This CD is a dedication to Margriet Pendavingh who was my classical piano teacher for 13 years. She gave me my first piano lesson when I was 8 years old, beginning our 44-year friendship. Her piano teacher was taught by Franz Liszt.
In April 2015, I visited Margriet in Melbourne, Australia and invited her to play something with me on her two grand pianos. Improvising as a classically trained pianist was out of her comfort zone, but she willingly agreed.
She said, “I’ll do it with you as long as you stay in the key”, to which I replied, “I’ll start in A Minor”.
The qualitative and emotional characteristics of the key of A minor are said to be tender, thoughtful, reverent, womanly, graceful, and capable of soothing.
This was the perfect key for us to start in. It was a significant full circle moment where I, as the student now an adult, lead the teacher in an improvised spontaneous creation. It would be the last time I saw her.
Thank you Margriet, for being my greatest inspiration.
Margriet Pendavingh
10 April 1931~28 November 2015
Amstelveen, Holland : Melbourne, Australia
