National Sawdust presents a new project featuring the World Premiere of 18 new works for solo piano, co-commissioned by Metropolis Ensemble and pianist Han Chen, celebrating the centenary birthday of Hungarian-Austrian composer György Ligeti (1923-2006).
Each of the new works is paired with one of Ligeti’s renowned canonic piano etudes, in a recital performance by Han Chen. A diverse cohort of contemporary composers were invited to study Ligeti’s etude, go against the etude, or simply sit with the etude during the composition process. Together, all thirty-six works bring a new and imaginative interpretation on the original iconic etudes.