Pianist Miki Sawada embarked on her Gather Hear Alaska tour this summer, in which she traveled for three weeks in Alaska with a piano in a van. Accompanied only by a filmmaker, she gave 25 performances in community hubs such as cafes, bars, parks, schools, mostly focusing on rural communities. The project explored the idea of the piano as a central object of a gathering place - how we as humans can't help but be drawn to a piano to sing, play, listen, and gather - and to also explore the social possibilities of classical music when taken out of a concert hall and into community gathering spaces.

On October 15 at Spectrum, Miki will share footage and stories from the tour as well as newly gained insight into what it is about classical music that moves people. Her performance will simulate a tour concert and will include solo works by Ariel Friedman, Paul Kerekes, Brendon Randall-Myers, Charlie Usher, and Conrad Winslow. In Gather Hear Alaska style, the program will also include works from the standard repertoire, but the exact selections and program order will be undecided until the concert begins. The program will be threaded together by Miki's commentary. 

*Admission $15 at the door*

About Miki:
In the 2016-17 season, Miki presented a solo recital on the Dame Myra Hess concert series in Chicago, broadcast live on WFMT radio. Other season highlights include a debut recital with cello partner Lukas Stasevskij at Helsinki Music Centre, solo recitals in Japan, Belgium, and the U.S., and contemporary music performances in New York City at venues including Spectrum, Dimenna Center, and Roulette. Miki’s performances in the past have been featured at venues and occasions such as: Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln Center Stage on Holland America Line, the Oneppo Chamber Music Series at Yale, Toronto Summer Music Festival, Aurora Music Festival (Sweden), Music on Main (Vancouver), Chicago Symphony Center’s Macy’s Day of Music, the Banff Centre, and radio stations WQXR (NYC) and WFMT (Chicago). In the summers, she teaches and performs as a faculty member of Point CounterPoint Camp and Catskill High Peaks Festival. iki holds degrees from Yale School of Music, Eastman School of Music, and Northwestern University.