Pianists Susan Grace and Steven Beck will be joined by friends John Kinzie and Michael Tetreault on percussion for this special event at Schmitt Music Denver.
The duo piano team Quattro Mani has gained high praise from both critics and audiences for their concerts and recordings. Formed in 1989, Quattro Mani has performed throughout the USA and Europe. The duo’s special interest in twentieth century repertoire has led to dedications and collaborations with many ocmposers, including George Crumb, Joan Tower, Paul Lansky, Poul Ruders and Frederic Rzewski.
Pianists Susan Grace and Steven Beck bring together two distinguished careers. Each has earned recognition as a soloist and chamber musician in the U.S. and abroad. Both artists share a special interest in the vast repertoire for two pianos and the unique collaboration involved in its performance.
The program will include the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Frédéric Chopin, Camille Saint-Saëns, John Novacek, and Michael Daugherty. Click here to view!
Susan Grace
Grammy nominated pianist, SUSAN GRACE has performed solo and chamber recitals, and has appeared as soloist with orchestras in the United States, Europe, the former Soviet Union, Korea, India and China. She has, in addition, performed in numerous series and festivals, including the Aspekte Festival in Salzburg, St Paul Chamber Orchestra’s new-music series Engine 408, Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., the Grand Teton Festival, the Cape Cod Music Festival, Festival Mozaic, Music at Oxford, and the Helmsley Festival in England.
Ms. Grace has recorded for Bridge Records, the Belgium National Radio, WFMT in Chicago, the Society of Composers, Wilson Audio, Klavier International and Klavier Music Productions. She was nominated for a Grammy in 2005 in the Best Small Ensemble Performance category and is a Steinway Artist.
Ms. Grace is Associate Chair, Artist-in-Residence and Senior Lecturer in Music at Colorado College and Music Director of the internationally renowned Colorado College Summer Music Festival which is in its 30th season. She has been awarded the Christine Johnson Professor of Music beginning in the fall of 2014.
Steven Beck
STEVEN BECK has been described by the New York Times as “an eloquent and persuasive performer of contemporary works”. He made his debut with the National Symphony Orchestra, and has been a soloist with the the Odense Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic Ensembles series, New Juilliard Ensemble, Sequitur, Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, Virginia Symphony and was recently featured as soloist on the New York Philharmonic’s “Symphonic Sondheim” concert. Mr. Beck has made festival appearances at the Aspen Music Festival, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, the Greenwich Music Festival, the Monadnock Music Festival, the Woodstock Mozart Festival, and the Wellesley Composers’ Conference. His annual performances of Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” on Christmas Eve at the Barge have become a New York institution.
Mr. Beck has worked with composers Elliott Carter, Henri Dutilleux, George Perle, George Crumb, Poul Ruders, Charles Wuorinen and Louis Karchin among others. Mr. Beck is a member of Quattro Mani, a piano duo specializing in contemporary music as well as a member of the Knights, Talea, andPleasure is the Law. His recordings are on the Albany, Bridge, Boston Records, Monument, Mulatta, and Annemarie Classics labels.
John Kinzie
JOHN KINZIE is Principal Percussion of the Colorado Symphony, a position he has held since 1985. Prior to that appointment, John was Principal Percussion of the Toledo Symphony for 7 years. He is currently a percussionist with the Grand Teton Music Festival, and has performed with the Colorado Music Festival, Strings in the Mountains Festival, and the Sun Valley Music Festival. John has a degree from the University of Toledo and a Masters of Music degree form the Cleveland Institute of Music. His main teachers have been Richard Weiner, Paul Yancich and Robert Bell.
Mr. Kinzie is Director of Percussion Studies at the Lamont School of Music, University of Denver, where his students continue to be recognized for their excellence. He continues to teach and perform at the Colorado College Summer Music Festival, which admits students to a full scholarship after auditions. Mr. Kinzie has performed as soloist with many orchestras including this past season performing the Avner Dorman Double Percussion Concerto with the Colorado Symphony and the Yakima Symphony Orchestra. He has previously performed the Higdon Marimba Concerto and the Bresnick Double Marimba Concerto “Grace” with Robert Van Sice. Mr. Kinzie is an avid chamber musician, performing with the Colorado Symphony’s Once Upon a Time groups, and touring with Quattro Mani, a piano duo with percussion. They have performed in Carnegie Hall and been nominated for a Grammy for best chamber performance.
Mr. Kinzie is an active artist and clinician for Freer Percussion Products, Zildjian Cymbals, Adams Musical Instruments and Pearl Percussion. He and his violinist wife Karen, have four boys, Ryan, Karl, Grant and Reid.
Michael Tetreault
MICHAEL TETREAULT holds a Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY and a Master of Music Degree from the Royal Academy of Music in London, UK. Michael is currently Principal Timpanist of the Central City Opera, Fort Collins Symphony and Percussionist with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and Boulder Philharmonic. He is currently serving a one year position as Percussionist with the Colorado Symphony. Michael is also part of the percussion faculty at the University of Colorado (Boulder). Michael has performed domestically and abroad with the London Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, Colorado Ballet, Opera Colorado, Central City Opera, Orchestre de Paris, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, RTE Concert Orchestra (Dublin), Ulster Orchestra (Belfast), and the Halle Orchestra (Manchester). As a chamber musician Michael has collaborated with Alarm Will Sound and Ann Murray. He has performed at festivals in England, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Germany, and France and has recorded extensively for Albany Records, Warner Bros. Records, Bridge Records, Sony Classical, RTE Radio/TV and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
