Allen Reiser in Rachmaninoff’s First Piano Concerto:  “It was clear from his opening flourish in Rachmaninoff’s First Piano Concerto that he is a player not only of dynamic brilliance, but of mellow touch…”  (London – England)

Allen Reiser has performed with various orchestras in England and Canada, and recital engagements have taken him to nearly every major centre in Western Canada. He is a pianist of diverse musical interests, with a particular interest in Canadian piano music and the music of Franz Liszt. Allen Reiser’s first released CD, “A Canadian Piano Album”, was nominated for a 2001 Prairie Music Award in the category of Outstanding Classical Recording. A second CD, “Sonatinas and Little Sonatas”, was released in June of 2009. 

Allen Reiser is active throughout Western Canada as a performer, adjudicator and master class clinician. He has presented workshops and recitals for local, provincial and national Registered Music Teachers’ Associations. 

Allen Reiser is an ARCT Gold Medalist of the Toronto Conservatory of Music and has been honoured by Calgary’s Mount Royal College with a Distinguished Faculty/Teaching Award. His two major teaching positions have been at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, and at Calgary’s Mount Royal College, He has been guest piano instructor at summer schools in Cranbrook, Camrose and Victoria. Allen Reiser currently operates a private piano studio in Calgary as a Branch instructor of The Conservatory, Mount Royal University.

Concert Description: “Chopin Miniatures“

Perhaps the most beloved of all composers for the piano, Chopin wrote hundreds of piano pieces of less than 5 minutes duration. While these all qualify as “Miniatures”, in terms of length, there is nothing miniature about them in terms of scope or message. Collectively they are a kaleidoscope of emotions. Individually, each one envelopes the listener in a fully realized, deep exploration of some facet of human emotion. Some are tender, some are joyous, some deal with devastation, and some rise above  adversity heroically. One need only think of his “Revolutionary Etude”, a work which will be included on this program, to realize that with Chopin, in under three minutes, armies can fall and worlds collide, with powerful and memorable intensity.