Q&A with Lynbrook Pianist Jeffrey Biegel

Lynbrook resident Jeffrey Biegel began his road to success with a genuine love for tickling the ivory of a piano.

What started as a joy soon turned into performances of Neil Sedaka music and arranging music for Billy Joel. Biegel also has had his music composed by Lowell Liebermann’s Concerto 3 for Piano and Orchestra.

With his latest CD, “A Steinway Christmas Album,” set to release on Sept. 27, Patch spoke with Biegel about his road to success.

Q: You have had a lot of success in the music world. What made you decide to become a pianist and composer?

It is a life which, I believe, chooses us in the way we respond to the music around us, and how we decide to create and re-create music from within.  

 Q: Was it something you always knew you wanted to do? 

I knew from an early age since playing the piano was a source of joy for me.

 Q: Growing up in Plainview, did you ever think you would be this successful?

I learned to allow the pieces of the life puzzle to come into play and take me wherever it needed to. I enjoyed my childhood and teen years in Plainview, which was like a microcosm with movie theaters, shopping and a great school system abounding with arts galore.

 Q: What is your fondest memory of living in the area and going to school there?

I would have to say the musical concerts were truly memorable, because we were allowed to wear many hats. One thing we must always remember is that we spend most of our waking lives in school, so we were indeed nurtured by terrific educators.

Q: During your music career, you have initiated many firsts. You were the first to put on live Internet recitals in New York and Amsterdam in 1997 and 1998. In 1999 you put together the largest consortium of orchestras to celebrate the millennium. Was there anything in particular that pushed you to be an innovative leader?

I never thought of them as being the first of their kind. I remember that in the 1950s, before my time, there were pictures of many people hovered around the one television in the area, and I felt that similarly to the Internet during the 1990s. Not everyone had it, and I believed it would help bring classical music closer to people in their homes where they were not able to readily attend live performances. The largest consortium of orchestras was an idea I created because I had been fortunate to work with many regional and several major orchestras up until 1998 in my early career.  

Q:  What have been some of your most inspiring moments and favorite projects to work on?

I would have to say playing for Leonard Bernstein, accompanying violinist Isaac Stern, chamber music concerts with so many wonderful artists, and now, playing Neil Sedaka's new piano concerto, "Manhattan Intermezzo." It was awesome to visit Mr. Sedaka and play through the piano part to his new concerto, having known all of his pop music. We studied with the same teacher at The Juilliard School. Only 22 years separate us!

 Q: Trio-21 is a project that you manage. What made you take on this project and what are your goals for the project in the future? 

The mission of Trio21 is to maintain the traditional repertoire for piano trio, but more importantly, to cultivate new works and promote new composers writing for us. Our debut in September 2011 will feature a new work composed exclusively for Trio21 by the amazing composer, Kenneth Fuchs.

Q: Looking forward, where do you see yourself in 10 years and what goals do you have for the future?

In 10 years, I will be 60. I hope by that time to possibly be performing for movie soundtracks, recording more varied repertoire, and performing with more orchestras and visiting countries I have never been. I hope sincerely that the world will become a safer place to do all of these things.

For more information about Jeffrey Biegel, you can also visit his website at www.jeffreybiegel.com.