Pianist Timo Andres steps in to replace an ailing Inna Faliks

Composer-pianist Timo Andres has generously agreed to step in as a substitute performer for Lyrica Chamber Music’s Jan. 26 concert at 3 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church of Chatham Township, 240 Southern Blvd.

Inna Faliks was scheduled to play a program of piano fantasies as well as Brahms Third Piano Sonata. Unfortunately, she has been swept up by the maelstrom of wildfires that is afflicting Los Angeles. She and her family have had to evacuate their home and take refuge in a hotel in San Francisco where, to add to her misery, she has contracted Covid.

Substitute is an inadequate description of Andres, an artist who has graced Lyrica Chamber Music concerts both as a performer and a composer. In 2019, he shared the piano with Lyrica’s co-artistic director David Kaplan in stunning four-hand performances of Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” and Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony.

He and Kaplan’s careers have been intertwined both in performances and in their numerous recordings which can be found through Apple Music and other streaming platforms.

Sunday’s concert will feature music of Duke Ellington (“The Single Petal of a Rose,” “Reflections in D,” “Prelude to a Kiss”) as well as offerings from several contemporary composers. Among those composers is Andres himself, who will play his own “Fiddlehead.”

Andres is closely associated with Philip Glass, having served as advisor and editor of the 2023 edition of Glass’ remarkable Etudes. He has played all 20 etudes in concert. For Sunday’s concert he will play the poignant Etude No. 20 on Sunday.

The remaining pieces on the program are intriguing just by their names alone: Gabriella Smith’s “Imaginary Pancake,” Frederic Rzewski’s “Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues,” and Robin Holcomb’s “Wherein Lies the Good.”

Andres’ recent accomplishments have included a solo recital debut for Carnegie Hall and the world premiere of a piano concerto for Aaron Diehl at the Los Angeles Philharmonic, led by John Adams.

Andres’ orchestrations and arrangements for Justin Peck’s 2024 production of Sufjan Stevens’ “Illinoise” completed an acclaimed limited run on Broadway at the St. James Theater following sold-out runs at The Fisher Center at Bard, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and at New York City’s Park Avenue Armory. For his work on the production, Andres was nominated for a 2024 Tony Award for Best Orchestrations.

As a pianist, Andres has appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, North Carolina Symphony, the Albany Symphony, the New World Symphony, and the Metropolis Ensemble. He has performed solo recitals for Lincoln Center and Wigmore Hall.

Lyrica concerts are presented with the support of Morris Arts which seeks to build community through the arts. Sunday’s concert will be preceded by a performance by students from Summit High School.

Tickets for Lyrica concerts are $30 ($25 for seniors), and students and children are admitted free. For more information about Lyrica Chamber Music, visit www.lyricachambermusic.com or call 973-309-1668.