Chicago – Thursday, November 16, 2023

Haskell Small, Celebrated Composer and Pianist, Turns a Life-Altering Stroke into a “Celebration of Healing”

Pianist Small will perform Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations around the United States in his 2023-24 concert tour.

Pianist Haskell Small (www.haskellsmall.com) will tour nine key cities in the US with his program Celebration of Healing, performing Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations. His next official out-of-town stop will be at the Epiphany Center for the Arts in Chicago on November 16th. This event is part of their Golden Hour series, a series in the Cafe/Bar that provides additional free live music with food and drink specials. Haskell will perform the Beethoven Diabelli Variations, then – from the sublime to the ridiculous – Haskell will round out the evening with jazz-influenced free improvisations.

Haskell Small’s Celebration of Healing: Epiphany Center for the Arts
Thursday, November 16, 2023, 5-8 pm
Epiphany Center For The Arts: Epiphany Hall
201 S Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60607

Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations
Jazz-influenced free improvisations

Tickets: Free with RSVP available at https://epiphanychi.com/events/golden-hour-featuring-haskell-small/

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Milwaukee – Saturday, November 18, 2023

Following his stop in Chicago,  Haskell will perform at Milwaukee’s Charles Allis Art Museum on November 18th.

Haskell Small’s Celebration of Healing: Charles Allis Art Museum
Saturday, November 18, 2023, 4:30 PM
1801 N. Prospect Avenue Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations

Tickets: $25 in person: https://www.charlesallis.org/events/?eid=202
More information available at www.haskellsmall.com

 

In 2021, Composer and Pianist Haskell Small suffered a debilitating stroke that rendered his left hand and foot paralyzed. At the time, Small feared his accomplished professional career would come to an end. Two years later, he is not only playing piano again but set to embark on a nationwide Celebration of Healing tour launching in his hometown of Washington, DC in September. He will be the subject of a documentary film entitled Small Steps directed by Christopher McGuinness to be released later this fall. The trailer can be viewed here.

More information available at www.haskellsmall.com

Other stops on the tour will include:
September 30, 2023 – Washington, DC – Columbia Heights (House Concert)
October 7, 2023 – Glen Echo Park, DC – Groupmuse (House Concert)
October 18, 2023 – Chevy Chase, MD – Friendship Heights Community Center
November 4, 2023 – Philadelphia, PA – American Philosophical Society’s Benjamin Franklin Hall
April 7, 2024 – Santa Monica, CA – First Presbyterian Church Santa Monica
April 13, 2024 – San Francisco, CA – Sunset Music and Arts
April 14, 2024 – Berkeley, CA – The Berkeley Piano Club
April 16, 2024 – Vina, CA – Abbey of Our Lady of New Clairvaux
April 23, 2024 – Seattle, WA – St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
June 5, 2024 – New York City – Weill Recital Hall
More dates to be added

As captured in The Washington Post, Small used his painstaking journey of rehabilitation as a creative muse. Unwilling to stay away from music, he began arranging and performing classical masterworks for his right hand alone, as well as writing and performing a new composition, Diary of a Stroke: The Adventures of Herb and Pete (playful nicknames Small gave to his paralyzed hand and foot). Today, Small’s rehabilitation has further progressed and he has returned to playing with full use of both hands. Small’s Celebration of Healing Tour will not only mark his full recovery, but fulfill his life-long dream of performing Beethoven’s immensely difficult and sublime Diabelli Variations. 

“To go from thinking my career might be over, to touring the country with one of the most demanding and sublime works in the repertoire has become a life-saving journey,” says Small. “I’m hoping that my story can resonate with others who have suffered setbacks and offer inspiration that you should never give up on your dreams. Sometimes what seems like a disaster can in fact be an opportunity to grow and challenge yourself in a whole new way.”