Phyllis Chen
pianist, toy pianist, multimedia artist

(see also Phyllis' main web site here)

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The Memoirist - multimedia performance for toy pianos, sampling keyboard, video, frying pan, pillow and stuffed bunny. Written and performed by Phyllis Chen. Video by Rob Dietz.
The Memoirist is a spin-off from Phyllis's "Piece for Toy Piano". The piece is a work-in progress exploring themes of childhood and dreams. A memoirist, like an archivist, is an individual who makes a profession out of collecting someone else's memories. In this case, the memoirist is Phyllis's old (stuffed) childhood friend.

video from performance at SOFA Gallery, Bloomington, Indiana, Mar 31, 2007 (49Mb QuickTime Movie)

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electro-acoustic music   (click title to listen to MP3 audio)

Portrait  for toy piano, microphone, computer and quadraphonic speaker array
Composed by Jeff Morris in 2005 and inspired by the composer Conlon Nancarrow, Portrait uses the antiquated technique of imitation, in which a single musical voice is copied and recombined with itself. The imitation, created through digital sampling and delay lines, presents a portrait of the instrument, extended and fractured through space and time.

Leaps Of Faith  for toy piano and tape
Written by Vanessa Lann. Arranged for Phyllis in 2007, the tape part was made from audio manipulations of toy piano cluster chords by Rob Dietz.

Exposiciones  for toy piano and tape
Written by Andrian Pertout as an homage to composer Frank Zappa, It was originally written for Microtonal Sampled Schoenhut toy piano and was revised for toy piano and tape for Phyllis.


^{photos by Rick Dietz | site by dizidesign}