Conlon Nancarrow: Virtuoso of the Player Piano

Floor Three, Susan and John Hess Family Gallery and Theater

Conlon Nancarrow: Virtuoso of the Player Piano (2012) by James Greeson. Running time: 57 minutes. 

A biographical overview of Nancarrow’s life and times, from his beginnings in Texarkana, Texas, and his years in Boston through his fighting in the Spanish Civil War and his emigration to Mexico. The film features interviews with his family members and those who were closest to Nancarrow during his career, including Yoko Nancarrow, Charles Amirkhanian, Kyle Gann, and Trimpin, among others. It also presents performance footage of his first published piano pieces, as well as a newly discovered set of two-part inventions he composed in his first years in Mexico performed at the Sacher Foundation in Basel, Switzerland by pianist Helena Bugallo. Other highlights include “live” performances of his powerful Studies #25, 3a, 37, and 21, his famous “Canon X.” Filmmaker Jim Greeson will be present for the screening.

Part of Anywhere in Time: A Conlon Nancarrow Festival, co-curated by Dominic Murcott and Jay Sanders, Curator and Curator of Performance.

June 17, 22
4 pm 

Tickets for this program are required, and include the cost of admission ($22 adults, $18 seniors, free for members). Due to limited capacity, visitors are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets in advance.