Aron Kallay

Colburn School

Franz Liszt’s Liebestraum No. 3 elicits complicated reactions from musicians and audiences alike. Is it meaningless drivel or a profound exploration of the depths of love? Are audiences driven to eyerolls or to a state of ecstasy? Having no reaction is not an option.

Liebestraum is up there with Für Elise and Claire de Lune as some of the most performed and beloved solo piano works. Aron Kallay wants a reason to perform it! He also thinks it’s time for an update. ‘30 for 30’ composers Michael Frazier, Brandon Rolle, Zanaida Robles, and Daniel Allas use Liebestraum as a point of departure, creating new work on what it means to love, to dream. Composer Marek Zebrowski has written a new piece in honor of Aron’s Grandmother Cecilia Viola Kallay, who passed away in 2023 at the ripe old age of 100. She enabled Aron to pursue his own dreams by supporting him through college, even though she wasn’t a person of means. Zebrowski is the director of the Polish Music Institute at USC.

Piano Spheres: Aron Kallay – Love/Dream