Between performances in converted warehouses, basements, bars, art museums, sculpture gardens and traditional concert halls, wearing tuxedos with tails or jeans and sock feet, Jeff Manchur is committed to creating diverse and challenging musical experiences for audiences across the United States and Canada. He has performed Morton Feldman’s iconic 4 hour and 45 minute-long “For Philip Guston” with Chamber Cartel in Atlanta and regularly performs on the toy piano (he owns two), appearing at the BGSU, Studio 300 and Tutti New Music festivals. His solo piano performances span from premieres of works by Garrett Hope to his personal takes on the classics of Beethoven, the drama of Wuorinen to the passion of Liszt, the eclecticism of Rzewski to the refinement of Debussy.
Jeff’s playing has been rewarded at the 2013 BGSU Concerto Competition (winner in the Graduate Division with Schnittke's Concerto for Piano and Strings) and the Dr Marjorie Conrad Art Song Competition (first place, 2013) for his collaboration with soprano Fidelia Esther Darmahkasih. He performed with the Chiara String Quartet as a finalist in the “Play with the Chiaras” competition (2012) and represented Nebraska in the MTNA Young Artist competition as their state winner (2011). Most recently, he has received an educational grant from the Manitoba Arts Council and in March of 2014, served as an artist in residence at the Hambidge Center in Rabun Gap, Georgia.
As a young student, Jeff Manchur took a passionate stand against contemporary music. His early studies were with Sandra Dowhan in Dauphin, Manitoba before completing a Bachelor of Music with Greatest Distinction, studying with Joan Miller at Brandon University. Graduate studies took him to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to work with Paul Barnes. At the same time, he studied classical performance practice with Ann Chang, leading him to take a keen research interest in the study of early recordings, most especially the eccentric Ervin Nyiregyhazi.
His love and respect of traditional music has led him into the world of new music, searching for fresh ways of musical expression beyond the conventional boundaries imposed by current customs of classical music. He is a student in the Doctor of Musical Arts in Contemporary Music program at Bowling Green State University where he has studied with Robert Shannon and presently, Thomas Rosenkranz.
Jeff’s playing has been rewarded at the 2013 BGSU Concerto Competition (winner in the Graduate Division with Schnittke's Concerto for Piano and Strings) and the Dr Marjorie Conrad Art Song Competition (first place, 2013) for his collaboration with soprano Fidelia Esther Darmahkasih. He performed with the Chiara String Quartet as a finalist in the “Play with the Chiaras” competition (2012) and represented Nebraska in the MTNA Young Artist competition as their state winner (2011). Most recently, he has received an educational grant from the Manitoba Arts Council and in March of 2014, served as an artist in residence at the Hambidge Center in Rabun Gap, Georgia.
As a young student, Jeff Manchur took a passionate stand against contemporary music. His early studies were with Sandra Dowhan in Dauphin, Manitoba before completing a Bachelor of Music with Greatest Distinction, studying with Joan Miller at Brandon University. Graduate studies took him to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to work with Paul Barnes. At the same time, he studied classical performance practice with Ann Chang, leading him to take a keen research interest in the study of early recordings, most especially the eccentric Ervin Nyiregyhazi.
His love and respect of traditional music has led him into the world of new music, searching for fresh ways of musical expression beyond the conventional boundaries imposed by current customs of classical music. He is a student in the Doctor of Musical Arts in Contemporary Music program at Bowling Green State University where he has studied with Robert Shannon and presently, Thomas Rosenkranz.
