EMMY-WINNING COMPOSER JEFF BEAL UNVEILS SHEET MUSIC FOR NEW YORK ÉTUDES

Story: Ralph Greco, Jr.

Five-time Emmy-winning composer Jeff Beal unveils the sheet music today for his new album of piano music, New York Études, out now via Platoon—get the sheet music HERE and purchase/listen to the album here listen HERE.

This past Saturday, Beal appeared on NPR’s flagship program “Weekend Edition” to discuss the inspiration behind the new album, living with Multiple Sclerosis and more with host Scott Simon; listen to the interview HERE. Watch another interview about the album that aired on “Channel 4 News” in the U.K. HERE.

Last week Beal performed music from the new album at Power Station at BerkleeNYC, presented in partnership with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, which livestreamed the performance via Facebook—watch it HERE. The performance was followed by conversations between Beal and acclaimed composer and pianist Missy Mazzoli and Nilay Shah, MD.

Beal will also make his Carnegie Hall debut on June 3, leading the Silver Nitrate Big Band and Fourth Wall Ensemble in a performance of his new score for the iconic Weimar-era silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (dir. Robert Wiene, 1920); tickets are on sale now via the Carnegie Hall Box Office HERE. The concert marks the second installment in Beal’s Weimar Trilogy of silent films, in which the renowned composer creates works in tandem with classic films from the silent era. The performance will feature a big band and twelve-voice choir performing alongside the F.W. Murnau Foundation’s restoration of the film, which will be available on home video with Beal’s score when Kino Lorber releases the film in a new Blu-ray and 4K UHD edition later in 2024.

Beal meticulously composed the New York Études at his Manhattan home in the months after he relocated to New York in 2021, resulting in ten works for solo piano that reveal Beal’s mastery of composition, voice leading and harmony. Renowned for his extensive experience in composing for TV and film with credits including “House of Cards,” “Monk,” Blackfish and Pollock, these new works on the piano serve as a reintroduction to Beal’s artistry and offer a new window into his work.

Beyond deepening his work as a multifaceted composer, the New York Études are rooted in the highly personal. When Beal was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2007, he began researching ways to combat its degenerative effects on motor skills and cognitive function, learning about the tremendous impact of piano playing on neuroplasticity, or the process of rewiring the brain around areas of damage. The New York Études are the organic result of his commitment to the betterment of his mind, body and soul in the face of chronic illness. “An added benefit I discovered while composing and practicing the Études,” Beal says, “was the sense of calm and focus I experienced. I’ve become keenly aware of the importance of wellness rituals for all of us that promote good mental, spiritual and physical health.”

Born and raised in San Francisco and based in New York City, five-time Emmy winning composer Jeff Beal has composed scores for several critically acclaimed TV and film projects, working with directors including Ed Harris (Pollock, Appaloosa), David Fincher (“House of Cards”), Oliver Stone (JFK Revisited, The Putin Interviews), Lauren Greenfield (The Queen of Versailles, Generation Wealth) and contributing scores to HBO’s “Rome,” “Carnivàle,” “The Newsroom,” USA’s “Monk” and several documentaries including Blackfish, The Price of Everything, Weiner, An Inconvenient Sequel, Athlete A and Boston. In addition to his scoring career, Beal is a prolific composer of concert music, having studied composition with Christopher Rouse and Rayburn Wright at Eastman School of Music. His recent commissioned works include “The Paper-Lined Shack” for Leonard Slatkin and Hila Plitmann, “Moss #5” for Jacqulyn Buglisi Dance, “Body In Motion” for violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins and more.

 

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