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September 13, 2007

Pianist/composer Adrian Carr at NCCCA

NCCCA presents 'From Carnegie Hall to Plattsburgh"

By ROBIN CAUDELL

Adrian Carr's piano music is decompressive, fresh and uplifting.

At a Saturday evening concert at the North Country Cultural Center for the Arts, he presents seven pieces from his last CD, "Days of the Year," a collection of songs about special days in a six-year period. In 2004, he premiered the High Mountains Records release in Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall.

"There's a piece in there, How Many Days,' when my mother died," said Carr, who lives in Montreal. "When I was living in New York City, I wrote a piece, Breathe,' for 9/11."

"Finding Charlotte" is his new album in progress.

"Charlotte was someone I knew from high school back in Buffalo. Charlotte is really about finding a part of myself that I lost over the years. I'm going back to a time in my life where I can access a certain creativity that I had that I'm using to go forward."

Born in Buffalo, Carr moved to New York City to attend the Juilliard School. After receiving his bachelor's degree, he attended Princeton, where he received a master's degree. In New York City, he established one of the finest acoustic music recording and mastering facilities. He received Grammy entry nominations for his work in classical and contemporary music categories. In 1998, "First Light" was produced by Narada Records.

Playing the piano was his father's idea.

"He always wanted to learn piano. He was a musical type of guy. He played jazz saxophone as an amateur. We always had a piano around the house. My mother played a little bit."

When he started, his youthful legs couldn't reach the pedals of the Baldwin grand piano.

"When I was 10, I was able to touch the pedals. I remember playing and performing then."

His father invariably asked him to perform one of his classical works at big Italian family gatherings.

"He paid for me to go to NYC to study at Juilliard when I was accepted. I was working with Milton Babbitt, an incredible teacher and one of the fathers of modern American music. It was a fantastic opportunity to work with him."

In 1978, he lived at a residence hotel. For $210 a month, he got fresh towels daily and his room cleaned weekly. The two most incredible experience were meeting Arthur Miller and seeing Leonard Bernstein.

The rhythm of Carr's life changed in 2003 when he met his future wife while hiking in the Adirondacks.

"I was just coming out after three or four days on the Rocky Ridge Trail in Elizabethtown. I was by myself. She was just coming in for a day hike. Our paths crossed, literally. We stopped and talked. I'm always very friendly on the trail."

She gave him her card. They communicated by phone, he came to Montreal and they started seeing each other. A year and a half later, Carr relocated to Montreal.

As an ex-New Yorker, he's happy living in Canada.

"I'm living in another country but I have very easy access to the North Country," Carr said. "I think this is really important for me. You don't think you will miss your country, but you do. I'm over the border at least once a week doing things."

rcaudell@pressrepublican.com

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