Fantasies & Rhapsodies

Since the Renaissance, keyboard composers have used the titles Fantasia and Fantasy to designate a work that has a relatively free form, where they could allow their imaginations to take flight without the necessity of being restricted to previously existing models. Similar in providing a vehicle for a free approach to form and imaginative exploration, the term Rhapsody also traditionally suggests an epic quality. Pianist Geoffrey Duce has chosen a program of both these forms for this recording with works spanning the Baroque to the 20th Century. Known as a concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber music collaborator, Duce has performed in major venues in the U.S. and Europe such as the Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall, and the Wigmore Hall. His awards include the Making Music Award from Britain's National Federation of Music Societies and the Prix de Piano at the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau. Duce studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester University, Universität der Künste Berlin, and the Manhattan School of Music. He is currently on the faculty at Illinois State University, has served as a resident international visiting faculty member at the University of Taipei, and has given masterclasses