Kessa Mefford
Pianist. Curator. Ravel specialist.
Pianist. Curator.
Ravel specialist.
I am, first and foremost, a champion of Ravel. I perform everything he wrote for piano — solo, chamber, art song, and concerto. With his ear for harmony, his hunger for color, and his painstaking craft, his music speaks in a way that is deeply relatable to me.
Ravel believed his music already existed and that his role was only to discover it.
When I play, I embark on my own type of discovery. In practice, I can feel him composing — him searching for the perfect chord as I search for the perfect sound. In performance, I invite the audience to search with us, discovering together the subtle tensions and quiet brilliance that define his music.
Ravel believed his music already existed and that his role was only to discover it.
When I play, I embark on my own type of discovery. In practice, I can feel him composing — him searching for the perfect chord as I search for the perfect sound. In performance, I invite the audience to search with us, discovering together the subtle tensions and quiet brilliance that define his music.
I am, first and foremost, a champion of Ravel. I perform everything he wrote for piano — solo, chamber, art song, and concerto. With his ear for harmony, his hunger for color, and his painstaking craft, his music speaks in a way that is deeply relatable to me.
Ravel believed his music already existed and that his role was only to discover it.
When I play, I can feel him composing — him searching for the perfect chord as I search for the perfect sound. In performance, I invite the audience to search with us, discovering together the subtle tensions and quiet brilliance that define his music.
Read about my journey with Ravel.
Read about me as an artist.
"Mefford's playing set the tone for the entire recital: powerful, disciplined, and profoundly emotional. …I was completely enthralled by Mefford's artistry…"
— Cornelia Cotton, Croton Gazette
— Cornelia Cotton, Croton Gazette
Piano at Noon
The only classical concert series in Peekskill, NY, founded by Kessa Mefford. A series of brief, high-quality lunchtime concerts in an intimate setting.
Latest album release
Whimsical Birdsong: Live in Concert (2024), second in a series of eight albums, featuring piano concertos by Ravel and Montez.