Have you ever discovered a piece of music that then became an indispensable part of your life? A piece that marked a turning point in your study of music itself? A piece that you wanted to study, reflect and obsess over?

Charles Ives’ Sonata No. 2 “Concord” is that piece for me. Since my first listening back in high school, I’ve become fascinated with unraveling its mysteries and living with it as a piece of repertoire. As I face the end of my graduate education and the question of What To Do Next, I’ve decided to take this music on the road and see what happens.

As I travel from Ithaca to parts of New York, the Chicago area, and Toronto, I will be starting my recitals off with a lecture to introduce the themes (both musical and philosophical) that inform the piece. This is dense, weighty music that really requires some explanation. Ives himself addressed this concern by writing his Essays Before A Sonata, but I will be adding my own thoughts and insights.

There’s another important reason that I’ve chosen this piece for my first attempt at a recital tour. Ives grew up in Danbury, Connecticut, just a stone’s throw away from my own hometown. I’ve climbed the mountain where Ives used to sit and compose (in a shack he built himself), and I’ve followed his paths through the quiet woods. I connect deeply with the New England nostalgia in the Concord Sonata and the sense of something great hiding just beyond the clouds, the electricity of inspiration and the beautiful terror of life.

Finally, since I have now been studying this piece in some capacity for about five years, I think it represents my truest musical self. It was the piece that made me want to take composition seriously, and I love it more than just about any other music. My only hope with this tour is that some seasoned fans will get an opportunity to hear it live for the first time, and that curious newcomers will have an unforgettable encounter with this tour de force.

Here’s the list of dates so far. I may be announcing more soon, and I’ll post links to the venue sites as the dates draw closer.

Saturday, October 4, 8:15 pm
Nabenhauer Recital Room, Ithaca College
953 Danby Road
Ithaca, NY

Sunday, October 26, 3:00 pm
171 Cedar Arts
171 Cedar Street
Corning, NY

Monday, January 12, 7:30 pm
College Church
332 E Seminary Ave
Wheaton, IL

Wednesday, January 14, 8:00 pm
Fine Arts Building, Suite 825
410 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL

Friday, February 27, 8:00 pm
The Firehouse Space
246 Frost St
Brooklyn, NY

Thursday, March 12, 8:00 pm
Gallery 345
345 Sorauren Ave
Toronto, ON