Ligeti in Dialogue, presented by Lukas Ligeti (electronic percussion) and Nicolas Namoradze (piano), explores threads passing through György Ligeti’s music—from prior influences to works informed by his legacy—in a unique, dialogue-like recital for marimba lumina and piano. Premiered at the Budapest Music Center in 2023 in celebration of the centenary of the birth of György Ligeti, the program consists of an intertwined set of solo and duo performances of the works of J.S. Bach, György Ligeti, Lukas Ligeti and Nicolas Namoradze. It includes new music written for this joint recital, for the two instruments in both solo and duo configurations. With their unique viewpoint on one of the past century’s most iconic composers, Ligeti and Namoradze present a compelling retrospective as well as a vivid sonic exploration of the relevance of this musical legacy in the present and future.
Mindful Listening is a recital format that alternates musical performances with short discussions, thought experiments and meditations. These discussions and exercises combine mindfulness and music appreciation, giving pointers on how to listen to the works and developing focus, concentration and awareness. The recitals invite listeners to approach the event with fresh ears, embracing an experiential approach to music appreciation that cultivates an awareness of the many facets of the musical experience and offers new perspectives on the art of listening.
The Neurorecital is an innovative concert format that involves a video projection of what is happening in the pianist’s brain during performance. It is the live concert adaptation of Neuropiano, a groundbreaking multidimensional project in collaboration with Neuroscape, the University of Calgary, Steinway & Sons and Honens. EEG data from Nicolas Namoradze’s musical performances are processed and converted into synchronized visualizations that serve as an engaging reel, tracking several musical dimensions of the performance and presenting a compelling new perspective on the interaction between the brain and music. The musical program includes selections from Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, Debussy’s Preludes, and Scriabin’s Piano Sonatas. The contrasts in style, texture and technical demands of the works yield clear differences in the visualizations, offering insights about these pieces, and what it means to play them, by looking “inside” the performer’s mind. The Neurorecital premieres at the Verbier Festival in July 2025.
Scriabin in Spectra is a multimedia recital format that explores connections between sound, color, taste and smell. The concept takes inspiration from the multisensory artistic explorations of the composer Alexander Scriabin, pairing his sonatas with media that can include special lighting schemes and video projections, among others – revealing connections across the senses and creating an immersive listening experience. The pairings are based on musical or programmatic features of each musical work, and the program includes discussions that give context on the pieces and how they are complimented by the other sensory dimensions.
Transluminescence is a piano concerto by Kati Agócs, commissioned by Honens for Nicolas Namoradze. It was premiered by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in 2023 under the baton of Daniel Raiskin. The three-movement work is 24 minutes in total duration. Per the program note by Agócs, “cyclic in nature, the opening chord progression is picked up and varied throughout all three movements: The first movement is ceremonial, with a dialogue between soloist and orchestra that intensifies as it unfolds; the second movement is meditative, reaching into pellucid and fragile areas of both vulnerability and strength; and the third movement is a perpetual motion refrain which builds to an apotheosis. The piece ends with the pianist playing a transfigured version of the opening chords, with the soloist deciding when (and how) the piece should end.”
IDAGIO Mindfulness is a digital platform on the IDAGIO app exploring intersections between music and the cognitive sciences. It includes multiple series on deep listening that combine music appreciation with mindfulness, curated playlists and albums, and interviews and discussions on topics including performance psychology and music therapy.
Nicolas Namoradze is the author of Ligeti’s Macroharmonies, a book published by Springer in the Computational Music Science series. The book is based on his doctoral dissertation at the CUNY Graduate Center, which explores the late etudes of Ligeti through a novel lens of statistical-graphical analysis and discusses questions regarding listeners’ perception of stability in musical texture. For more information, please see SpringerLink. The book is available in digital and hard copies at SpringerLink, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other major book retailers.
For further information on any of these projects, please contact Imogen Morris at [email protected].
