Alloy, a prepared piano project

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Chicago, IL
Alloy, a prepared piano project

Putting stuff in between the strings of a piano and hearing what it sounds like. A performing, recording and educational initiative based in Chicago.

Created by Shi-An Costello. Partnered with Experimental Sound Studio.

12/28/2025

Guess who's back... Guess who's back guess who's back guess who's back....

(Shi-An phone storage clearance continues)

12/19/2025

Earl Sweatshirt's "exhaust" (Theravada)
(Recorded on a smartphone.)

06/10/2025

Another fantastic workshop in the books! Highlights include slinkies and little trolls (s/o to Jane). The slinky has many interesting applications, and the trolls sound great in the low end (like a tam-tam), fit perfectly snug, and also looks great 👍. Shout out to Alex for the piano stylings. Next month's workshop will be on Sat, July 5th!

06/02/2025

Our next workshop is this coming Saturday (June 7th) featuring the amazing Joshua Younger, RPT*! Come hang, learn something new about the piano, and have plenty of time to conduct your own experiments!
Link to workshop tickets in bio or at tinyurl.com/alloypiano

*Registered Piano Technician with the Piano Technicians Guild

04/29/2025

This Saturday's Workshop will feature special guest expert Phoebe Wu, who is not only a piano technician, but also a classically trained pianist skilled in new music performance! This is a great chance for participants to get valuable insight into the special collaboration that exists between pianists and piano technician, as well as essential lessons in the anatomy and function of the piano instrument--a really special opportunity for prepared piano enthusiasts and curious folks of all backgrounds!

FB Event: Alloy Workshop #4 feat. pianist & piano technician Phoebe Wu!
Ticket link (PWYC, RSVP Required): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/alloy-prepared-piano-workshop-4-feat-phoebe-wu-tickets-1320088061929?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl
Saturday, May 3rd, 2:00-3:30pm
Experimental Sound Studio
5925 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago 60660

04/26/2025

Tomorrow night at Constellation Chicago! Tickets are still available for this fun and interactive live performance and demonstration!
Link: Frequency Series: Shi-An Costello's Prepared Piano Project
Tickets: https://www.seetickets.us/event/frequency-series-shi-an-costellos-prepared-piano-project/639902

04/16/2025

Alloy is thrilled to announce the winner of the Alloy Studies Composer Competition, Ezra Shuminas! Ezra is a student of David Keller at Access Contemporary Music. His new work, 'Time Flies So Fast', a solo piece for the John Cage Sonatas and Interludes prepared piano, will be premiered by Shi-An Costello at Constellation Chicago Frequency Series on Sunday, April 27th. You can find tickets to the show at by visiting www.tinyurl.com/alloypiano

Congratulations to Ezra, and to the David Keller and Access Contemporary Music for cultivating such a talented, passionate young artist!

Alloy Studies is an initiative that awards Chicagoland students the opportunity to study and compose original work for the John Cage piano setup of the 1948 Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano, with technical guidance and musical feedback through all stages of the creative process, in partnership with Experimental Sound Studio. The winning composer's work culminates in a world premiere of an original piece, performed by professional musicians in Chicago.

Address

Chicago, IL

Website

https://ess.org/alloy-prepared-piano/

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