Michelle Cann

Michelle Cann – Northwestern Bienan School of Music – May 2, 2025

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Michelle Cann. I cannot.

I’m sure that one of the keys to her performance was that, according to the program, she had the services of not only a Piano Technician, but also a Supervisor of Keyboard Maintenance. (I have neither.) Also, I should add, the Mary A. Galvin Recital Hall is a terrific venue.

All that and the fact that she is an expressive, energetic, extraordinary pianist, who augments her playing with behind-the-music stories that are educational, enlightening and entertaining. And just when you think you can sit back and savor the concert you just heard, she knocks your socks off with an all-time great encore.

This is the third time I’ve written about seeing Cann perform in the last two years, so there’s not much more I can say, other than I want more. She’s taking a break soon, but she’ll be playing Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 with the Cincinnati Symphony next week. Road trip?

Michelle Cann – The Women of Chicago’s Black Renaissance – Logan Center – January 24, 2025

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This was the second time I’ve seen pianist Michelle Cann perform. She was fabulous in the summer of 2023 when I saw her play Rhapsody in Blue at the Grant Park Music Festival (actually at an afternoon rehearsal I fortunately attended as I correctly anticipated weather issues for the evening performance). Even at a bit of a distance, her energy and enthusiasm, atop her skills, were evident.

From a closer vantage point for this concert, it was even better. And, since it was just her, we also got to hear her passion through background introductions about the composers before each piece. She has a magnetic, contagious personalty, further confirmed by her interaction with attendees after the performance. And she sure can play the piano.

She brought to life the music and stories of Nora Holt, Betty Jackson King, Florence Price, Irene Britton Smith and Margaret Bonds.  I was previously unfamiliar with the music, but Instantly attracted to it.

Michelle is coming back to town later this year, with a whole different playlist, but I think I’ll keep the details to myself until I get a ticket, so I won’t miss out.

Chicago Duo Piano Festival – Nichols Hall – July 16, 2023

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Eleven days ago I saw Michelle Cann rock Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue on the piano at a rehearsal with the Grant Park Orchestra (no Oscar Levant impersonations involved). In addition to her virtuosic playing, she flashed a radiant smile and an animated involvement with the music. I even was mesmerized by the way her feet danced with the pedals,

Unfortunately, I missed Joyce Yang performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 a week later, as did she, when a tornado warning shut down the Millennium Park concert. If I had been there I’m sure the closing of the large glass doors to protect the musicians from the elements would have reminded me of The Time Machine, when the doors at the sphinx’s base closed, trapping Weena and other Eloi inside.

But Joyce escaped (as did Weena with the unnamed inventor’s help) and I was there to hear her work her magic on Franz Lisa’s Totentanz three days later in the park.

My stroll through the world of piano got topped off the next day by watching the Millennium Park soloists of the future play in the Music Institute Of Chicago’s student recital portion of its annual Chicago Duo Piano Festival, highlighted by the play of the already-acclaimed, brother-sister, young-teen-team of Eric and Katie Koh.

As great as they were, however, my fancy was struck by three of the young artists playing Rachmaninoff’s 2 pieces for 6 hands waltz; three others playing Kevin Olson’s Outstanding, which features one of them walking back and forth behind the other two to play different parts of the piano; and the four-person, two-piano rendition of Take Five.

According to UPI, the Guinness World Record was set in 2018 when 40 pianos were played on a stage in China in unison with 599 pianos in a nearby square, for a total 639 played at the same time. I can’t believe I missed that one.