When concert pianist and composer Sandrine Erdely-Sayo visited Sedona, she fell in love with the city’s beauty and eventually wanted to live here. The musician also saw that the city had no festival exclusively dedicated to the piano, like she saw in her native France. So Sandrine, along with Elizabeth Peña, the co-director of Piano on the Rocks, started this festival eight years ago. And it’s found a home in Sedona’s red rocks. “It’s here to preserve classical music,” Sandrine says. “To bring world-class musicians to a small town, it’s exceptional. It’s really wonderful for everybody. Musicians, they don’t want to come back when they discover Sedona.”
Look forward to an eclectic program – like every annual performance has – featuring classic works from masters like Bach, Brahms, Chopin, Liszt, Lazaro, Lavignac, Poulenc, Rachmaninoff, Rubin, Schubert and Schumann. Sandrine will perform her original works too. Expect to hear classical, romantic and contemporary classical music. Musicians from all over the world will participate in the show, which will feature two pianos. “Musicians, we have a vision to inspire the world. Because that’s very important: to inspire the world,” she says. May 7 is Brahms’ 150th birthday, and you should expect to hear plenty of the German composer’s music. Something you also should look for: one child artist under the age of 12 also performing in the show. Sandrine tells us that Piano on the Rocks has a family atmosphere. All the musicians will typically gather at Sandrine’s home to enjoy a meal and celebrate the shows.
The festival’s main message is to share classical music with Sedona. The fact that the performance has been able to thrive for the past eight years seems to say that the local audience is interested in this music. “Piano on the Rocks is unique, and it touches your heart,” she says. “It’s very eclectic. It’s very interesting, and there is music for everybody … We try to create communication between the artist and the audience and make classical music accessible to everybody.” − Teresa K. Traverse
MORE ART GALLERIES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA: Shows, exhibitions and happenings
