A.  The idea came to me when I was working with composer Sean Heim at a summer music program at Arcosanti in Arizona.  Some of Sean's music is influenced by Tibetan Buddhism and we had a lively conversation about the possibility of doing a program based on these buddhist ideas.  I was intrigued because I am constantly seeking ways to combine my piano practice with my spiritual practice and this would be an incredibly direct way.

Q.  You will be performing the world premiere of a piece Sean wrote for you.  Tell us about this piece.

A.  The piece is titled In the Between and is based on an idea in the Tibetan Book of the Dead that focuses on the gaps (referred to as bardos) that happen in the intervals between two things.  The piece is in six miniature movements that explore the bardos, such as life and death, meditative stability, dreaming, and point of death.  The music is active, dark, disturbing and beautiful, using special interior piano techniques that create a sound like Asian bells or plucked strings.

Q.  Composer Janice Giteck has written a piece for you that you will be premiering.  Tell us about it.

A.  This piece is titled Tara's Love Will Melt the Sword and it addresses two female manifestations of Buddha.  Blue Tara is the healing Buddha and White Tara is the compassionate Buddha.  The piece is in four short movements that are gently polytonal.

Coupled with this piece is William Douglas' Vajra, which expresses the masculine side of Buddhism.  The title means diamond and thunderbolt and represents the indestructibility of truth.  Both of these pieces are centered around the tonal area of D.

Q.  What is the significance of The Turtle and the Crane?

A.  This piece is influenced by a famous Zen rock garden in Kyoto, Japan.  The two main rocks in the garden represent the turtle and the crane and are symbols of longevity.  The piece is a juxtaposition of tiny fast gestures and big static gestures in dialogue with each other.

Q.  Your final piece is Skala-Niskala.  What is the meaning of this piece?

A.  Skala-Niskala is a Balinese word that means the seen and unseen world and refers to the duality of existence.  In this piece the piano is tuned to match the tuning of the gamelan. Gamelans are a traditional group of instruments that exist in Bali and Java.  The piece is in three movements, combining the western concerto form with the eastern gamelan instruments.  For this performance I'll be joined by gamelan players from Cal Arts and Pomona College, led by Nyomen Wenten.

Q.  Reflecting on your program of Meditations, what has had the most profound meaning to you?