Ola Gjeilo: Piano Improv

Posted at 10:25 AM on May 30, 2012 by Elena See

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Contemporary Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo is making waves in the classical music world, especially in the realm of choral music. His music is featured on the newest recording by the renowned Phoenix Chorale with conductor Charles Bruffy. And you can hear samples from that recording and learn more about Gjeilo on the latest edition of Julie Amacher's New Classical Tracks.

But there's more to meets the eye when it comes to Ola Gjeilo. He has been playing the piano since he was 4 or 5 and as a pianist, he says, "improvisation is where my heart is." You can hear some of his piano improvisations on his first recording, Stone Rose. And if you like what you hear, keep an eye open for his second album of piano music — a recording simply titled Piano Improvisations and a recording that expresses his passion for the art form that is improvisation. That new release will be available in June.