Pianopalooza celebrates Raven’s debut with three concerts Aug. 19-24

By Jim Flint

Pianopalooza, a weeklong festival of three Rogue Valley Symphony concerts Aug. 19-24, will celebrate the debut of the orchestra’s recently acquired grand piano, a 9-foot Hamburg Steinway D, christened “Raven” by New York piano technician Tali Malhanor.

Three world-class pianists and three internationally renowned violinists will share the stage with Raven at Medford’s Craterian Theater, 23 S. Central Ave., in performances set for 7:30 p.m. Aug 19 and 22 and 3 p.m. Aug. 24.

In what may be a first for classical music journalism, the concert grand sat for an interview to discuss the upcoming concerts.

Raven, formerly owned by a New York architect, was purchased by RVS after the orchestra received an unexpected $250,000 bequest from the estate of a Grants Pass patron. It came at a fortuitous moment: The RVS board had been discussing the need for a new concert grand.

What follows is Raven’s take on her past life, her new Oregon home and the music to come.

Ashland.news: Raven, you lived atop a Manhattan skyscraper for two decades. What was that life like for you, and how does it compare to your new home in the Rogue Valley?

Raven: Life in Manhattan was polished and quiet. I had a beautiful space and spoke only when called upon. Now, in the Rogue Valley, everything feels more immediate. There’s fresh air, natural light and people who look forward to hearing what I have to say.

AN: You’ve been called “caged” in your former life, tamed for a small space. How did that affect your voice, and what’s it like now to think about soaring in a concert hall?

Raven: It’s true. My sound was shaped to suit an intimate room. I learned to whisper instead of shout, to shimmer instead of blaze. But now I will be able to spread my wings.

AN: When RVS Music Director Martin Majkut and pianist Michael Stephen Brown came to meet you, was it love at first chord? What did you make of them as suitors?

Raven: Let’s just say the bench barely creaked before sparks flew. Martin has vision, Michael has sensitivity, and both listened to me before trying to command me. They didn’t come looking for a piano. They came looking for me.

AN: You’ll be collaborating with not one but six soloists in a single week. Are you excited, intimidated or simply amused by the human enthusiasm for musical marathons?

Raven: Amused, mostly. Humans do love turning music into marathons. It’s like a crescendo mapped onto a calendar. But I’m ready. I’ve waited two decades to reveal my full voice. Bring it on. I don’t tire. I resonate.

AN: In your opinion, what makes a pianist a worthy partner? What do you respond to most in a performer’s touch or temperament?

Raven: Intent. Listening. Respect. The best pianists don’t just play me, they court me. They understand that I give as much as I take. I’m not an appliance. I’m a conversation waiting to happen.

AN: Let’s get technical. You’re a Hamburg Steinway D. For readers who don’t speak piano, what makes you different from your New York cousins?

Raven: Think of it as dialect. I’m more focused, drier, more reserved, but elegant to the bone. My New York kin are bold and brilliant, but I lean toward subtlety. I don’t shout. I project. When it’s time to rise, I rise.

AN: Of all the music you’ve played, is there a moment — a passage, a phrase — that still gives you shivers when you feel it coming?

Raven: The opening chords of Rachmaninoff’s Second. They’re full of memory and longing. You’ll hear it yourself when Alexander Tutunov plays the Rach Second on Aug. 19.

AN: After a long journey from New York to Oregon, what are your dreams for this next chapter? What kind of legacy would you like to leave?

Raven: I want to be remembered not just as an instrument, but as a voice in the room. A keeper of moments. I hope future generations feel something stirring in them when they hear me, and know that’s music doing its work.

AN: You’ll be voiced by three extraordinary pianists during Pianopalooza. Let’s begin with Tutunov, a beloved fixture in the Rogue Valley’s classical music community. What do you anticipate from your collaboration with him?

Raven: Dr. Tutunov carries with him a remarkable depth of musical experience, and I imagine he’ll elicit the richest, most resonant parts of my voice. His interpretations are expansive, expressive and grounded in tradition. With him at the keys, I expect to explore the darker hues of my sound — those sonorous, introspective tones that don’t always get their moment. I look forward to being given that space.

AN: Next is the rising young artist Vitaly Starikov. How do you expect his playing to shape your voice?

Raven: Starikov brings precision and refinement, but never at the expense of emotion. He has a lyrical sensibility, an understanding of when to let a phrase breathe and when to let it shimmer. I anticipate our collaboration will feel intimate and thoughtful, where clarity and nuance come to the forefront.

AN: And finally, Maxim Lando, a bold and imaginative performer who’s drawn attention for his virtuosic style. What are you expecting from his approach?

Raven: Lando plays with fearless energy and a striking sense of freedom. There’s a spontaneity to his interpretations that can be exhilarating, for both instrument and audience. With him, I suspect I’ll be called upon to move quickly, to surprise. It’s a thrilling prospect, really — to be taken to the edge of what’s possible, and asked to leap.

AN: Starikov is fresh off a Van Cliburn silver medal, Tutunov is a seasoned virtuoso and Lando is known for his exuberance and imagination. How do you adapt to such different energies? Do you consider yourself a musical chameleon, or do you demand they come to you?

Raven: I’m no chameleon. I don’t vanish. I reflect. I bring what they give into sharper focus. They don’t need to become me. But they do need to meet me. That’s when the magic happens.

AN: In each concert, you’ll share the stage with a world-class violinist. What’s it like weaving your voice together with theirs? Do you consider it a duet, a dance or something else entirely?

Raven: It’s a flirtation. A negotiation. We meet between bow and hammer, string and felt. Some nights it’s a duet, some nights a rivalry. But always, it’s a story we tell together.

Q: As you take center stage at last, what do you hope Rogue Valley audiences hear — not just in the music, but in you?

Raven: I hope they hear wonder. Possibility. A reminder that beauty still matters. That even in a noisy world, there’s room for stillness, and passion, and play. I’ve waited a long time for this.

For more information about Pianopalooza programs and artists, other RVS concerts, or to purchase tickets, visit rvsymphony.org.

Jim Flint’s Curtain Call column publishes on the second and fourth Mondays of the month. Email Jim at [email protected].