LUBOMYR MELNYK

In the early 1970s, Lubomyr Melnyk sped up. Frustrated by the "lingering theatrical and nightmarish qualities" of contemporary classical composers, he turned the other way and developed a playing style that relies on hand speed to build dense sequences of polyrhythmic notes. He calls it continuous music. Melnyk released a number of solo piano and ensemble works on the Bandura label in the 1970s and 1980s, though relatively little was heard from him until the CD reissue of KMH in 2007.

Born in the Ukraine in 1948, Melnyk now lives in Winnipeg, Canada. This will be his first time performing in Portland.