Prize-winning concert pianist Sara Davis Buechner talks to Cara Lieurance about her upcoming performance at the Gilmore Piano Festival — and the deeply personal show she is bringing to Kalamazoo.
Buechner performs Of Pigs and Pianos on Saturday, May 9 at 1 p.m. in the Dalton Center Recital Hall. The show, which received a glowing notice in the New York Times, is far more than a traditional piano recital. "It's a theater show," Buechner explains, noting that she worked with a director and producer to develop it. The 75-to-80-minute production features nine piano works — including Mozart, Chopin, Federico Longás, and an original composition — woven together with spoken storytelling, and stage movement.
The show traces two parallel life journeys: growing up as a musician and growing up as a transgender woman. Buechner draws a pointed comparison between the two paths, observing that while artists who search for authentic self-expression are celebrated as heroes, transgender people doing precisely the same thing are often treated as social outcasts. "What does the music mean to your soul? What does your gender identity mean to your soul?" she asks. "The two paths are remarkably similar in many ways."
The show's title springs from Buechner's very first piano lesson, when her teacher asked what she wanted to be when she grew up. Her answer: "I want to be a piano player and a pig farmer." She notes that at least one of those dreams came true.
Buechner also reflects on the profound connections she makes with audience members after performances, particularly within LGBTQ communities.
She also presents a masterclass on Friday, May 8 at 10 a.m. in the Dalton Center Recital Hall. Buechner currently holds faculty positions at Temple University, New York University, and Greenwich House Music School in New York City.
For tickets and more information, visit the Gilmore Piano Festival website.
The interview was summarized by Claude AI and edited by the author.
