Opening Up the Keys
by Dave Allen
Gifted with hands that span a twelfth—nearly an octave and a half—on a piano keyboard, Frank Pipitone certainly has the natural gifts that a professional pianist would envy. But Pipitone, 57, puts his hands, and the accompanying dexterity, to use in working with robotics and artificial intelligence at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C.
Outside of his scientific research, though, Pipitone is a devotee of keyboard craft, and when the organizers of the William Kapell International Piano Competition and Festival at the University of Maryland offered an Open Piano Night during the festival’s opening weekend, Pipitone leapt at the opportunity: a five-minute slot onstage at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center’s Gildenhorn Recital Hall. The 15 spots were first-come, first-serve with no audition requirement. Pipitone, who performed Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Prelude op. 32 no. 12 in G minor, was one of only two adult participants.
The young folks on the program, some as young as 12, presented some impressive repertoire as well. “All the kids were very prepared. Everybody did a nice performance and took it seriously,” he said. He noted that even on a large stage, taking a seat in front of a nine-foot Steinway, the young performers were very composed—hardly a hint of stage fright.
“I don’t get nervous if I’m reasonably prepared. I like playing for people,” Pipitone says. “Some people report that they have really strong stage fright. It’s always such a relaxed environment for me.”
Linda Gilbert, a piano teacher from Rockville, Maryland, was the other adult on the Open Piano Night program. Gilbert had previously performed at the Van Cliburn Competition for Outstanding Amateurs in 1999 and 2002. She played another Rachmaninoff prelude, one she studied when she earned degrees in piano performance at the Peabody Institute and Towson University. She went on to a career in accounting, but the piece stayed fresh in her mind.
"I think I could go through it in my sleep, even though I'm not used to getting up to perform," she says.
The Kapell Festival and Competition, held every four years at the University of Maryland, regularly features professional soloists and internationally reknowned performers playing sonatas and concertos. The Open Piano Night was a new feature at this year’s Festival, allowing amateurs like Pipitone and Gilbert to take a turn in the spotlight.
Ruth Waalkes, Director of Artistic Initiatives at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, wanted to increase the profile of the festival and to engage the community on different levels. Adding an open-to-anyone performance event to this year’s Festival seemed natural.
“It’s wonderful for the audience. You don’t have to know everything about piano repertoire,” Waalkes said. The crowds of classical fans who come to the festival’s concerts and masterclasses, as well as the talent in the Washington-area community, inspired Waalkes and the festival’s organizers to create the amateur event.
The July 14 concert, which was free of charge, drew more than 150 audience members. Early on in the program, Waalkes knew the evening would be a success.
“As soon as the first person went, or the second, I said, ‘We need to do this more often.’”
By the time he was the age of most of the Piano Night performers, Pipitone had already been playing for several years. He was self-taught until the age of 15, when he entered his first lesson having already memorized several preludes by composer Frédéric Chopin.
Pipitone studied physics and electrical engineering in college and received a Ph.D. in engineering from Rutgers University. He stayed active in music on the side, studying recordings and poring over books on piano technique.
Gilbert, however, had taken several years off from playing due to her career, and resumed playing in 2000. She dug up pieces from her piano studies in college and began to revisit sections that had previously been difficult for her.
Pipitone, who resides in Accokeek, Maryland, and Gilbert frequently play with a pick-up group called the Music Makers of Washington that meets on the first Sunday of every month. The group includes several pianists, along with string players and singers, and puts forth solo and chamber performances at living room recitals.
The Open Piano Night at this year’s Competition took Gilbert by surprise. “I said to Frank, ‘You and I should go and play for that,’ and he said, ‘I’ve already registered,’” Gilbert said.
Both practiced hard for several weeks before the performance to brush up their skills on their respective pieces. Pipitone describes himself as “fascinated with technique” and currently practices for an hour or so each day.
“It’s never been formal. I practice very carefully; I don’t measure the time and regiment what I’m going to do on the schedule,” he says.
Gilbert spends roughly 30 hours a week teaching piano lessons but still finds time to play on her own three days a week. She’s currently revisiting a Mozart concerto from her college days; she used to only be able to play the first movement, but now she’s tackling the second and third. “It gives you a feeling of the piece as a whole. It’s such a privilege to play and see what this great genius had in mind,” she says.
If the organizers of the Kapell Festival and Competition decide to offer another Open Piano Night four years from now, both Pipitone and Gilbert will jump at the chance. In the meantime, Gilbert would like to see more opportunities—maybe even a yearly event.
“I’m not sure I would have gone to the Kapell if I hadn’t been playing,” Gilbert said. “Once a year, I think it would be good to promote an open piano night attached to different events, not just the Kapell.”
She’ll be keeping up her skills at the keyboard for her next opportunity to take the stage.
