Application

It is not necessary to present a significant performance history in order to participate. We are looking above all for pianists with the interest and chops to perform the music in question.

The application process is intended to be as simple and cost-free as possible.

STEP 1. If you have a recording that demonstrates abilities relevant to the demands of this music, please send a link from say YouTube or to any server hosting the file(s) you want us to listen to. If you have a commercially available recording, we will be glad to purchase it. In that case, please advise us of what section(s) of the recording you believe are most applicable, and feel free to send us a link so we can purchase from your preferred vendor.

STEP 2. If this seems like a good fit, then we will ask you to learn and record a 5-measure / 27-second extract from get used to it man. You will find the extract below, along with a streamable reference recording of the music.

If convenient to your location and schedule, the easiest way to capture your selected recording is on the Spirio concert D at our studio at 508 West 26th Street, Suite 917, New York NY 10001. If that is not convenient, we can accept any acoustic recording.

Here are links to the score as both PDF and Sibelius files. We also include a link to an MP3 version of the audio which may be easier to stream on some devices.

Note about Sibelius: If you don't have the Sibelius score writing / listening program, we encourage you to download the free version here. The advantage of having the score playable through Sibelius is that it serves as a useful learning tool. Some of the things you can do with the score using the Sibelius sampler piano (their "virtual instrument") are:

  • follow the music moment by moment as it is played through the program.
  • isolate any portion of the score you wish to hear.
  • slow the music down so that you can, for example, put a polyrhythmic passage under an "audio microscope" to hear precisely the order of notes and their relative timings. This is a highly efficient way to learn what might seem on the page to be a complex polyrhythm, but in fact becomes easy to replicate once you hear it in slow motion, and then accelerated incrementally.
  • check your accuracy against the uninterpreted but objectively accurate replication of any passage, no matter how complex the notation might appear.

None of the above is meant to suggest that in any way the virtual realization can replace a live performer. It is merely an excellent support tool to learn the music more efficiently.

You can use this Application page for both STEP 1 and STEP 2.

The submitted email address ${email} is not valid.

The submitted message field was blank.

Drop any files that you would like to accompany your application here. We are particularly interested in any recordings you may like us to hear.

Remove File

A confirmation email has been sent.

Please open the mail and click the enclosed link to confirm your application.

Confirmation received.

Thank you for your application.