The Graduate Center Music Program is pleased to announce that the winner of this year’s  Robert Starer Composition Award is Joseph Prestamo for “Ballade” for solo piano. Joseph described this work in the following program note (quoted from his website):

“Chopin was the first to use the title ‘Ballade’ for an abstract, single movement piano work. Many composers, from Liszt to Debussy to Perle, have written works in this genre of Chopin’s invention, each inspired by (and indebted to) the innovations of Chopin’s remarkable four. My own Ballade reflects my deep love for the great body of piano literature, as well as my affection for musical storytelling. I often use music as a tool to embody stillness and expand a single moment in time, but Ballade contains quite a bit of movement, taking the listener on a transformative journey through a rich musical landscape. I have a few thoughts on the content of the piece’s narrative, but I will keep them to myself in the hopes that you will be inspired with a story of your own. Writing this piece was both a terribly exhausting and wonderfully rewarding experience. It is dedicated with love to my sister, Grace.”

Congratulations to Joey for his outstanding work!

To learn more about Joseph Prestamo, see: http://josephprestamo.com/