The next program of the free admission Glendale Noon Concerts is on Wednesday, July 1 from 12:10 p.m. to 12:40 p.m. and features pianist Brendan White. White will be performing Claude Debussy’s “Arabesque No. 1,” Daniel Lentz’s “51 Nocturnes” and Stephen Cohn’s “Caprice.”

“Caprice” was written for Brendan White. 

According to Cohn, “Having worked with White in the past when he premiered another composition of mine, I noticed how quickly he understood complex rhythmic notational and challenging structures. I was very pleased with his interpretation of the work.

  “While working together, we had some conversations around the idea of over-intellectualized music resulting in works that are neither fun to play nor to listen to. I flashed back to a quote by Suzanne K Langer from her influential book Problems of Art, which I always remember from my college philosophy class. 

“Paraphrasing her response when asked to define art , ‘It is the expression of a feeling in a medium that does it more successfully than could be done with language.’

“So, with all that in mind, ‘Caprice’ swings in another direction. I pulled ideas from my notebook – some of which were originally written for other instruments – that are the expression of pure energy, playfulness and joy. The first theme, which recurs in a rondo-like fashion, does have some entropic decay and there is one section more contemplative and, perhaps longing, but the joy, energy and playful spirit prevail in the end.”

White is a Grammy-award-winning artist whose performances feature a wide range of classical and contemporary piano repertoire. White is based in the LA area where he collaborates with orchestras, chamber ensembles and solo artists. He is a featured musician on Danaë Vlasse’s Grammy Award-winning album “Mythologies.” White performs solo recitals celebrating new composers and historically overlooked masterpieces. His collaborations include performances with with the Eastman School’s Musica Nova, Vicente Chamber Orchestra, Global Harmony Symphony, Jackson Symphony, Symphony of the Verdugos and more. As one of Piano Sphere’s Emerging Artists, he has worked with notable composers and conductors including Thomas Adès, Alma Deutscher, Alan Pierson, Donald Crockett and Steven Stucky.

  A Tennessee native, White studied at the Eastman School of Music and University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. In addition to his performance career, he is passionate about music education and teaches students of all ages. He is an original member of the annual Sunset Chamberfest in Los Angeles, which features the work of young composers in Southern California.