Bring the kids or your inner child to Bard Graduate Center and join Phyllis Chen and Robert Dietz for an afternoon of family-friendly musical discovery through toy pianos and music boxes, presented in conjunction with the Swedish Wooden Toys exhibition.
Playing with the quirky yet sensitive range of possibilities that these magical instruments offer, the artists push and expand the boundaries of performance. The Memorist, a piece featured on the program and composed by Chen, is inspired by Lewis Carroll, Humpty Dumpty and Chen’s own childhood.
Phyllis Chen is a pianist, toy pianist and composer. Her albums include Cuddle Magic & Phyllis Chen (FYO Records, 2014) and little things (New Focus Recordings, 2013). She is one of the founding members the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), based in New York City.
Robert Dietz is a multimedia artist, VJ and electroacoustic music. He has organized solo performances, installations and collaborations with musicians, composers and other artists.
The program is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Swedish Wooden Toys on view in the Gallery through January 17.