Let it Be

"And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow
Let it be..."

We were feeling ultra-ambitious going into our three-day film shoot last fall, planning to capture footage for as many as five music videos. Keeping our jam-packed schedule and the Beatles' gentle reminder to "Let It Be" in mind, we settled on a simple concept to let our wild dueling-gospel-piano arrangement of "Let It Be" speak for itself.

Our filming days are usually quite hectic. You can generally find us running around, tending to all the film's production needs, serving not only as performers, but also producers, directors, camera people, assistants... the list goes on and on. The pleasant surprise of this shoot was that the uncomplicated concept allowed us to relax a bit and really enjoy the music and each other's company. During post production, we got the idea to include the fun "behind-the-scenes" moments in the music video itself.

After all these years we still genuinely like each other and have so much fun doing what we do. That's why we're SO excited about our New Music New Video composition competition. It'll be such a blast to share this process with someone new and see how that shakes everything up!

Although we shot "Let it Be" digitally, we applied a faint VHS-style color degradation during post production as an indirect throwback to the original (gorgeous) Beatles video. We got lucky with another subtle Beatles reference when Liz started to get into it and toss her hair around; we couldn't help but think of the Beatles rocking out in their shaggier years.

All in all, we're so happy with how "Let it Be" turned out and thrilled that it was ready to share with you all in time for Mother's Day! It'll be the perfect addition to your glowing Mother's Day tribute on mom's Facebook page this weekend. 😉

Les Larmes

Stephen Malinowski has done it again! Check out his gorgeous visual representation of our recently released recording of Les Larmes, the third movement of Rachmaninoff's Suite No. 1 (Fantaisie-Tableaux) for Two Pianos, Op. 5. The complete suite can be found on our new album, Mother.

Tears

Tears, human tears
You flow both early and late —
You flow unknown, you flow unseen
Inexhaustible, innumerable —
You flow like torrents of rain
In the depths of an autumn night.

-poem by Fyodor Tyutchev

We love how the colors and mood shift in the chromatic middle section of the piece and how he's transformed the notes of the melody into tears that bleed and blur as if seen through crying eyes. Stephen has worked similar magic on our recordings of The Cat's Fugue and Vivaldi's Sento in Seno.

Thank you, Stephen! We adore your work look forward to collaborating with you again soon!

New scores — on sale!

PIANISTS: Scores from our new Mother album are now 20% OFF until Mother's Day... Whoop! Let's play. :-)

Our arrangements of Grieg's "A Mother's Grief" and Dvorak's "Songs My Mother Taught Me," along with Schubert's "Ave Maria" and Brahms' "Lullaby" makes FOUR available scores from the album. Pick up one (or all!) of these newly released arrangements today!

"Mother" album available for sale!

Our brand new album MOTHER is now available to stream, download, or purchase on Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, ArkivMusic, and Amazon! MOTHER features music that pays tribute to the diverse aspects of motherhood, from the sacred (“Ave Maria”) to the saucy (“Mrs. Robinson”), and everything in between.

Here's an inside look at the album:

We've got several new music videos to look forward to in the coming weeks and the pianists among you can already pick up four new arrangements from the album!

Mother's Day is Sunday, May 13 this year...  you're welcome. 😊🎁

Review Round-Up

Since our last Review Round-Up we've performed all over the globe, from a world heritage temple in Kyoto, Japan to breathtaking cities (10!) across New Zealand. Highlights include a sold-out Kennedy Center debut, an appearance on Performance Today with Fred Child, working with the talented young students of the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, and—perhaps most notably—winning Club Cumming's illustrious Yaaaaaaas Award. 😉

The reviews are in!:

Washington Post:

Dazzling… transcendental… While each is a virtuoso powerhouse pianist in his and her own right, what sets the pair apart is an ability to make emotional and spiritual connections with their audiences.

The Press (Christchurch):

I am struggling for superlatives to describe what was an outstanding evening's entertainment, a smorgasbord of dazzling pianistic virtuosity, musicianship and stagecraft, all bundled up in an irresistible package by two dynamic young performers.

Performance Today:

[Anderson & Roe] have redefined what is possible for a piano duo. They have not just totally assured technical chops, but also a flair for dramatic storytelling both musically and visually.

The Wave:

Listening to their recordings you would assume that the music has been edited with layer upon layer of different tracks, but it’s hasn’t. Only by seeing them live in performance can you fully appreciate the extent of the attention to detail these two performers have put into their arrangements. In fact, it feels like you are witnessing an entire orchestra.

DMSReviewBlog:

Elizabeth Joy Roe and Greg Anderson took the stage and proceeded to stomp, clap, slap and play their piano beasts like lion tamers. Their videos are visually interesting and exciting, but it didn’t prepare me with the phenomenon of their live performance.

Hartford Courant:

Passionate intensity! Anderson & Roe were given wave after wave of enthusiastic applause, and the evening felt young and inspired.

DCMetroArts:

[Anderson & Roe] follow no template other than their own inspiration.

Mamanawatu Standard:

If you were looking for an ensemble that could bring the world of chamber music to a new and younger audience, you couldn't ask for much more than that which Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe offered at the Globe.

Classical Sonoma:

Dynamic and mesmerizing... stunning! The full hall went crazy with stomping and yelling and clapping for more.

Otago Daily News:

A full house at the Glenroy Auditorium was blown away by the sheer virtuosity and rapturous engagement with the music exhibited by pianists Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe.

New Zealand Herald:

[Anderson & Roe are] keenly aware of maximizing the impact of the concert experience.

Middle C:

…a compelling and invigorating mix of gravitas and glitter! [Anderson & Roe] throw themselves entirely into each piece, [making] sure the concert was primarily about the music, rather than about them. Spell-binding… sensuous! There were several encores afterwards, which had the audience clapping and bravo-ing for more, the pair generous in response, and leaving us replete with a sense of occasion.

Noted:

Anderson and Roe are a supercharged and virtuosic duo. Their performance style is highly theatrical, with an intense, almost erotic involvement between them.

GoldStar:

Fun, sexy, exciting… fiery rock ‘n’ roll showmanship...

Vail Daily:

[With Anderson & Roe], nothing is off limits.

Up next: concerto appearances with the Rochester Philharmonic and the Vancouver Symphony!