Eric Sawyer

The music of Eric Sawyer receives frequent performances on both coasts, including at New York’s Weill and Merkin concert halls and at Tanglewood, as well as in England, France, Germany. Recent performances include works on programs by the Brentano String Quartet, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, Seraphim Singers, Radius Ensemble, Ives Quartet, Arden Quartet, Lighthouse Chamber Players. He recentlycompleted an opera with poet John Shoptaw. Mr. Sawyer has received the Joseph Bearns Prize, a First Music commission from the NewYork Youth Symphony, and awards from the Tanglewood Music Center and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He appears fre-quently as a solo and chamber pianist, and is founding director of the critically acclaimed contemporary ensemble Longitude. He tea-ches composition and theory at
Amherst College.

Twelve Piano Pieces, a richly-varied cycle of character pieces that connect with tradition while conveying a modern American sound. Ranging from transparent to expressively dissonant in their harmonies, the pieces each represent a distinct mood, technical approach,and pitch center. They may be played individually, grouped in small sets, or performed as a complete cycle. Their individual titles are: Toccata, Ondine, Three by Four, Rhinestone, Berceuse, Reveille, Porcupine, Passacaglia, Minimal Blues, Bogen, Semplice, Confluence.

The Bagatelles for cello and piano, written in 2002 are five short playful pieces ranging from teasing to brusque to lyrical. In the tra-dition of ‘trifles’, they lay out their ideas with simplicity and evolve in unexpected ways. A central slow piece lingers in a contemplative space, but the pieces get at their expressive purposes with a light touch.