What can a few minutes of music make you feel? From a quiet, fleeting moment to a breathtaking rush of sound, From Grain to Avalanche: Piano Miniatures in Contrast, part of NEMPAC’s collaborative Artist Series, celebrates the remarkable range of expression packed into the piano miniature. Journey across musical landscapes and traditions, from the dreamlike colors of Debussy and the folk-inspired sounds of Janáček and Čiurlionis to the sweeping virtuosity of Rachmaninoff and Liszt. Featuring composers from across Europe, the United States, and beyond, this program reveals how a single instrument can open up entire worlds of emotion, imagination, and discovery.
Beyond their striking contrasts in sound and style, these works offer glimpses into the cultures, identities, and personal experiences that shape the music we hear. Margaret Bonds transforms the African American spiritual tradition into a powerful, virtuosic concert piece, while Fazıl Say evokes the vibrant cultural landscape of Istanbul through a contemporary musical lens. From deeply personal expressions of faith to echoes of folk traditions, each miniature offers a world of its own. Join us for an intimate yet exhilarating piano experience that moves between the delicate and the dazzling, revealing just how much can unfold in a single piece of music.
Event Details
DATE & TIME
Thurday, March 11, 2027 | 7:30–9:00 PM
Doors open at 6:45 PM for wine and dessert
VENUE
Bijou de la Vida Gallery | North End
390 Commercial St, Boston, MA 02109
TICKETS
General Admission: $35
Pay-What-You-Can: $5, $10, $15, $20, $25
Season passes for all three Artist Series concerts go on sale Thursday, October 29.
Single tickets go on sale Monday, December 18th.
Interested in sponsoring an artist or one of the three concerts? Contact Will Neely at wneely@nempacboston.org or 857-239-9997.
Meet the Artist
Christina Wright-Ivanova
Creator/Pianist
Dr. Christina Wright-Ivanova, hailed by critics as “a brilliant pianist” (Wiener Zeitung, Vienna) with a “warm and reassuring sound” (Boston Intelligencer) is currently Associate Professor of Music and Coordinator of Keyboard Studies at Keene State College where she teaches piano, pedagogy, collaborative piano and chamber music. She is also on faculty at the New England Conservatory in Boston as a vocal coach. For the past nine years, she serves as the Artistic Director for the North End Music & Performing Arts ‘Winter Concert Series’.
As an avid performer of new music, Dr. Wright-Ivanova is on faculty at the Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice (Colorado Springs) and has premiered over 125 works by living composers. She has performed solo and collaborative new works throughout the US, and recent international concert performances at the Berlin Art Song Festival, Teatro Sociale in Como, Reaktorhalle (Munich), Humboldt University, École Normale Supérieure Lyon, Joanneumsviertel Museum, Amici della Musica Paisello Concert Hall (Lucera), and Schloss Frohnburg (Salzburg).
As a chamber musician, she has been heard in over 25 countries throughout North & South America, UK, Europe, Asia and Australia, and enjoys frequent performances with musicians from leading orchestras in the US. With her ‘duo au courant’ partner, mezzo-soprano Stephanie Weiss, she tours regularly, presenting Art Song with a focus on issues of immigration, social justice and peace. Recordings: Albany Records, New World Records, ARS Produktion, MSR Classics. Degrees: University of Texas at Austin (DMA), New England Conservatory (MM), University of Victoria, Canada (BM). www.christinajwright.com.
Plan Your Visit
Parking & Public Transport
There are several parking garages within a few minutes’ walk, including the Sargents Wharf Parking Lot at 269 Commercial Street, Boston, MA 02109 (about a 3 minute walk), and Haymarket Garage located at 136 Blackstone Street, with parking maxed at $16 for evenings and weekends (about a 10 minute walk).
The closest MBTA stations are Haymarket (Orange and Green lines), about a 10 minute walk; North Station (Orange and Green lines), about a ten minute walk, and Aquarium Station (Blue Line), also a 10 minute walk.
Accessibility
Bijou de la Vida Gallery is not fully handicap accessible, although it is about 2 steps up to get to the front door and two steps down into the space once you enter. If you do have any accessibility concerns please reach out to Will Neely at wneely@nempacboston.org.
