Piano Concerto Consortium
Renowned piano soloist Henry Kramer commissions composer Gala Flagello to write a new concerto for piano and orchestra. This collaboration will explore the time-honored tradition of the concerto through a kaleidoscopic dialogue, pairing the virtuosic piano soloist with each section of the ensemble in celebration of vibrant orchestral color and vivid melodic gesture. An abstract homage to notable piano concerti of the 19th and 20th century, Flagello's new work will combine the fiery and the fluttering, the powerful and the playful to create a concerto of our time.
Piece Details
Instrumentation: Solo piano with orchestra - 2.2.2.2/2.2.1.1/timp.1 perc/strings
Duration: 12-15 minutes
Consortium Buy-In: $1,000-2,000, sliding scale depending on organization budget
Delivery: Fall 2025 (PDF score and parts, retained by the consortium members in perpetuity)
Performance Exclusivity: All consortium members will have exclusivity through the 2026-2027 season
About Pianist Henry Kramer
Praised by The Cleveland Classical Review for his “astonishingly confident technique” and The New York Times for “thrilling [and] triumphant” performances, pianist Henry Kramer is developing a reputation as a musician of rare sensitivity who combines stylish programming with insightful and exuberant interpretations. In 2015, he garnered international recognition with a Second Prize win in the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. In 2019, he was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant by Lincoln Center – one of the most coveted honors bestowed on young American soloists.
A versatile performer, Kramer has performed with international orchestras including the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Belgian National Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Hartford and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestras, among many others. He has also performed “stunning” solo recitals at venues ranging from Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Toronto’s Koerner Hall, and at Alice Tully Hall as the recipient of the Juilliard School’s William Petschek Award. Kramer regularly performs at premiere summer festivals including La Jolla Summerfest and the Anchorage, Lakes Area, Mainly Mozart, Mostly Mozart, Rockport, and Vivo music festivals. In 2021, he also gave the world premiere of a work he commissioned by composer Han Lash at the BravoPiano! Festival. Kramer has collaborated with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, members of the Berlin Philharmonic and Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Calidore and Pacifica Quartets, and many leading soloists ranging from violinist Miriam Fried to flutist Emmanuel Pahud. Kramer is a Steinway Artist.
About Composer Gala Flagello
Gala Flagello (b. 1994) is a composer, educator, and nonprofit director whose work is inspired by a passion for lyricism, rhythmic vitality, and fostering meaningful collaboration. Her music, described as "at times endearingly whimsical, at times ominous, but always moving" (Cleveland Classical), resonates with audiences through its emotional depth and dynamic expression. Flagello's collaborations with leading ensembles, artists, and institutions on national and international stages build impactful projects for audiences and performers alike.
Flagello’s 2024/25 season features the European premiere of Vitality with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, including an international performance broadcast, along with orchestral performances of Bravado by Detroit Symphony, Chautauqua Festival, Lansing Symphony, Wichita Falls Symphony, Central Ohio Symphony, and Dearborn Symphony. She is a recipient of the 2024 Barlow General Commission, which will support a new work for the Thalea String Quartet. This season also includes consortium premieres of Flagello’s Love & Nature, a wind band work commissioned by 55 ensembles across the United States.
Upcoming projects include a new piano concerto for soloist Henry Kramer and commissions from the Contemporary Youth Orchestra, the University of Nebraska–Omaha School of Music, and the University of Florida Bands. Album releases this season include Tallā Rouge’s Shapes in Collective Space featuring Burn as Brightly and a commercial recording of The Bird-While with Hub New Music and the University of Illinois Wind Symphony.
Flagello is a passionate educator and arts nonprofit leader. As the Festival Director and co-founder of the contemporary music festival Connecticut Summerfest, she champions the creation of new music and nurtures creative growth through collaboration. In her teaching, Flagello enthusiastically works with students to develop fledgling ideas into fully realized pieces, examine repertoire from Saint-Georges to Saariaho, and incorporate non-musical elements such as visual art and technology into their work.