Aaron Diehl, piano

Wednesday, February 14, 2024 - 7:30 PM
Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center

Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center

300 South Broad Street Learn More

$30.00 per ticket

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About This Performance

This concert is supported by Elaine Kligerman.

“Melodic precision, harmonic erudition, and elegant restraint” (New York Times) are hallmarks of Aaron Diehl’s playing. Praised for his “freedom and playfulness” (Philadelphia Inquirer), this celebrated musical polymath makes his PCMS debut with a program titled: An Evening of Ragtime and Harlem Stride. One of the most athletic forms of jazz piano from the early 20th century, “stride” features a characteristic leaping left hand and a heavy use of improvisation and syncopation. It was also highly competitive. Pianists would often have “cutting contests,” many times at Harlem rent parties, where performances occurred in homes to help the tenants and musicians make ends meet. Aaron Diehl’s Valentine’s Day recital connects that history to our current time with a concert featuring compositions by James P. Johnson, Thomas ‘Fats’ Waller, Willie ‘the Lion’ Smith, and other luminaries from the 1920’s.

An Evening of Ragtime and Harlem Stride
featuring works by Eubie Blake, Fats Waller, Jelly Roll Morton, Scott Joplin, and more

Running time: 75 minutes (without intermission) 

The Artist(s)

Aaron Diehl
Aaron Diehl, piano
Since his debut release on Mack Avenue Records in 2013, pianist-composer Aaron Diehl has mystified listeners with his layered artistry. He reaches into expansion. At once temporal and ethereal — deliberate in touch and texture — his expression transforms the piano into an orchestral vessel in the spirit of beloved predecessors Ahmad Jamal, Erroll Garner, Art Tatum and Jelly Roll Morton.… Read More

Videos

Aaron Diehl | Library of Congress Recital
Aaron Diehl | March from Ten Pieces for Piano, Op. 12