Virtuoso shines in Philadelphia

In an impressive showcase of contemporary piano repertoire, pianist Marilyn Nonken displayed her talents Sunday night. Nonken wowed an audience of about 40 music students and professionals in a solo performance at Curtis Hall in downtown Philadelphia. The concert was sponsored by Penn's Music Department and admission was free to the public. Penn is the latest in a string of schools, including Harvard, Brandeis and Dartmouth, to request one of Nonken's performances. She praised universities for teaching music that transcends the mainstream genre. "Whether it's in the arts or the sciences, they're pushing the boundaries... going beyond where pop culture goes," Nonken said. At Sunday's performance, Nonken stepped onstage and launched into music composed by Jason Eckardt. With head swaying and forearms pulsating, Nonkey immediately seized the attention of the dozens of onlookers with her technique and expression. Midway through her rendition of Michael Finnisy's "North American Spirituals," intricate fingerwork gave way to brutish pounding of elbows as Nonken brought the piece to a crescendo. As they listened, audience members closed their eyes, many of them bobbing their heads to Nonken's music. "She's very good... contemporary atonal... pretty impressive," said audience member John Blum, a therapist. Nonken, a graduate of the prestigious Eastman School of Music and recipient of numerous musical honors, received a doctorate in musicology from Columbia University. Lauded by The New York Times, she was twice voted "Best Of" by The Boston Globe for her pioneering style. With influences ranging from expressive pianist Ursula Oppens to jazz legend Theolonius Monk, Nonken explores the piano as a musical canvas. She explained her sometimes unorthodox manner. "I believe there is a classical refined way of playing and a more gutsy way of playing and in my music... all of them are possible," Nonken said. The audience appreciated Nonken's progressive sounds. "It's extraordinary," said Yvonne Bobrowicz, a former professor at Drexel University. "I don't how she plays like that."

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