Tales of a Talking Piano for speaking pianist is a collaboration between the pianist Ann-Kristin Sofroniou and the writer Andriana Minou, in creating musical fairy-tales for children and adults, in which piano music composed on the subject of the child is intertwined with an original fairy-tale.

 

The project uses piano works composed on the convention of childhood, about children, and not necessarily for children, with a special emphasis on contemporary music. Such examples are Sofia Gubaidulina’s Musical Toys (1969) and Helmut Lachenmann’s Ein Kinderspiel (1981). Departing from the proposition that in these piano works the composers attempted to empathise with the condition of ‘childhood’ rather than writing for children from an adult’s perspective, these works embody a self-contradictory character between childhood and adulthood. The objective of this project is to create musical fairy-tales, channeled out of my own experimentation on ‘being a child’ from the performer’s perspective. Additionally, this project aspires to create an experience in which adulthood and childhood are equalised through becoming transparent and in which the music fairy-tale becomes relevant to both adults and children. 

 

This project is indirectly educational in that it aspires to improve children’s association with contemporary music through their participation in this project, and forms part of a wider research project of mine on promoting children’s awareness of contemporary music.

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We aim at presenting these music fairy-tales around the globe, making these stories nomadic travellers that are relevant to all wherever they are in the world.

 

The performance and workshops can be in both English and Greek.

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Tales of a Talking Piano outsources with the following:

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• Performances of music fairy-tales, for adults and children 

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• Workshops of contemporary piano music for children (repertoire, extended techniques, group improvisation) for children 

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• Research output (articles, presentation in conferences) 

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