by Melanie Wong
Pianist and composer Gregg Kallor gave a
refreshing performance at SubCulture last week during the new venue's cross-genre piano
festival. The evening centered around two of Kallor's original works—the world
premiere of Undercurrent for cello
and piano, as well as the premiere of his latest music video "Broken
Sentences"—through which he established himself as a brilliant young composer, one whose ingenuity will inevitably spark interest and new relevance for a broader range
of today's audiences.
Kallor's latest music video depicts him chasing
down each of the 88 colorful pianos Sing For Hope sprinkled around the city
earlier this summer while performing "Broken Sentences" (a movement from his
NYC-inspired piano suite, A Single Noon).
The video was a visual feast for the eyes that spun through New York's
landscape and created a relevant and engaging setting for the music. Music
videos—a medium currently underutilized by
classical musicians—have incredible artistic potential, and Kallor's exploration could prove to be a means for sparking interest among the coveted younger generation of audiences.
Cellist Laura Metcalf joined Kallor on stage
for Undercurrent; as
a duo, the two were superb—their nuances and subtleties enhanced by the natural
acoustics of the room. Kallor displays a truly wonderful fluidity
in his sound, and his energy is such that there is never a dull or ambiguous
moment. As a composer, his music is largely accessible without lacking in
complexity or innovation.
Program fillers for the evening included
Ginastera's Danzas Argentinas; Scriabin's Prelude No. 2, op. 11; Rachmaninoff's Prelude No. 12, op.
32; and Sara Bareilles' "Manhattan." While all of the individual performances sounded more like Kallor than
either Rachmaninoff, Ginastera, or Scriabin, a good cover can be every bit as
good as a strict copy of the original, and Kallor's distinctive musicality made
for a highly entertaining listen.
A gifted musician in all aspects, Kallor is a
surely a performer on the rise. If you missed him this time around, or you haven't
heard him yet, be sure to check out his YouTube videos and catch him back in New
York next month with the Bronx Arts Ensemble.