Cory Smythe ~ On the Recent Tour with Hilary Hahn and Related Things

ICE‘s Cory Smythe, the lucky (He earned it because he is really THAT good; let’s just say fortunate) gentleman that just finished touring as a pianist with Hilary Hahn in Europe and the US (and a gig in Turkey as well), is here to discuss that experience with The Glass!

Cory is gearing up to preview a new work of his this Saturday at NY’s Dimenna Center, and he is planning to release a follow-up recording to 2011′s pluripotent this coming fall, which oddly enough, is when we can expect to finally see the release of Hilary Hahn’s In 27 Pieces encores CD, which Cory also happens to be featured on. Look out for these and more performances with ICE this season. But for now, we needed to ask him about working with HH.

Cory Smythe

Photo courtesy of Peter Gannushkin

International Contemporary Ensemble‘s Cory Smythe, the pianist I just saw playing Ives Violin Sonatas, hymns, and “Happy Birthday” with Hilary Hahn at The Stone last October, is quite a great artist in his own right, and along with his journey through Ives he’s also been interpreting works by Iannis Xenakis, Alvin Lucier, Anthony Braxton, Magnus Lindberg, Donald Crockett, and many others. A graduate of the music schools of Indiana University and USC, Smythe is also a composer, and has an album titled Pluripotent available for download. On Tuesday, December 13, Cory will be appearing in concert with avant-cabaret artist Amy X Neuburg at Roulette in Brooklyn, NY. Mr. Smythe had a few minutes to speak with me.