by Melanie Wong

Pianist and composer Gregg Kallor gave a refreshing performance at SubCulture last week during the new venue's cross-genre piano festival. The evening centered around two of Kallor's original works—the world premiere of Undercurrent for cello and piano, as well as the premiere of his latest music video "Broken Sentences"—through which he established himself as a brilliant young composer, one whose ingenuity will inevitably spark interest and new relevance for a broader range of today's audiences.

Kallor's latest music video depicts him chasing down each of the 88 colorful pianos Sing For Hope sprinkled around the city earlier this summer while performing "Broken Sentences" (a movement from his NYC-inspired piano suite, A Single Noon). The video was a visual feast for the eyes that spun through New York's landscape and created a relevant and engaging setting for the music. Music videos—a medium currently underutilized by classical musicians—have incredible artistic potential, and Kallor's exploration could prove to be a means for sparking interest among the coveted younger generation of audiences.

Cellist Laura Metcalf joined Kallor on stage for Undercurrent; as a duo, the two were superb—their nuances and subtleties enhanced by the natural acoustics of the room. Kallor displays a truly wonderful fluidity in his sound, and his energy is such that there is never a dull or ambiguous moment. As a composer, his music is largely accessible without lacking in complexity or innovation.