has received awards and grants from ASCAP, Yamaha, the American Composers Forum, the Yvar Mikhashoff Trust for New Music, and others.
Holt can be seen performing in the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group, and on Tuesdays at Monk Space, Santa Monica’s Jacaranda: Music at the Edge series, and many other Los Angeles concert series and contemporary music hot spots. He has also performed with Blue Man Group, the Bang on a Can All-Stars, the California EAR Unit, The Robin Cox Ensemble, CalArts New Century Players, and the Calder Quartet. He can be heard on the Innova Recordings label, pfMENTUM, New World Records, Deutsche Grammophon, and Wide Bench Records.
Holt’s Fast Jump CD (Innova Recordings, 2009) was a featured new release on both WNYC and iTunes, and includes world premiere recordings of works by Pulitzer Prize winning composer David Lang, Caleb Burhans, Lona Kozik, Graham Fitkin, and Jascha Narveson. Gramophone called the disc “a compelling showcase for Holt’s innate virtuosity and gregarious temperament” and Sequenza21.com called Holt’s playing “brilliant”.
