Interview with Eric Huebner, Pianist and Curator of the Music in Buffalo's Historic Spaces Series

Please give a thumbnail bio of your Music in Buffalo's Historic Spaces series.

The Music in Buffalo's Historic Places series launched in March of 2013 with a fabulously well-attended concert of chamber music featuring UB faculty performing alongside Grammy-nominated violinist Jesse Mills in the Greatbatch Pavilion at Frank Lloyd Wright's Darwin Martin House Complex in Buffalo. This past May, we held our second concert featuring the JACK Quartet in the lobby of One M&T Plaza, the Minoru Yamasaki designed corporate headquarters of M&T Bank. Both events drew capacity crowds inspiring us to move forward with additional programming this year.

Greatbatch Pavilion

The series originated from discussions I had with colleagues in the UB Music and Architecture departments concerning the value of showcasing the musicians (both visiting and UB faculty) in buildings of historic and architectural significance in Buffalo. Professor Felder's support and encouragement were essential in making the idea of the series a reality. Series sponsors have so far included the Center for 21st Century Music, Martin House Restoration Corporation and the M&T Charitable Foundation. Local piano dealer Denton, Cottier & Daniels generously donated the use of a 9-foot Steinway concert grand for our opening concert in March and will be doing so again for this season's two concerts.

What is the mission of the series?

To present high-quality music programming in places of civic, historic, and architectural significance in Buffalo.

How long are you envisioning Music in Buffalo's Historic Spaces going on?

I am currently working to expand the organization and resources of the series and hope to establish non-profit status and form a board of directors early next year. If the concerts continue to be successful, I plan to continue the series for as long as I am able!

What new and exciting things do we have to look forward to this year in the Music in Buffalo's Historic Spaces series?

On Sunday, December 15th at 3 pm in the Greatbatch Pavilion at the Darwin Martin House Complex, we will be presenting pianist Christopher Guzman in recital. Chris was the Grand Prize winner of the 2012 Orléans Piano Competition, Europe's premiere competition for pianists interested in 20th and 21st century music. Fresh from a recent European concert tour, he will present a program of solo piano music by Beethoven, Brahms, Henze, Liszt, and Widmann. Frank Lloyd Wright drew direct inspiration from Beethoven and the Germanic musical tradition for his groundbreaking designs. This program presents older works by Beethoven, Brahms, and Liszt, with more contemporary offerings that are inspired, in part, by music and operatic voices of the past. The program offers a musical parallel to the experience of viewing the Martin House – Wright's early 20th century Prairie-style masterpiece – through the glass walls of the modern Greatbatch Pavilion.

Kleinhans Music Hall

On Thursday, April 3, 2014 at 7:30 pm on the main stage of Kleinhans Music Hall we will feature music of the late Italian modernist composer Luciano Berio. UB performance faculty members Jonathan Golove, Eric Huebner, Jean Kopperud, Jon Nelson, and Yuki Numata Resnick will perform Berio's solo Sequenzas IV, VIII, IX, X, and XIV. We plan to give audience members the opportunity to sit where the Buffalo Philharmonic members sit – on stage at Kleinhans – to witness up close the performance of these incredibly virtuosic pieces.