Intro to Pianist Elaine Greenfield

Distinguished American Pianist, Duo-Pianist and Teacher

Feb 29, 2008

Elaine Greenfield is well known in the classical music world, both as soloist and as a member of the Transcontinental Piano Duo.

American pianist Elaine Greenfield has a most impressive background of musical study, beginning with her years at the Crane School of Music, where she was a pupil of James Ball and Irene Rosenberg Grau.

Graduate school saw her studying at the Peabody Conservatory and in New York with such luminaries as Julio Estaban, Lorin Hollander and Leon Fleisher. This led to a career as solo pianist and she gave many recitals, including appearances in Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall, the Gardiner Museum in Boston and the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. Reviewers were very enthusiastic in commending her 'sensitivity and control,' 'alluring pedal effects,' 'formidable technique,' and 'crystalline clarity, tonal warnth and graceful airiness.'

Greenfield presented several solo recitals and lecture/recitals, and later became interested in collaboration with other classical musicians, resulting primarily in the formation of the 'Transcontinental Piano Duo,' with Janice Meyer Thompson. This duo has presented recitals in California, Arizona, New Hampshire, Ohio, Wisconsin, Vermont, New York and Massachusetts...always to enthusiastic audiences and critics.

Debussy Preludes, Books 1 and 2, have been recorded by Elaine Greenfield and have received rave reviews. She had long wanted to record these works, but until the chance came to use a 1907 Bluthner piano, owned by Michael and Patricia Frederick of Ashburnham, Massachusetts, she had not heard the sound she felt was needed for the Preludes. They graciously allowed her to use the piano and her life's dream was fulfilled. A major work for the piano, Debussy's Preludes are difficult both technically and interpretively, and many pianists shy away from them.

The Bluthner Pianoused in this recording was built in 1907 and like the Bluthner owned by Debussy (which was built in 1907), it has the company's patent Aliquot system, which means that there is a fourth sympathetic (unstruck) string provided for each treble note. However, the piano has only two pedals, damper and una corda, rather than the more usual three found on today's instruments.

In addition to her concert schedule, Elaine Greenfield maintains a private studio in South Burlington, Vermont, and teaches at the Adamant Music School and the CYM Summer piano program at the Crane School. She is a founder of the Greenfield Piano Associates and was a founding member of the Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble.

Elaine is a very approachable artist and relates well to her audiences in her lecture recitals. Samples of her solo work may be heard, along with excerpts by the Transcontinental Piano Duo, on her website.

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