Summer Music Festival - Colorado College

SUSAN GRACE is artist-in-residence and lecturer in music at Colorado College, music director of the Colorado College Summer Music Festival and artistic director of the New Music Symposium. She performs frequently with pianist Alice Rybak as the acclaimed piano duo Quattro Mani. Their interest in 20th and 21st century repertoire has led to collaborations with such composers as George Crumb, Joan Tower, Bernard Rands, Frederic Rzewski, Paul Lansky, John Novacek and Poul Ruders, and to participation in contemporary music festivals throughout the U.S. and Europe. Quattro Mani made its New York debut in January, 2001 in Carnegie Recital Hall to a sold-out house. They were immediately re-engaged for the following season, and returned again in December, 2003 and in February, 2006. Quattro Mani's first recording, A Game of Go, was released in November, 2000, by Klavier Music Productions; a CD of George Crumb's two-piano compositions was released in March, 2001, by Bridge Records. Both have received international and national acclaim. Quattro Mani’s recording of George Crumb’s Otherworldly Resonances, was listed by Amazon.com as one of the top ten classical recordings of 2004. The Poulenc, Bartok and Milhaud Concertos with the 2006 Colorado College Summer Music Festival Orchestra, Scott Yoo conducting, was released by Bridge Records in May 2007. International Record Review says about this recording “… the playing is first-class; immaculate in technical terms and unfailingly musical…” Their most recent recording, Kindred Spirits, is set for release this June. Quattro Mani’s 2008 schedule includes the world premiere of Shapeshifters, a concerto by Paul Lansky, with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and performances at the Aspekte Salzburg Festival, Ensemble Music Society in Indianapolis, Florida International University and Muhlenberg College. Quattro Mani is included on the international roster of Steinway artists.

Ms. Grace has performed solo and chamber recitals, and has appeared as soloist with orchestras in the United States, Europe, the former Soviet Union, China and India. She has, in addition, performed in numerous series and festivals, including the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., the Grand Teton Festival, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s new-music series Engine 408, Music at Oxford, and the Helmsley Festival in England. In spring 2005 the American Embassy in India sponsored presentations by Ms. Grace and her husband of lecture/concerts on American piano music. Ms. Grace returned to India for another tour in the fall of 2006.

Ms. Grace has recorded for the Belgium National Radio, WFMT in Chicago, the Society of Composers, Wilson Audio, Klavier International, Klavier Music Productions and Bridge Records. She performed on the 2005 Grammy nominated recording of George Crumb’s Ancient Voices of Children, which was included in the Best Small Ensemble Performance category.