Saturday, April 11 at 6:00 P.M. | First Presbyterian Church of Highlands
Four hands, 20 fingers, and one well-loved piano will take center stage on Saturday, April 11, when concert pianist and Highlander Edward Eikner joins Gray Pearson, organist at First Presbyterian Church of Highlands, for an evening that celebrates one of music’s most intimate and dazzling collaborations: the piano duo.
Though the piano’s 88 keys seem more than enough for a single musician, composers have long been enchanted by the possibilities unlocked when two pianists share the same instrument. The resulting “four hands” repertoire is a world of its own – spirited, intricate, and visually mesmerizing. Performers must navigate tight quarters on the bench, weaving arms and hands in a choreography that is equal parts precision and trust. For listeners, the effect is orchestral in scope yet warmly human, as if witnessing a conversation spoken entirely in melody.
The program opens with Franz Schubert’s genial Rondo, a work steeped in classical grace and romantic charm. True to Schubert’s gift, the piece unfolds with effortless lyric – tuneful, elegant, and meticulously crafted. It’s the kind of music that feels both familiar and fresh, like a favorite story told with new inflection.
From there, the evening drifts into the shimmering imagination of Maurice Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite. Originally conceived for children and later expanded into a ballet, the suite’s five short movements paint scenes of fairytale wonder. Listeners can expect gentle lullabies, swirling dances, and waltzes that tilt delightfully offcenter, all rendered in Ravel’s unmistakably impressionistic palette. Each vignette is a small world – tender, whimsical, and rich with color.
The concert concludes with the exuberance of Antonín Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances, a set of pieces that burst with the rhythms and harmonies of Eastern Europe. These dances nod to polka, folk song, and Romani tradition, capturing the joyful pulse of communal musicmaking. Their energy is infectious, the kind that invites toes to tap and spirits to rise.
This free performance will be held in the newly refurbished sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church of Highlands on Saturday, April 11, at 6:00 P.M. The space itself offers an ideal setting for an evening of shared artistry.
All are welcome, and no tickets are required. It promises to be a night where the Highlands community gathers not just to hear music, but to feel it.
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