Classical Gershwin Katie Mahan

• George Gershwin (1898 - 1937):
• 1Rhapsody in Blue (Arr. K. Mahan for Solo Piano)16:09
• 2Embraceable You (From "Girl Crazy") [Arr. E. Wild for Solo Piano]03:29
• 3Our Love Is Here to Stay (From "The Goldwyn Follies") [Arr. K. Mahan for Solo Piano]03:51
• 4I Got Rhythm (From "Girl Crazy") [Arr. K. Mahan for Solo Piano]02:09
• 5They Can’t Take That Away from Me (From "Shall We Dance") [Arr. K. Mahan for Piano Solo]04:38
• 6Walking the Dog (From "Shall We Dance") [Arr. K. Mahan for Solo Piano]04:25
• 7Fascinating Rhythm (From "Lady Be Good") [Arr. E. Wild for Solo Piano]01:44
• 8S'Wonderful / Funny Face (From "Funny Face") [Arr. K. Mahan for Solo Piano]03:30
• 9Second Rhapsody (Arr. K. Mahan for Solo Piano)16:14
• Total Runtime56:09

Info for Classical Gershwin

This album is dedicated to the memory of the "Classical Gershwin" whose music brought crowds to the classical concert halls, who successfully incorporated the nuances of jazz and popular music to create a classical music that was uniquely and authentically American. “Brilliant, masterly playing… associations with the young Clara Schumann were revived- she could have played like this.” (Neue Ruhr Zeitung) Praised as “one of the most outstanding talents coming up today,“ American pianist Katie Mahan is capturing the attention of audiences throughout the world for her innovative musical personality, poetic interpretations, and graceful, charming stage presence. She possesses an unquestioned technical mastery combined with a kaleidoscopic palate of tone colors, and has been recognized as “a daring and innovative performer.“ A multi-faceted artist for whom music is an endless passion, Katie is at home in a broad repertoire ranging from Bach to Poulenc, and is particularly distinguished as an interpreter of the music of George Gershwin – performing her own daring, exciting solo piano arrangements to standing ovations across the globe – and Claude Debussy.

“Brilliant, masterly playing… associations with the young Clara Schumann were revived - she could have played like this.” NEW RUHR

“What amazed the listener most what the striking dynamic range... a pianissimo of the most tender poetry to a fortissimo of thunderous passion. An exquisite and memorable performance which was both soulful and powerful, and of great artistic understanding.” ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

Katie Mahan, piano

Katie Mahan
American pianist Katie Mahan’s life has always been filled with music, and at the age of four, inspired by attending a performance of Gershwin’s An American in Paris given by the famous French piano duo, Katia & Marielle Labèque, she decided that she wanted to be a concert pianist. She subsequently began piano studies with her mother, Bobette Mahan, giving her first solo recital two years later at the age of six. An American in Paris opened the door to the vast world of classical music for Katie, and her love of Gershwin quickly led her to discover the music of Debussy and Ravel, the French composers that Gershwin idolized. Although Katie’s music now takes her all over the world, she never forgets her American heritage, and the great American composer who inspired her to become a pianist. Her programs often feature her own classical arrangements of her beloved countryman’s music, alongside works of Debussy and the Viennese classical repertoire.

Katie’s greatest pianistic influence came from her studies with the celebrated French pianist Pascal Rogé, with whom she studied the music of the French Impressionists. Rogé – who traces his musical heritage directly back to the great French tradition of Debussy and Ravel – was not only an important pianistic influence on Katie, but also inspired her to devote years of study to the search for understanding of French music, art and stylistic tradition.

Since making her orchestral debut in 1999 performing Gershwin’s Concerto in F with the Breckenridge Symphony, Katie has appeared in concert throughout the USA, Europe, Canada, the Middle East, Russia and Japan. She has performed with such celebrated conductors as Jiri Belohlavek, Marin Alsop, Grant Cooper, and Lawrence Leighton-Smith, among others, and in such famous halls as the Konzerthaus in Berlin, the Prinzregenten Theatre in Munich, the great hall of the Moscow Conservatory in Moscow, and the Smetana Hall in Prague.

Booklet for Classical Gershwin