Composer-Pianist Kris Becker Wins Highest-Scoring Composer, 2013 IBLA European Grand Prize

HOUSTON - Dec. 3, 2013 - PRLog -- In the wake of recent industry recognition for his original work, Houston, Texas-based composer-pianist Kris Becker has won highest-scoring composer in the 2013 IBLA European Grand Prize for Composers.  Becker's Piano Sonata No.1, already recipient of several national awards in the US, earned him this international honor.

The IBLA Foundation hosts an annual international competition for musicians, both performers and composers, with prizes including performances in the world's most prestigious venues.  Becker, who was the highest-scoring American overall, will perform at Carnegie Hall, New York University, and more by the merits of his achievement in the competition.  This follows his recognition in the National Association of Composers USA competition for his Covenant for clarinet and piano.

Featuring his signature barrier-smashing “nu-classical” sound, fusing classical structure and ideas with contemporary popular impulses, Becker's Piano Sonata No.1 is based as much in the 19th-century virtuosic piano tradition as it is in the concepts of Black Sabbath, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and McCoy Tyner.  The Sonata has found a ready audience with hardcore classical listeners and players as it has with jazz heads and hard rock/heavy metal enthusiasts.

Dedicated to piano teacher great Robert Roux, the composition has been described as a "monster" of a piece by Sequenza21.com's Chris Becker (yes, a different man altogether), who goes on to say, "There’s no question Becker’s formidable piano skills have everything to do with generating the compositional material he has shaped.  But there’s heart and soul in the man’s music, not just technical fireworks."  The Sonata, extremely demanding for the pianist in expression and technique, shines both neo-Romantic and modern, but distinctly Becker.

The expanse in conception of Becker’s jazz- and rock-influenced Piano Sonata No.1, a work for a solo instrument, earned it a high place in the IBLA competition amongst compositions for much larger ensembles.  More info can be found in the "Laureates" area of IBLA's website, http://ibla.org, while the Sonata itself can be heard in its entirety at https://soundcloud.com/kris-becker-music.  The score is available at Kris' website http://krisbeckermusic.com and the music further available on iTunes and CD Baby, linked on Kris' website.

Frozen Heat Music is a producer, publisher, and promoter of new music with the flavors of genre-crossing and the chops of legit artistry.

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To schedule interviews/appearances for print, TV, and radio and for more information on the IBLA Grand Prize recognition, contact Kris Becker: management(at)krisbeckermusic.com

Website: krisbeckermusic.com
Twitter: @krisbeckermusic
Facebook: /krisbeckermusic
YouTube: /krisbeckermusic