Pianist Christopher O’Riley at FirstWorks

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Monday, October 25, 2010

ARTS by Tracey Minkin, GoLocalProv Features Editor

Few guys are this talented, this cool, this nice.

But enter Christopher O'Riley, who will appear in concert this coming weekend at the RISD Auditorium as part of FirstWorks 2010, to claim this artistic hat trick.

Let's start with talented. A pianist with a degree from Boston's esteemed New England Conservatory of Music (NEC), O'Riley has deep classical music roots. But from the 6th grade on, he also had his own rock band. "It was an art rock band, and I'm not too proud of it," he says, laughing.

At NEC, although pursuing classical training, O'Riley was encouraged by the culture there to keep his musical horizons broad. "NEC has a very all-embracing philosophy of the importance of, the integrity of, all forms," he says.

Which leads to cool.

The young pianist was recruited to host a radio music program at NEC's Jordan Hall, which is the now-beloved "From the Top," a weekly NPR show that features young talent in live performance. "From the Top" is in its 11th year on NPR and is also a TV program on PBS.

"They thought I was someone who could speak unpretentiously to a music audience," he says. As part of the gig, O'Riley began playing little entre-acte pieces, at first of a classical nature. "Then I started playing Radiohead," a longtime musical love of his (O'Riley met his girlfriend on a Radiohead fan site). An ardent arranger already of classical repertoire, he applied his skills to both sides of the genre divide. He never looked back.

And it's this expansive musical landscape that O'Riley roams in his concerts. This weekend's performance, "Out of My Hands," will take the same journey; in fact, O'Riley isn't completely sure, a week away, what the final mix of songs will be. Fans on his very active social media sites have been talking a lot about a Cocteau Twins song that he'd love to get ready for Providence. "I've got a week, and I might do it," he says. Saturday's concert will also feature music from Nick Drake and Pink Floyd to Nirvana and Maurice Ravel. And maybe, yes, the Cocteau Twins.

Now, as for that nice bit.

Maybe it's the youthful company he keeps every week on "From the Top," but O'Riley exhibits a sweet exuberance not only for performance and exploration, but for the value of his youngest colleagues. "I play with every young guest we have on the program," he says. "Various times I've been engaged to run chamber music festivals, and my first choice of collaborators is always people I've met on 'From The Top.'"

Christopher O'Riley, "Out of My Hands," FirstWorks 2010 Festival, Sat Oct 30, 8pm at RISD Auditorium, 17 Canal St, Providence. Tickets $16-$22, phone 621-6123, or purchase via ArtTix, here.

Photos: Wendy Lynch, Da-Hong Seetoo

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