Stephen Sondheim to Attend Anthony de Mare's LIAISONS II: REIMAGINING SONDHEIM FROM THE PIANO at Symphony Space, 3/9

De Mare encouraged the composers to choose whichever song most compelled them, with the only criteria being a maximum length of 10 minutes and adherence to the song's basic melodic material. Composers put their own spin on recognizable classics like Send in the Clowns, The Ballad of Sweeney Todd and Being Alive, to name a few, but also on lesser-known works including Sorry-Grateful, Someone in a Tree and A Bowler Hat, among others. "Each piece represents a totally unique union of the composer's individual style with Sondheim's underlying substance," comments de Mare. "These aren't songs without words-they are complete musical compositions in their own right that reveal Sondheim's unparalleled capacity for melody and musical architecture." A full recording of the project is underway, produced by Judith Sherman, for release in spring 2014. Further details are available at http://www.theliasionsproject.com.

THE PROGRAM

Phil Kline: Paraphrase (Someone in a Tree) (based on Someone in a Tree from Pacific Overtures)
Frederic Rzewski: I'm Still Here (Follies)
Jason Robert Brown: Birds of Victorian England (based on Green Finch and Linnet Bird from Sweeney Todd)
Thomas Newman: Not While I'm Around (Sweeney Todd)
Rodney Sharman: Notes on Beautiful (based on Beautiful from Sunday in the Park with George)
Nico Muhly: Color and Light (Sunday in the Park with George)
Mary Ellen Childs: Now, Later, Soon (A Little Night Music)
Eve Beglarian: Perpetual Happiness (based on Happiness from Passion)
Bernadette Speach: In and Out of Love (based on Send in the Clowns and Liaisons from A Little Night Music)
John Musto: Epiphany (Sweeney Todd)
Michael Daugherty: Everybody's Got the Right (Assassins)
Nils Vigeland: Merrily We Roll Along (Merrily We Roll Along)
Peter Golub: A Child of Children and Art (based on Children and Art from Sunday in the Park with George)
Steve Reich: Finishing the Hat (Sunday in the Park with George)
Eric Rockwell: You Could Drive a Person Crazy (Company)
Mason Bates: Very Put Together (based on Putting it Together from Sunday in the Park with George)
Annie Gosfield: A Bowler Hat (Pacific Overtures)
Jake Heggie: I'm Excited. No You're Not (based on A Weekend in the Country from A Little Night Music)

Anthony de Mare is recognized as one of the world's most versatile pianists. A foremost champion of contemporary music, and a pioneer in the speaking-singing pianist genre, recent performance highlights include: the national tour of The American Piano with pianist Steven Mayerand scholar Joseph Horowitz; Playing With Myself, a multi-media concert event; Missing Peace, an eclectic series of old and new works inspired by the exhibition The Missing Peace: Artists Consider the Dalai Lama; Cool ~ A Journey into the Influence of Jazz;and Unities: Music of Pride and Celebration. De Mare has also collaborated and performed with the Lark Quartet, the Bang-On-A-Can All Stars, Meredith Monk/The House, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, among many others. He currently serves on the roster of Yamaha Artists and is a professor of piano at Manhattan School of Music and New York University. Visit www.anthonydemare.com.

Symphony Space traces its beginnings to a free marathon concert, Wall to Wall Bach, held in 1978 and organized by co-founders Isaiah Sheffer and Allan Miller. The music marathon then drew thousands of visitors and has since become one of the organization's signature events. Today Symphony Space presents more than 600 events each season, including music, dance, theater, film, and literary readings. Some of its best known programs include Selected Shorts, a reading of short stories by stars of stage and screen, and one of the most popular series on public radio; the Thalia Film Club, a trendy film club hosted by Marshall Fine featuring pre-release screenings and behind-the-scenes conversations with film stars; Just Kidding, one of the most talked about family entertainment series around town; and, more recently, The Mus ic of Now, presenting an eclectic range of music in all styles and sensibilities, focusing on emerging artists and unusual work. Uptown/ Showdown has been called "New York's best comedy series" by New York Magazine. For more information, visit symphonyspace.org.

Symphony Space is located at 2537 Broadway at 95th Street. Box office hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 1 pm - 6 pm, open two hours prior to performances and events. Tickets can also be purchased through www.symphonyspace.org, or by calling 212/864-5400.

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