New Music Performed by Nicolas Deuson and Jonathan Pilkington
Nicolas Deuson, guitar, and Jonathan Pilkington, voice, form a unique duo in the contemporary classical music world, bridging old and new music with their lyricism and virtuosity.
This concert will be part of their West Coast tour and will feature several Bay Area composers including Larry Polansky, William Susman and Erling Wold. Nicolas Deuson made the arrangements for guitar for the Susman and Wold works, and those arrangements make their world premiere at this concert.
The Wold and Susman arrangements will be joined by another premiere. Nic and Jonathan commissioned composer Olivia Kieffer to write My Children Move Like Water which will be heard for the first time on this concert as well. Portland, OR based composer Evan Lewis’ Five Picture Books, commissioned and written for Nic’s sons in 2013 and 2015 are settings of Robert Lewis Stevenson poetry, and will also be heard.
Lastly, the music of Hungarian Mátyás Seiber (1904-1960) ranges in a variety of styles and shows influences including jazz, folk songs, and serial music. Seiber’s daughter, Julia, lives in Cambridge, England and works to promote the music of her father. Jonathan and Nic are preparing a tour of England in the future and look forward to meeting her.