Johanna Summer's 'Dialoge' Album: Improvisation Meets Classical Tradition

Pianist Johanna Summer releases 'Dialoge', an album born from a spontaneous 2023 Lucerne Piano Festival performance with Igor Levit. The album features duets with Claire Huangci, Kit Armstrong, Danae Dörken, and Levit, where Summer improvises over their chosen classical pieces without prior knowledge of the repertoire. Summer's approach, which blends classical composition with improvisation, has drawn criticism from a classical critic who called it a sign of a 'fake-obsessed era'. Summer defends her method as a sincere search for each work's essence, translating it into her personal vocabulary. The album is released on ACT Records, distributed by Edel. Summer has upcoming performances across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, including solo shows and collaborations with Malakoff Kowalski, Franziska Hölscher, and the Armida Quartett.