Tucson Symphony Orchestra's anniversary bash: 6 pianos, 7 pianists, 1 stage

The Tucson Symphony Orchestra is calling its concert on Friday, March 24, a bash and for good reason.

When you cram six grand pianos and seven amazing pianists on one stage — with a full orchestra behind them — well, that’s a “Piano Bash.”

“Most people won’t see any more than two pianos at once except maybe at that mass piano ensemble concert that the students do” at the University of Arizona, said TSO Principal Pianist Paula Fan, who in her 30-plus years with the orchestra has never seen that many pianos on one stage — anywhere.

But it’s March and we’re all kinda going mad, right, with the NCAA tournament, the prospect of spring and that crazy itch young people start feeling as the school year inches closer to the finish line.

“There’s something a little mad about March so why not,” Fan conceded.

Friday’s concert is all about those young people. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit the orchestra’s youth and family programming efforts that reach more than 40,000 children in Southern Arizona, providing music education and interaction between kids as young as toddlers through high school with music and the musicians who make it.

Some of those programs are Music in the Schools, Kinderkonzerts, Young People’s Concerts, ensemble performances, Just for Kids and the Young Composers Project.

“This is about the future, about building audiences and essentially getting young people exposed to creativity as soon as possible,” said Fan, who is a retired University of Arizona piano professor.

The idea for Piano Bash came from TSO President and CEO Mark Blakeman, who’s made it his mission during his three years here to bring younger audiences into Music Hall.

Fan was responsible for the repertoire, which includes works for solo and pianos, four pianos and as many as six pianos. There are seven pianists including Fan lined up to perform:

Jazz pianist Jeff Haskell, an award-winning arranger and conductor and in-demand keyboardist.
UA prof Rex Woods, who is a regular soloist and chamber musician around these parts.
Sisters Melissa and Rachael Radtke, winners of the 2016-17 TSO Young Artists Competition.
Christopher Cano, a UA grad and past TSO Young Artist Competition winner who now teaches and performs in New York City.
Kyungsun Choi, who’s perhaps best known as the primary accompanist for Reveille Men’s Chorus.

And what will they perform?

Morton Gould’s “Inventions” for 4 Pianos and Orchestra.
A show-stopping reimagining of “Stars and Stripes Forever” transcribed for six pianos.
Works by Bach, Poulenc and Saint-Saëns.
The premiere of “Two Moonlights” — Haskell’s arrangement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and the pop standard, “Moonlight in Vermont.” Haskell teams up with Fan on that work, which undoubtedly will be one of the evening’s highlights.

Fan said the Piano Bash is a way to celebrate the orchestra’s 88th year; the piano, after all, has 88 keys, she joked, one for every TSO year.

“It is going to be a lot of fun,” she said. “It’s beautiful music, it’s fun music. It’s engaging music. We are going to have a grand bash.”