Composer Murray Hidary couldn’t have asked for a warmer welcome to the Mile High City.
Denver served up a flawless summer night for the pianist, one brimming with sunshine and a tender August breeze. Meanwhile, a lunar eclipse was getting ready for its close-up.
Hidary responded with 90-plus minutes of ethereal music, part of his MindTravel’s Live-to-Headphones Silent Piano Concert series.
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A “silent” concert? Call it a marketing tweak to get your attention. Hidary’s piano music, composed on the spot, guides the audience to experience whatever might move them at a given moment.
Meditation. Prayer. Reflection. And, on this given night, grace.
Hidary suggested it as the theme of the concert.
“What is it to move through life with a little grace?” he asked, his voice pumped, and later music, pumped through headphones. He later whispered similar prompts in a breathy, soothing tone.
Otherwise, he let his music speak for him.
Some in the Denver crowd watched like a traditional audience. Others took video of Hidary hunched at his piano, his fingers never taking more than a second or two break. A few nibbled at snacks while others found artistic inspiration in his music.
Hidary played and played, surrounded by electric candles and flowers as the August sun faded from view. The music proved soothing at times, dipping and soaring as the mood suited him. The piano also struck more muscular notes, keeping the sonic landscape unpredictable.
The artist brings an absurdly stacked resume to the task at hand. Part musician, part business wunderkind, the tech-friendly Hidary eschews pageantry in his performance.
No flowery motions, please. His white and beige ensemble matched his serious, sober presentation. He saves his full attention for the music, a jazz-like tapestry letting the crowd do what they wished with it.
The supplied headphones offered vibrant sound along with the occasional audible hiss (this reporter tried two separate units). The overall effect wasn’t dimmed by the brief tech glitches.
Thursday’s concert, held at City Park, marked Hidary’s first MindTravel concert in Denver. There’s little chance it will be his last.
- Monterey, Calif. – Aug. 30
- Jones Beach, NY – Sept. 13
- Sunset Beach, NJ – Sept. 16
- Huntington Beach, Calif. – Sept. 21
- La Jolla, Calif. – Sept. 23