DANCE OF DREAMS
“Dance of Dreams” is a year-long musical odyssey, inviting listeners into a richly evolving soundscape that unfolds through semi-weekly single releases, gradually forming a series of immersive EPs. Launching with the first track on November 27, 2024, the entire collection will encompass more than 40 original compositions—among them “Fading Seas,” “Waltz for Cecilia,” “Speckles,” “Yearning White,” “Soliloquy of Times Gone By,” “Solitude,” “Serenade for a Cat,” and “Dance of the (K)night.” Each piece emerges as a unique chapter within the expansive “Dance of Dreams” tapestry, capturing the emotional ebb and flow of intimate memories, nocturnal musings, heartfelt tributes, and moments of tranquil reflection. Recorded at the world-class Karma Studios, these tracks attain both warmth and crystalline clarity under the visionary guidance of Monty Hancock and the legendary Chris Craker—Grammy-nominated producer, founder of Karma Sound Studios, and former Senior Vice President of Sony BMG Masterworks—whose storied collaborations with luminaries like Lang Lang and Hans Zimmer ensure every note resonates with depth and authenticity. As the pieces unfurl throughout the months, listeners are encouraged to linger in the subtleties of each track, discovering new layers of meaning and emotion with every return, and ultimately experiencing “Dance of Dreams” as a complete, intimately crafted journey through sound and sentiment.
PAGANIMANIA
“Paganimania is a collection of newly commissioned works for piano by seven contemporary composers…This project was the brainchild of Christopher Janwong McKiggan…It has provided some spectacular results and McKiggan’s playing is uni-formly commanding.”
– LIMELIGHT
“This would be a dull program if the seven composers stuck closely to Paganini’s Ca-price. Fortunately, they show a great deal of imagination, and find varied new music not only in the caprice’s melody, but it’s (implied) harmonies and rhythm. …This is the first I’ve heard of McKiggan, but clearly, he is a superb pianist.”
– FANFARE
RESONANCE OF HOPE
Resonance of Hope is an initiative to foster understanding and empathy between people from disparate backgrounds and cultures. Music is perhaps one of the most evocative ways of showing how at the most basic level we are all connected; every culture, throughout all of history, has valued music. It is the most powerful of all the arts because of the emotion that it stirs within all human beings. I believe that music can help promote respect and understanding between all the peoples of the world because of its unique ability to communicate despite barriers.
The basic idea of Resonance of Hope was created by myself in 2013, and I was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Presser Foundation in the same year to begin the project. The money was used to commission pieces of music from six composers coming from countries with a history of conflict. There was one stipulation: each composer was asked to write their piece based on the folk music of a country with which their own nation was in conflict. The composers were paired up with each other as the following pairs of countries: Russia and Poland. USA and North Korea. China and Japan. The composers from the six countries are: Polina Nazaykinskaya (Russia), Norbert Palej (Poland), Wang Jie (China), Taguchi Motohide (Japan), Keane Southard (USA), and Cheol-Woong Kim (North Korea).
During the current political climate, I believe that it is imperative that we strive to settle our differences, and work together to make a better future and give hope for all following generations.
DR. CHRISTOPHER JANWONG MCKIGGAN
“masterful, highly contrasted and sharply characterized” (Gramophone)