Centennial Sounds

Composer David Rakowski loves to write piano etudes. He’s created 100 of them. Etudes developed in the 19th century as short practice pieces . They help musicians focus on a technique or build strength or dexterity. Many -- like the etudes of Frederic Chopin -- were also beautiful. David has carried the tradition into the 21st century, writing etudes based on funk riffs and cell phone rings. And one of the pianists who helped him do it is Amy Briggs -- a Boulder-based musician who runs extreme distances in the mountains when she’s not performing or teaching. Hear Amy play five of David Rakowski's etudes, and get the story behind them, in this episode of Centennial Sounds from CPR Classical and Colorado Public Radio.