Jeffrey Biegel
From Sequenza21/NetNewMusic Wiki
The career of pianist/composer Jeffrey Biegel has been highlighted by a number of firsts.
He envisioned and performed the first live internet recitals in New York and Amsterdam in 1997 and 1998. In 1999, he assembled the largest consortium of orchestras (over 25), to celebrate the millennium with a new concerto composed for him by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. The piece, entitled 'Millennium Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra', was premiered with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. In 1997, he performed the World Premiere of the restored, original 1924 manuscript of George Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' with the Boston Pops. Charles Strouse composed a new work titled 'Concerto America' for Biegel, celebrating America and honoring the heroes and events of 9-11. Biegel premiered the piece with the Boston Pops in 2002. He transcribed the first edition of Balakirev's 'Islamey Fantasy' for piano and orchestra, which he premiered with the American Symphony Orchestra in 2001, and edited and recorded the first complete set of all '25 Preludes' by Cesar Cui.
Currently, he is assembling the first global consortium for the new 'Concerto no. 3 for Piano and Orchestra' being composed for him by Lowell Liebermann for 2006-07-08. The world premiere will take place with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Andreas Delfs on May 12-14, 2006, followed by the European Premiere with the Schleswig Holstein Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Gerard Oskamp in February 2007.
American composer Richard Danielpour is composing a new work for Biegel, tentatively titled, 'Concerto for Piano & Percussion' (5 players and piano) and slated for premieres in the 2006-07 season with the Canadian percussion ensemble, Nexus. Daniel Dorff, will compose his 'Concerto for Piano and Orchestra' for Biegel for the 2007-08 season, to be commissioned solely by a consortium of youth orchestras and summer music festivals.
In addition to his concert activities, Biegel and his son, Craig, recently co-composed 'The World In Our Hands' as a choral piece reflecting the events of 9-11 with a vision for hope and peace. The song has been performed in Africa, Ireland, and throughout the U.S. His most recent choral compositions include 'A Different Kind of Hero' for 2-parts and SSA/piano, and an arrangement of 'The Christmas Song' for SATB a cappella choir.
Born a second-generation American, Biegel's roots are of Russian and Austrian heritage. A Russian cousin, pianist Herman Kosoff, emigrated to the United States in the early 20th century, and had been accepted into the class of the great Leopold Godowsky in Austria. Mr. Biegel's grandmother's cousin, Dr. Sonia Slatin,was a graduate of Columbia University who actively performed and also taught Schenkerian analysis at Brooklyn College.
Biegel is currently on the piano faculty at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College, at the City University of New York (CUNY) and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY).
