““There is an overriding joy in their music-making. Couple that with incredible technical abilities, ensemble second to none, and, in their videos, a true sense of theatrical entertainment, and you have a positive look at the future of classical music performance. They do have it all, and any classical music lover owes it to himself to hear Anderson & Roe.” ”
““They’ve taken their extreme training and love of life and turned themselves into a constant act of creation – spinning out provocative arrangements and videos, and touring the world with concerts that are engaging, challenging, and downright fun.””
The Anderson & Roe Piano Duo has been called “the most dynamic duo of this generation” (San Francisco Classical Voice), “rock stars of the classical music world” (Miami Herald), and “the very model of complete 21st-century musicians” (The Washington Post). These superlatives are grounded in what can only be described as ineffable connectivity: the technically masterful Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe exude an organic and seamless completeness when they perform together, working in sync to unearth the essence of each piece they play from their genre-transcending repertoire, and testing the boundaries of their instruments. That special alchemy immediately captivates their audiences: “Even the most jaded of concert goers sat forward in their seats and dropped their jaws in amazement as these two just re-wrote the book of the tedious concert recital” (Sarasota Herald-Tribune).
Over twenty years ago, the two Juilliard students first sat down together at a pair of pianos and were astonished by how perfectly their musical sensibilities gelled—as did their ideas about how classical music could, and should, be a more relevant and powerful force in the world. Their two-decade-long partnership can be described as nothing short of pioneering. Anderson & Roe completely redefined the model of the piano duo and have toured the world extensively. Their original compositions—from re-imaginings of the classical canon to arrangements of pop music through a classical lens—reflect their belief that all music has something to say to all people. Their five critically acclaimed albums have spent dozens of weeks atop the Billboard classical charts. Their music videos are the stuff of legends, racking up millions of views and securing them an EmmyÒ nomination. And they’re regular media personalities, from appearances on MTV, NPR, PBS, and the BBC, to hosting the webcasts of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
ENLIGHTENED APPROACH TO MUSIC
““Believe all the hype: Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe—more famously called Anderson & Roe—are electric. The piano duo did more than celebrate the launch of their new album; they fashioned an entirely new concert experience.” ”
Since its inception, the Duo has established a visionary and galvanizing approach to classical music that encompasses all facets of their creative output: programming, composition, presentation, and audience engagement. In their concerts, Anderson & Roe adroitly weave together staples of the classical canon and pop music. Taking a modernistic approach across genres, pop songs are used as a launching point for arrangements, which are deconstructed and reframed, while their classical re-imaginings often transform works to expose the emotion within. Whether onstage or through their music videos, they invite their audiences to open up their imaginations, delve into the humanity of music, and embrace the full spectrum of life as channeled through art.
ADRENALIZED PERFORMANCES AROUND THE GLOBE
The Duo has performed recitals at notable venues in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Estonia, Romania, Israel, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, and in most major North American cities, including Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Festival appearances include the Gilmore, Mostly Mozart, Gina Bachauer, Styriarte, Grand Teton, Santa Fe, Chautauqua, Orford, Ventura, Carmel Bach, and Minnesota Beethoven.
Concerto engagements include the orchestras of San Francisco, Vancouver, Rochester, Liverpool, Calgary, Hartford, Boulder, Chautauqua, Waco, and Winnipeg, among others, and with the Chicago Sinfonietta and members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. In 2015, Anderson & Roe premiered Brahms’ Double Concerto in their arrangement for two pianos and orchestra with the resident orchestra of Performance Santa Fe. They’ve collaborated with Augustin Hadelich, Time For Three, MasterVoices, and the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. In addition to earning critical acclaim and audience ovations worldwide, Anderson and Roe are recipients of Alan Cummings’ Club Cumming “YAAAAAAAS” award.
ARTFUL AND ECLECTIC RECORDING PROJECTS
Anderson & Roe's discography comprises five critically acclaimed albums; their latest release, Mother (SWR Music), features a diverse range of music from Dvořák to Queen (in the duo's original arrangements), and their albums on the Steinway Label—When Words Fade, An Amadeus Affair, and The Art of Bach—have spent over a dozen of weeks atop the Billboard Classical Charts. Their music has been heard in movie soundtracks, Olympic figure skating, and the series finale of Will and Grace, and they even served as a source of inspiration for the 2014 K-drama Milwhe. Their scores are published by Alfred Music on the “Anderson & Roe Duos & Duets Series” and by Awkward Fermata Press.
GENRE-SHAPING MUSIC VIDEOS
Anderson & Roe were early leaders and are continuous innovators in the use of social media to connect with large global audiences, using personality-driven, daring content to open minds and ears to new discoveries. Their Emmy-nominated, self-produced music videos have been influential in shaping the 21st-century classical music video genre, and their oeuvre of over 50 music videos (including an experimental film of the entire Rite of Spring) has been viewed by millions on YouTube and at international film festivals. Their work earned the Classical Post’s 2019 “Most Innovative Instrumentalist” award in piano.
DEMYSTIFYING & REFRESHING COMMENTARY
The Duo’s innovative exploits have captured the attention of such media outlets as MTV’s Total Request Live, NPR’s All Things Considered and From the Top, APM’s Performance Today, PBS’ Texas Music Cafe, and the BBC’s In Tune, as well as Gramophone, Clavier Companion, Listen, and Pianist magazines, and the Huffington Post. They have served as guest hosts of NPR’s From the Top, and they have hosted “Two Piano Tuesday,” a popular weekly livestream on Facebook Live. They are profiled in Nick Romeo’s book, Driven. 2025 will mark their fourth appearance as on-air hosts for the live broadcast of the Cliburn Competition, one of the most-watched classical musical events in the world. In recognition of their singular vision for the advancement of classical music, they have been invited to present at numerous international leader symposiums, including EG, the Imagine Solutions Conference, Chicago Ideas Week, and Mexico’s Ciudad de las Ideas.
Greg Anderson & Elizabeth Joy Roe are Steinway Artists.
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