The First International
Stretto Piano Festival
Narrow Keys…Broad Minds…No Boundaries
May 15-23, 2021
The first International Stretto Piano Festival will be hosted by Musae between 15 and 23 May 2021.
All pianists will be performing on keys that are narrower than today's conventional keyboard size with
its 6.5 inch octave. This size is large by historical standards and mainly suits adult males with average to large hands.
Our Aims
…raise awareness and promote the idea of alternate piano key sizes,
…promote and elevate the careers of the performers on these keyboards,
..and assist in energizing a community of those who are proponents of this technology.
All times indicated below are in USA Eastern Daylight Time
Jessica Johnson
A Celebration of 21st-Century Works for Solo Piano by Women
Featuring works by Missy Mazzoli, Sarah Kirkland Snider, Regina Harris Baiocchi and Elena Ruehr performed on the Steinbuhler DS™ 5.5 Piano Keyboard.
Hannah Reimann and Rick Hip-Flores
Hannah Reimann and Rick Hip-Flores, perform works of Chopin, Clemens Rating, Joni Mitchell, Reimann and Hip-Flores originals and arrangements in a multi-genre concert celebrating a Stretto retrofit antique Steinway Model C Piano in Revelation Gallery at St. John's in the Village, Greenwich Village, New York City. With thanks to Steinway, Cafe Royale Cultural Foundation, St. John's and Musae.
Yusuke Seki
All pianists will be performing on keys that are narrower than today's conventional keyboard size with a 6.5 inch octave. This size is large by historical standards and mainly suits adult males with average to large hands.
Carol Leone
Pianist Carol Leone in Piano Recital: Masterworks by Chopin, Liszt, and Schubert performed on a Steinway concert grand with a keyboard designed for small handspans-- with narrow (stretto) keys! 100% of artist's ticket proceeds will be donated to http://dsstandardfoundation.org to help seed universities with alternatively-sized piano keyboards.
Barbara Lister-Sink
Featuring works by composer-pianists who drew extraordinary colors from the piano, including Chopin's Barcarole, Scriabin Preludes; Coleridge-Taylor's Valse in Three-Fours, Grainger's Irish Tune from County Derry, and Debussy's L'isle Joyeuse.
Linda Gould
Celebrating 10ths on the keys! Linda will perform an eclectic mix of classical, jazz and classic jazz on a recently created 5.5” octave digital keyboard. Linda will be joined for 2 pieces by Dave Paulson. Dave will play a regular sized 6.5” octave keyboard. All proceeds from ticket sales will go towards creating a model for affordable digital keyboards with narrow keys.
Katherine Caruana
Katherine Caruana will perform works by Debussy, Chopin and Rachmaninov on a Kawai grand with a 6.0 inch octave keyboard.
Amos Kurniadi
The Stretto Piano Festival celebrates the emerging movement of alternative sized pianos. Pianos that allow small handed pianists to play large intervals and octaves with ease. Spread the words and make the future of pianos happen in our lifetime. In this Stretto Piano Festival, Amos is going to perform Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.
Sophia Weidemann
Do you love Brahms?
The young German pianist Sophia Weidemann is going to perform Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Handel. She is playing this masterpiece on Sirius 6.0 – a Yamaha grand piano with Laukhuff keyboard (HMDK Stuttgart/Germany).
Silvia Molan
“Brazilian Contrasts” on Sirius 6.0 – a Yamaha grand piano with Laukhuff 6.0 keyboard (HMDK Stuttgart, Germany).
The young Brazilian pianist plays Villa-Lobos, Nazareth and Santoro’s singular perceptions of the rich Brazilian culture. But before that: an introspective moment with J.S. Bach, a silent meditation for the pandemic time we live in.
Annette Seiler
”Davidsbündlertänze“ Op. 6 by Robert Schumann
A deeply romantic piece full of musical contrasts, plenty of colours and outstanding humour. Austrian pianist Annette Seiler is playing on Sirius 6.0 – a Yamaha grand piano with Laukhuff 6.0 keyboard (HMDK Stuttgart/Germany).
100% of artist´s ticket proceeds will be donated to the HMDK Stuttgart´s alternatively-sized keyboard fundraising initiative.
Peter Fancovic
Colorful mixture of piano music, familiar and less familiar, classical and less classical, handpicked and performed for you by Peter Fancovic.
Kathryn Mientka Farruggia
A dramatic and heart-rending journey through music and drama that explores the mysteries of the heart during the tragic years of the Civil War. Virtuoso piano solos, beautiful songs, and exciting drama: a show for the whole family!
Artina McCain
Artina McCain will perform the works of Pulitzer prize winning composer George Walker, Samuel Coleridge Taylor and Poulenc’s Sonata for piano four hands on the DS 6.0 joined by Tahja Belin.
Eliana Yi
Graduate student Eliana Yi will perform on a Steinway Concert grand piano with alternate-sized keys to fit her smaller hands. She has been studying on alternate sizes for the past six years at Southern Methodist University, a journey that would not have been possible without the DS 5.5" keyboard.
Anna Arazi
Anna Arazi performs piano solo works by Verdina Shlonsky, Angela Slater and Adam Berndt and on a Steinway concert grand with an ergonomically scaled piano keyboard.
The Co-Artistic Directors
Hannah Reimann from New York City
Carol Leone from Dallas, Texas
Rhonda Boyle from Melbourne, Australia
Other Key Websites
Pianists for Alternatively Sized Keyboards (PASK)
a global network of pianists wanting change to the 'one size fits all' keyboard
STRETTO means 'narrow' in Italian.