Legendary American Ballet Theatre Chooses Nine New Boston Pianos

As seen in the Boston Chronicle, Issue Two, 2015.

Conducting one of the world’s most distinguished dance companies, David LaMarche remains firmly tethered to his roots as a rehearsal pianist. He often holds the baton for American Ballet Theatre, which recently purchased nine Boston pianos by Steinway & Sons to meet exacting standards in developing a critically-acclaimed repertoire of classical and contemporary masterpieces. Karen Beluso, Institutional Sales Manager of Greater New York, forged what industry observers consider a unique partnership given the rigorous nature of a preeminent touring company. Since its founding in 1940 by Richard Pleasant and co-directors Lucia Chase and Oliver Smith, the illustrious ballet troupe has appeared in an astonishing 136 cities and 45 countries. Celebrating 75 years energized by affiliations to George Balanchine, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Jerome Robbins — just to name a few — ABT continues to captivate audiences under Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.

In the late 70s, Mr. LaMarche found his calling inside a commune at San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury, a transplant from Connecticut with a music degree from Boston University, looking for a job.

"One of my roommates was a dancer and asked if I would be interested in accompanying classes. I went with him to observe one, and I knew it was for me," he said of discovering the intimate chemistry behind translating music into movement. That passion carried him to New York, where he landed his first company job as rehearsal- solo pianist for Dance Theatre of Harlem. In 1999, Mr. LaMarche joined ABT as an accompanist and today — in addition to conducting — also serves as music administrator and company pianist.

The ballet musician, according to Mr. LaMarche, must be a meticulous steward of musical integrity, working within a framework stipulated by the requirements of choreography. "Often this means adjusting your natural tempo inclinations to something more appropriate for the choreography, but you can still find ways to make strong musical statements. I get much pleasure crafting details, working on an interpretation with a dancer. It really is like chamber music in the best possible way," he said.

His greatest professional tests include some of ABT’s most recent productions. "I would say that both Prokofiev scores, Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella, are extremely challenging. And there are passages in (Tchaikovsky’s) The Sleeping Beauty that strike fear into any pianist’s heart," he said.

With a seemingly endless number of rehearsals, pianists must learn to cope with elements of drudgery. "Because of the amount of repetition, you have to be much more disciplined and try to avoid lapsing into the prosaic," he said. "With a good instrument this is so much easier because good instruments help you to play better, and, of course, that is more enjoyable for everyone."

On that note, the Maestro finishes: "We love the new Boston pianos!"

ABT selected a Boston GP-156 and GP-163, both in ebony polish, and seven UP-118S uprights in black oak satin, Ms. Beluso said.