Chad Spears
Pianist | Teacher
Performing
Solo Piano Collaborative Piano Special Occasions
I love to perform! Music is my passion, and I enjoy sharing it with others no matter the performance setting. I have extensive experience as a solo pianist and a collaborative pianist and am always searching for new performance opportunities to help me grow as an artist. Please explore the content below for examples of performances I have given!
Accompaniment Services:
I am available for hire as an accompanist/collaborative pianist. Whether accompanying young musicians or playing with a seasoned chamber ensemble, I am confident in my ability to provide you with quality accompaniment services. For a list of chamber repertoire I've performed, please see my curriculum vitae. My rate is $40/hour ($20/half hour). For longer-term collaboration involving multiple rehearsals and a culminating performance, a flat rate may be discussed as an option.
Music for Special Occasions:
I specialize in providing music for weddings, funerals, and other special events requiring light background music. I have a portable digital piano I can bring to your event if a quality keyboard instrument is not available at the site (i.e., acoustic piano or full-size digital piano with weighted keys). A speaker system will need to be provided if sound amplification is desired. See the lists below for examples of music I have performed at various special occasions!
---Weddings---
"Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" (Bach)
"Joy" (George Winston)
"Arioso" from Cantata No. 156 (Bach)
"La Réjouissance" (Handel)
"The Swan" (Saint-Saëns)
"Arabesque No. 1" (Debussy)
"A Thousand Years" (Christina Perri)
"Perfect" (Ed Sheeran)
"Can't Help Falling in Love" (Elvis Presley)
"Angel Eyes" (Jim Brickman)
...plus many more!
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Inquire about further suggestions.
---Funerals---
"Adagio Cantabile" from Piano Sonata in C Minor, Op. 18 (Beethoven)
"Träumerei" (Schumann)
"The Swan" (Saint-Saëns)
"Arabesque No. 1" (Debussy)
"Be Still My Soul" (melody by Sibelius)
"How Great Thou Art" (Traditional)
"Amazing Grace" (Traditional)
"Ashoken Farewell" (Jay Ungar)
"Where the Tall Tree Grows" (David Lanz)
"Lake Erie Rainfall" (Jim Brickman)
................................
.Inquire about further suggestions!
--Dinners/Parties/Misc. Events--
Popular Songs (Examples):
"Blue Skies"
"Georgia on My Mind"
"If Ever I Would Leave You"
"Over the Rainbow"
"Someone to Watch Over Me"
"Theme from New York, New York"
"When You Wish Upon a Star"
Classical Repertoire:
Classics such as Debussy's "Clair de Lune" or Chopin waltzes and mazurkas
Additional Repertoire:
Selections by Jim Brickman and David Lanz
Audio
Video
Doctoral Solo Recital #2 - Florida State University
12/10/2016
This recording was taken at my second doctoral solo piano recital, given on December 10, 2016 at Longmire Recital Hall in the Florida State University College of Music. The program was as follows:
Partita No. 5 in G Major, BWV 829 by Johann Sebastian Bach
Excursions, Op. 20 by Samuel Barber
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 3, S. 244/3 by Franz Liszt
Jerez and Malaga from Iberia, Book IV by Isaac Albeniz
Doctoral Solo Recital #1 - Florida State University
4/23/2016
This recording was taken at my first doctoral solo piano recital, given on April 23, 2016 at Longmire Recital Hall in the Florida State University College of Music. The program was as follows:
Prelude and Fugue in D minor, Op. 87 by Dmitri Shostakovich
Sonata No. 1 in C Major, Op. 24 by Carl Maria von Weber
Metaphor No. 16, Metaphor No. 11, and Solitude by Leo Ornstein
Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 31 by Frederic Chopin.
Doctoral Concerto Recital - Florida State University
4/24/2015
This recording was taken at my doctoral concerto recital, given on April 24, 2015 in Dohnányi Recital Hall at the Florida State University College of Music. I performed Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37, with the assistance of Dr. Lawrence Quinnett who played the orchestral reduction.
Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor - Ludwig van Beethoven
I. Allegro con brio
II. Largo
III. Rondo. Allegro
Doctoral Solo Recital #2 - Florida State University
12/10/2016
This is a partial recording of my second doctoral solo recital at Florida State University. The recital was given on December 10th, 2016 at Longmire Recital Hall. This video includes my performances of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 3, S. 244/3 and selections from the fourth book of Albeniz' Iberia (Jerez followed by Malaga). The first half of the recital consisted of Bach's Partita No. 5 in G Major, BWV 829 followed by Barber's Excursions, Op. 20.
Performance of Adam Sherkin's "Daycurents"
Canadian Music Centre - Toronto, ON
9/13/2014
This is a recording of my performance of Canadian composer Adam Sherkin's "Daycurrents" for solo piano. The work was featured for the concert "LIGHTING THE CONTINENT: North American Music for Flute & Piano" (presented jointly with the Canadian flutist, Alheli Pimienta) as a part of the Canadian Music Centre's concert series CMC on the 13th . Click the following link to learn more: