AMIS 2014 Talk: Recent Research in Keyboard Instrument Key-Touch Response at The Piano Design Lab

May 31, 2014, at The Annual Meeting of the American Musical Instrument Society, Sawmill Creek Resort, Huron, Ohio. Presented a paper on research at The Piano Design Lab, University of Waterloo, Ontario by Dr. Stephen Birkett and myself. Results to be published, so you’ll just have to suffer and wonder here!

Work trip to Seattle, Washington, March 2014

Working in Seattle for several clients on 19th century pianos, including an 1875 Erard, an 1860 Pleyel and others.

Baroque Chamber Music Concert, sponsored by The Savannah Philharmonic, Feb. 2, 2014

Feb. 2, 2014, SUPER BOWL SUNDAY, we had a sold out performance of a Bach cantata and other baroque works, with myself (on a double manual Flemish harpsichord I had built) in the rotunda of the beautiful historic Telfair Museum of Art, Savannah, GA.

Goliards Christmas Program, December 22, 2013, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Our annual much loved Medieval and Renaissance Christmas Concert at the wonderful gothic St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1802 Abercorn St., Savannah, GA at 3 p.m.

Two harpsichord concert with JooSoo Son, Hilton Head and Savannah performances, late October 2013

Details to be announced.  Music to include Bach’s Concerto in C major for two harpsichords, Edwin McLean’s Sonata for Two Harpsichords, and more.  First Presbyterian Church, 540 William HIlton Parkway, Hilton Head, SC, and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1802 Abercorn St., Savannah, GA.  Details to be announced!

Harpsichords by Anne Acker and William Dowd.

The Goliards: Performance of Sephardic Music, Sunday, September 29, 2013, 3 p.m.

Come to a fantastic program of Medieval Sephardic music in the gothic space of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1802 Abercorn St, Savannah, GA at 3 p.m.  I’ll be playing sinfonye and portative organ, along with John Hillenbrand on vielle, Anne Durant on harp, bray harp and miscellaneous percussion, and singers Cuffy Sullivan, Melissa Flumertfelt, and Mary Catherine Mousourakis. This is a concert not to be missed!

Boston Early Music Festival Exhibition, June 2013

I had a great time exhibiting at the Boston Early Music Festival Exhibition, running the booth for The Paris Workshop with the other North American agent, Gerald Self. I also brought two of my own instruments, a Flemish Double Manual harpsichord and a fretted clavichord, both of which I was gratified to see were well received.  I’ll be back in 2015!

No, I wasn’t doing nothing for a year and a half! Senior Editor and contributor for the 2nd Edition of the Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments.

Yes, I played quite a few concerts during this time with The Goliards and The Savannah Childrens Choir, as well as with the Savannah Philharmonic Chamber Music Series, and I gave talks. So why have I not updated this website? For the last several years, I was serving as a Senior Editor and contributor to the 2nd edition of the Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments for Oxford University Press. As you might imagine it took a LOT of time! What a great job it was though. I was in charge of all stringed keyboard instruments, as well as many organs, a few odds and ends, and all the Electronics and many of the Acoustics and other unusual modern creations. We wrapped up in June 2013 and since then I’ve been playing catch up in my workshop. I may or may not get around to putting in the performances and the like from the last couple years as really do need to work on my instrument queue and practice for the next concerts!

Lieder Concert with Baritone Roger Moss, Sunday May 5, 2013 3 p.m.

A performance accompanying the fine baritone Roger Moss on piano at St Paul’s Episcopal Church, Abercorn St., Savannah, GA. Traditional works by Brahms, Strauss, Wagner, and beautiful 20th century works. It is nice to be back playing fine vocal accompaniment and especially with such a fine singer.

Custom Flemish Double Manual harpsichord for a private client, 2011