American concert pianist Anthony de Mare is paying tribute to musical composer Stephen Sondheim in a remarkable project. For this endeavor, de Mare invited various contemporary composers—from the realms of jazz, classical, and film music—to reimagine Sondheim's songs as solo piano pieces. The group of participating artists comprised a total of 36 composers from seven nations, including renowned names such as Steve Reich, Wynton Marsalis, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Fred Hersch, Ethan Iverson, William Bolcom, Frederic Rzewski, Nils Vigeland, Gabriel Kahane, Thomas Newman, and Jake Heggie. Speaking to The New York Times, Anthony de Mare explained: "Each composer enters into a dialogue with Sondheim—not just with his musical material, but also with his influence, his musical humor, and his artistry." When Sondheim was asked about it, he replied: "It's exciting to see composers take up my work and engage with it seriously."
