Bridge Across the Ocean concert tour and CD

Music unites nations. Meeting of two musicians from the Czech Republic and the USA on a duo CD and at three live concerts in the Czech Republic.

Author: Jiří Pazour

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Support the publishing of a new CD with pieces - musical stories for two pianos created by Czech composer and pianist Jiri Pazour and American composer and pianist Ann Park Rose. The publishing of the CD will be combined with the organisation of three concerts in Prague, Brno and Olomouc in the Czech Republic in April 2020, where both artists will perform. The CD is ready to be published and will be published at the own expense of both authors. The contributions provided will help to pay for the rental of concert halls, a plane ticket and lodging for Ann Park Rose in the Czech Republic, and the promotion of our concerts.

How did it begin?

Hello, my name is Jiri Pazour. I am a pianist, composer and improviser. I would like to introduce you to a project which I have been preparing for several years. It all began when I met an excellent American/Korean piano improviser named Ann Park Rose. We met at an improvisation festival in Canada.

I first saw her at the piano, playing musical stories she created spontaneously. Her music emerged straight from the heart. I must admit my excitement, because something like this is rarely heard. I was captivated by the marvelous nature and sensitivity of her musical expression, her vivid imagination always revealed without pretence, and the inwardness manifest in her playing.

I reached out to Ann then and there, and we began the amazing experience of improvising together on two pianos. Even today as I write this, I recall the feeling of absolute musical harmony, when neither of us knew what we were going to play and yet we had sympathetic musical ideas that came to us both in the moment. This happens very rarely and I'm so grateful for such a special experience.

When the Canadian festival was finished, I was convinced this would not be our last meeting. Within one year we met again and recorded a duo album. Our CD will be called Bridge over the Ocean, and features music for two pianos - all of improvised in the moment, and covering a huge range of moods, from musical stories to impressions, dreams, and dramatic pieces. The CD is in the editing process and will be available to the public in early 2020.

Ann and I are preparing a series of concerts here in the Czech Republic. Ann will arrive here after Easter next year, and we will present together three concerts on April 14th (Prague), 15th (Brno), and 16th (Olomouc).

The concerts will be called Bridge Over the Ocean and will feature our musical impressions for two pianos, as well as compositions we love by Czech and American composers.

We will also improvise on themes or scenes suggested by the audience!

If you would like to support our CD and Czech concert project, we would be very happy!

Thank you from both of us! We look forward to seeing you at one of our concerts in April next year!

What is our purpose?

Our purpose is to finish the CD release, organize three concerts called Bridge Across the Ocean, and allow piano lovers to experience the creation of our piano duo music.

Why are we doing this?

We want the joy we feel whenever we play together to be shared by the listeners of our music, whether live in concerts or in listening to our CD.

And something more …

Listen to our first improvisation on two pianos during our first meeting in Canada in May 2016.  

Who we are?

Jiri Pazour graduated at the Prague Conservatory, branches piano and composition. He then continued his composition studies at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.

The solo concert activity of Jiri Pazour is focused primarily on a piano improvisation in musical themes compositions in classical music, jazz and pop music. The Evenings of piano improvisation of Jiri Pazour are gaining great popularitry by their dynamism, spontaneity and diversity both at home and abroad.

Among the highly successful concert programs of Jiri Pazour belongs the "Geniuses of the world music in piano transformations", the "Famous film melodies", the "Easter Concert", the "Christmas Concert" etc. The unique and unforgettable way of piano improviser Jiri Pazour represents the works of Czech and world famous composers in the new music format.

His musical improvisation is often connected in his public performances as well with the visual arts (for example in the project “Concert of tones and colours” with the painter Olga Volfova). His music and improvisational skills are also used in the musictherapy.

Besides the Czech Republic Jiri Pazour also performed in Germany, Poland, the Slovak Republic, France, England, the Netherlands, Malta, Switzerland, USA, Canada, South Korea, Japan and Western Australia.

Jiri Pazour activities can be summarized in the three main areas - music, composing and pedagogy. As a composer he deals with the creation of orchestral, chamber and solo pieces. His compositions are regularly broadcast by Czech Radio, released on CD and are on a regular repertoire of top Czech and foreign soloists and ensembles.

Since 1995 he has been working as a pedagogue at the Prague Conservatory. In this school now he teaches the piano improvisation at the piano department.

Compositional activity of Jiri Pazour extends into the chamber and orchestral area. He also composes scenic and commercial music. His work in the artificial field is mostly represented by programmatic tracks, which usually do not have a specific non-musical program, they are often based on personal experiences and the author's worldview. They are mostly lyrical images - poems with their own, for the audience often hidden, storyline.

Besides, he also created a series of lighter character pieces, which are typically designed for spontaneous joy of making music for listeners and performers. In the compositional style of Jiri Pazour we can see the links to the more traditional musical direction of the 20th century.

Ann Park-Rose was born in South Korea, and began studying the piano at age five. She has been improvising and composing since childhood, and has pursued these passions into three music degrees, at Wilfried Laurier University, and the State University of New York at Fredonia.

Ms. Park has been deeply involved with improv throughout her life, having participated in the Music for People workshop for six years, under the tutelage of Grammy Winner, David Darling. She is very engaged with the improv scene in Western New York, having lectured at Fredonia State University, and improvising regularly with dance groups, the Improv Collective at Fredonia, and as a soloist.

Ann is the winner of numerous competitions and awards, including most recently a full scholarship to the Golandksy Summer Institute at Princeton University, where she studied the Taubman approach to the piano.

As a pianist, she has appeared with the Canadian Chamber Ensemble, and has appeared on CBC television. Her music has been performed and recorded by artists in Canada, U.S. and Europe.

She earned a Masters degree in piano performance at the SUNY Fredonia School of Music under Father Sean Duggan, and holds two bachelors degrees in Music Composition and Music Education. Ms. Park is a general music teacher and chorus director at Sinclairville Elementary School in Western New York.

Comments

Choose reward for your contribution

  • sold 14
    I want to help and I don't want anything

    I want to support the publishing of the CD and the organization of concerts without reward - out of the goodness of my heart.
     
    (The amount can be increased arbitrarily).

    Reward delivery: not specified

    EUR 3.97
    (CZK 100)
  • sold 0
    Photo of both artists with signatures and dedication

    I want to get a color photo in A5 format of Jiri and Ann. The photo will be signed by both artists with a personal dedication to me or to a person of my choosing. Photos will be sent to me by Czech Post.
     

    Reward delivery: on address, in half a year after the Hithit project end

    EUR 7.93
    (CZK 200)
  • sold 7
    New music album Bridge Across the Ocean in electronic form

    I want to download the CD and booklet electronically to my computer.

    Reward delivery: in half a year after the Hithit project end

    EUR 9.92
    (CZK 250)
  • sold 0
    Poster for the concert Bridge Across the Ocean with signatures of both artists

    I want to own a colorful concert poster printed on high quality paper and signed by both artists. The poster will be sent to me by Czech Post.

    Reward delivery: on address, in half a year after the Hithit project end

    EUR 11.90
    (CZK 300)
  • sold 20
    New music album Bridge across the Ocean on CD with signatures and dedication

    I want a signed CD by both artists with a personal dedication for me or a person of my choosing. The CD will be sent to me by Czech Post.
     

    Reward delivery: on address, in half a year after the Hithit project end

    EUR 13.88
    (CZK 350)
  • sold 1
    New album Bridge across the Ocean on CD with signatures and dedication + photo of both artists

    I want to get the CD a color photo in A5 format of Jiri and Ann. Cd and the photo will be signed by both artists with personal dedication for me or for a person of my choosing. The CD and photo will be sent to me by Czech Post.

    Reward delivery: on address, in half a year after the Hithit project end

    EUR 17.85
    (CZK 450)
  • sold 5
    2 CD of Jiri Pazour

    I want to get the 2 CD signed by Jiri Pazour with personal dedication for me or for a person of my choosing. I will choose from these titles: Bridge Across the Ocean, Smoke in Your Eyes, Czech, Moravian and Slovak folksongs in Piano Transformations, Versifying. The CD will be sent to me by Czech Post.. More info about CDs is here

    Reward delivery: on address, in half a year after the Hithit project end

    EUR 23.80
    (CZK 600)
  • sold 18
    2 tickets to the concert Bridge Across the Ocean in Prague, Brno or Olomouc

    I want to hear Jiri and Ann live in one of their April concerts.
    Tickets will be sent to me by Czech Post.

    (Please specify the city in which you would like to attend the concert).

    Reward delivery: on address, in a month after the Hithit project end

    EUR 27.77
    (CZK 700)
  • sold 0
    3 CDs of Jiri Pazour

    I want to get 3 CDs signed by Jiri Pazour with a personal dedication for me or for a person of my choosing. I will choose from these titles: Bridge Across the Ocean, Smoke in Your Eyes, Czech, Moravian and Slovak folksongs in Piano Transformations, Versifying. The CD will be sent to me by Czech Post. More info about CDs is here

    Reward delivery: on address, in half a year after the Hithit project end

    EUR 35.70
    (CZK 900)
  • sold 3
    4 CDs of Jiri Pazour

    I want to get 4 CDs signed by Jiri Pazour with personal dedication for me or for a person of my choosing. I will choose from these titles: Bridge Across the Ocean, Smoke in Your Eyes, Czech, Moravian and Slovak folksongs in Piano Transformations, Versifying. The CD will be sent to me by Czech Post. More info about CDs is here

    Reward delivery: on address, in half a year after the Hithit project end

    EUR 47.60
    (CZK 1,200)
  • sold 6
    2 tickets to the concert Bridge Across the Ocean in Prague, Brno or Olomouc + 2 CDs of Jiri Pazour

    I want to hear Jiri and Ann live in concert and also I want to get 2 CDs. I will choose from these titles: Bridge Across the Ocean, Smoke in Your Eyes, Czech, Moravian and Slovak folksongs in Piano Transformations, Versifying. The CDs will be sent to me by Czech Post. More info about CDs is here

    (Please specify the city in which you would like to attend the concert).
     

    Reward delivery: in half a year after the Hithit project end

    EUR 47.60
    (CZK 1,200)
  • sold 1
    90 minute lesson in musical improvisation or lesson in composition (in Prague)

    I am interested in music improvisation or composition. I'd like to play with Jiri. If I do not play any musical instrument, I would like to consult my compositional works with Jiri. The lesson will take place in the music studio in Prague.

    Reward delivery: in a month after the Hithit project end

    EUR 63.47
    (CZK 1,600)
  • sold 0
    Professional studio recording of piano improvisation by Jiri Pazour on your chosen topic

    I have a favorite melody, or I am the author of my own melody and wish to have it musically developed into an original piano improvisation in a maximum length of 5 minutes and own this recording in professional studio quality -  recorded by Jiri.
     

    Reward delivery: on address, in a quarter after the Hithit project end

    EUR 198.33
    (CZK 5,000)
  • sold 1
    Private concert of piano improvisation by Jiri Pazour

    I want to listen to Jiri's performance of 50 minutes in my home or in my chosen place on classical piano or on a digital piano. Transport in the Czech Republic is included, and if abroad for a fee (to pay the fare).

     

    Reward delivery: on address, in a quarter after the Hithit project end

    EUR 396.67
    (CZK 10,000)
  • sold 0
    Official sponsor of one selected concert

    I want to support one concert of my choice in Prague, Brno or Olomouc. I will be publicly appointed as a sponsor at my chosen concert and will be publicly thanked. If I have the logo of my company, it will be displayed on stage if I am interested. I will also get 2 tickets for the selected concert and signed CD Bridge across the Ocean by both artists.
     
    (Please specify the city in which you would like to attend the concert).
     

    Reward delivery: on address, in half a year after the Hithit project end

    EUR 396.67
    (CZK 10,000)
  • remaining 1 from 1
    Become a patron of the CD Bridge across the Ocean on the concert in Prague

    I want to become a patron of the CD and together with both artists will have an on-stage CD christening at the concert in Prague. I will also get 2 tickets for the selected concert and a CD Bridge across the Ocean, signed by both artists.

    Reward delivery: on address, in half a year after the Hithit project end

    EUR 595.00
    (CZK 15,000)
  • remaining 1 from 1
    Become a patron of the CD Bridge across the Ocean on the concert in Brno

    I want to become a patron of the CD and together with both artists will have an on-stage CD christening at the concert in Brno. I will also get 2 tickets for the selected concert and a CD Bridge across the Ocean, signed by both artists.

    Reward delivery: on address, in half a year after the Hithit project end

    EUR 595.00
    (CZK 15,000)
  • sold 0
    Original musical composition for 1 - 3 musical instruments by Jiri Pazour

    I would like a music composition composed by Jiri for the instruments of my choosing. The piece will have a maximum length of 10 minutes, will be dedicated to me and will be delivered printed in musical score and in instrumental parts.
     

    Reward delivery: on address, in a year after the Hithit project end

    EUR 714.00
    (CZK 18,000)
  • sold 0
    Official sponsor of all concerts

    I want to support all three concerts. I will be publicly appointed as a sponsor at all concerts and will be publicly thanked. If I have the logo of my company, it will be displayed onstage if I am interested. I will also get 2 tickets for the selected concert and a CD Bridge across the Ocean, signed by both artists.

    Reward delivery: on address, in half a year after the Hithit project end

    EUR 793.34
    (CZK 20,000)
  • remaining 1 from 1
    Original oil painting on canvas (100 x 80 cm) by Olga Volfova called Bridge Across the Ocean

    I want to own an original painting by the Czech painter Olga Volfova, who personally participated in the recording of the CD Bridge over the Ocean. She was inspired by the joint music of Jiri and Ann, creating a work of the same name. The reproduction of the painting will be published on the title page of the CD booklet and is available in the Gallery. The painter will personally bring the painting to me anywhere in the Czech Republic. The painting will be sent abroad for a fee.
     

    Reward delivery: on address, in a month after the Hithit project end

    EUR 1,190.00
    (CZK 30,000)