FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – World-renowned pianist Jeremy Denk, an alumnus of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, will perform during a live video stream from New York City to Jacobs’ Ford-Crawford Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m.
Denk will be part of a rare chance for the public to experience the latest in state-of-the-art technology and innovation from Steinway & Sons, premier piano manufacturer, as the virtuoso’s performance on a Spirio R piano from Steinway Hall is heard live on the Jacobs School’s Spirio R in Ford-Crawford Hall, in what is termed a Spiriocast.
The sensor system in the Spirio captures the movements of the piano’s hammers and pedaling, and Spiriocast transfers the high-resolution data to recreate an identical, unfiltered audio, video and acoustic experience on any number of connected Spirios receiving it.
“I did not anticipate how perfect the replication of my playing would be,” said Norman Krieger, chair of the Jacobs Piano Department. “Including the integration of refined dynamics, touch, tone detail and voicing in addition to the accuracy of replicating use of the pedal in every detail.
“Spiriocast is without question one of the most important teaching tools we can use. Master classes can happen in real time via video, collaborating with someone in Shanghai or Berlin playing on a Spirio R. We would be able to hear that performer-teacher play on our Spirio and could potentially use this technology for live auditions internationally as well. This major innovation can significantly streamline our ability to recruit students globally.”
Denk is winner of both the MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship and the Avery Fisher Prize, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a New York Times bestselling author.
In addition to Denk’s performance, the Oct. 18 concert will include student performance, recordings from the Spirio’s music library, including Arthur Rubinstein and Van Cliburn, and a Q&A with Michael Cabe of Steinway & Sons. The event is free and open to the public.
“My hope is that our students, colleagues and upper administration are excited by this cutting-edge technology that can serve our art and inspire the potential for global collaboration, live auditions and outreach,” said Krieger. “This technology is a huge leap forward in piano performance education.”