Gabriela Montero Improvisations
Venezuelan Pianist Improvises on Classical and Popular Melodies
Sing her the tune "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero will immediately improvise the melody into a classical-esque piece.
Referring to styles from several of the great masters, Montero's improvisational skills have earned her a spot on NPR as part of the "Sing It and Wing It" program. Callers on the program are invited to sing the pianist a tune, and then sit back as Montero does the rest, weaving common melodies into full-textured pieces. The show only runs occasionally, but archives are available on NPR's classical music site and can be streamed at any time.
But pop tunes aren't the only inspiration Montero draws from. Melodies by Bach, Chopin, and Scriabin also provide a starting point for the pianist's improvisation. Because Montero is well-versed in different historical styles, she can merge a little 20-century harmonization with a Baroque melody, and the familiar Bach gets a face-lift.
But her improvisational skills do not always meet with immediate applause. At her concerts, she typically encores with an improvisation. However, she soon began asking audience members to randomly provide a tune for her inspiration: otherwise incredulous listeners had a hard time believing she had not previously worked out the music.
Biography: From Venezuela to the United States to London
Gabriela Montero was born in Caracas, Venezuela, but her early skill in performance soon had her traveling the world. At the age of five, she gave her first performance, and at the age of 8 she appeared with the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra (founded and conducted by Jose Antonio Abreu).
A scholarship from the Venezuelan government enabled Montero to study in the United States. At 12, she won the Baldwin National Competition and the AMSA Young Artist International Piano Competition. Later she studied at the Royal Academy of Music London under Lyl Tiempo, Andrez Esterhazy and Professor Hamish Milne.
Discography
Besides being a skilled improviser, Montero is an expressive pianist, with 3 albums recorded, including her double-disc debut. Like the callers on NPR, Rachmaninov, Chopin, Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel offer inspiration rather than the final word.
Montero's albums offer listeners her own explorations of familiar classics such as "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" (Bach and Beyond), merging contemporary harmonies with older melodies. For a complete listing of Montero's recordings, as well as concert dates and video footage, please visit her website.
Sources
"Classical Detour: 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame'." September 1, 2006. NPR Music.
"Sing It and Wing It." NPR Music.
"Gabriela Montero: Improvising With The Band." August 28, 2007. NPR Music.
