Lubomyr Melnyk

Experience the hypnotic continuous music of pianist Lubomyr Melnyk at Pioneer Works, a cascading choir of sound that defies convention.

Pioneer Works is pleased to present one of the greatest pianists of our time, Lubomyr Melnyk.

The Ukrainian-born virtuoso and pioneer of “continuous music” is known for his extraordinary technical abilities, and the beauty and depth of his compositions. He has brought to the world an entirely new language of the piano with a new dimension of sound that transforms the piano into a symphony orchestra—often described as a resonant “choir of sound.” This is a rare opportunity to witness a piano legend, and hear the sheer mountain of sound he produces from the piano—which can never be recorded.

About the artist

Lubomyr Melnyk is the fastest pianist in the world. He can play nearly twenty notes per second, a near-overwhelming but perfectly controlled roil that blurs into a gorgeously cohesive whole. Lauded for his ability to create a symphony of sound with a single instrument, Melnyk has spent 40 years developing his unique piano technique.

Born in Ukraine in 1948, Melnyk fell for the piano at an early age. Given lessons as a young child after his family emigrated to Canada after the iron curtain came down, he was immediately transfixed by the possibilities of the instrument. “On the piano, you can create whole worlds,” he reflects. “I realised that it could be an orchestra, a choir of sound.” Described as “continuous music,” the style combines the soaring density of post-rock and the virtuosic delicacy of minimal-classical. What results is a meditative, mind-bending cloud of abstract sound, with clear emotions and images appearing out of the pointillist flurry.