Contact Danny to get details about this private event, which is a fundraiser for Desert Hot Springs Classical Concerts (celebrating its 10th anniversary season in 2024!)

Danny’s latest solo program traces the history of the sonatina from the 18th through the 21st centuries, highlighting an eclectic array of composers–many of whom are unknown to even the most ardent classical music fans. Shining a spotlight on lesser-known composers is one of Holt’s passions, and this program does exactly that, using the genre of the sonatina as a jumping off point. Most students of classical piano will have memories of studying sonatinas by Clementi and Kuhlau: these works have found an important place in piano pedagogy more than 200 years since they were composed. But one seldom hears these works on the concert stage. Holt’s program begins in the Classical era, with short selections by Clementi and Diabelli. Moving into the Romantic style, sonatinas by Heller, Kirchner, and Reger show how composers in the 19th century expanded the conception of what a sonatina could be. Works by Bartók, Karg-Elert, and Saygun give a glimpse of the dramatic contrasts of classical music in the 20th century. And Kapustin’s jazzy one-movement sonatina ushers in the 21st century, showing that the sonatina is still alive and well!