Watching one of Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe’s videos makes a person wonder where their explosions of energy come from. They tell Rebecca Fox about the near misses and theatre in their work.
Ask pianists Greg Anderson or Elizabeth Joy Roe to describe their work and you get an unexpected answer.
''I feel we are dancing together, otherwise we're flirting or fighting,'' Roe says of the duo's energetic performances.
The pair often perform on one piano and, while they choreograph their routines to ''bring out the spirit of the music'', can get swept away by the occasion.
''Once Greg elbowed me in the eye during a performance, so we can get physically entangled. At times you can be so startled you miss a note. It's a full-contact sport,'' Roe said.
And that is how they like it. Anderson and Roe have a shared mission in life - to highlight the relevance and power of classical music in the current age.
If it means composing their own work, they will do it. The same is true when it comes to producing and starring in their own music videos.
It is this shared vision which brought the two pianists together at the Julliard School.
''We met at Orientation in the first week and were assigned to the same floor,'' Anderson said.
But it was not until a few years later that they first played together - and instantly clicked.
''There was this powerful music chemistry ... the synergy was irresistible. We lucked out.''
Part of that connection was having shared a similar upbringing in the US Midwest.
Anderson started playing piano when he was 8, Roe when she was 6.
''We both had a life-long passion for the piano.''
They describe their work as ''over the top'', ''fun'', ''surprising'' and ''intimate''.
''It's an emotional roller-coaster.''
Their joint desire to inspire a different type of art inevitably led to composing their own music and playing jazz and pop as much as classical.
A highlight for Anderson is Hallelujah, which is on the New Zealand programme.
''We were inspired by the different lyrics in the song - the shift from despair to ecstasy.''
Which is quite different to how many people might think of piano performances.
''Piano is not usually so physical. And duos are something you might do as children, or with siblings - it's quaint.
So they decided to elevate piano duos from the living room, to be worthy of the ''grand concert steps''.
''We write our own music; create a concert for the stage that employs choreography, boldness and pianistic fireworks - we explode on to the concert stage.''
Part of their mission to make classical music more assessable has been the creation of music videos, some of which are set in public places, one in a Steinway piano factory and others in concert halls.
''It's like an extreme sport - the adrenaline you get from it and the passion you put into it is addictive. We can't help ourselves.''
Even while travelling they find themselves ''cooking up'' another work.
They conceive the ideas, create, often film and then edit the videos themselves.
''Most of them are ambitious projects. If one of us is not in the shot, they're probably filming.''
One of the most memorable for Roe was the video of the Rite of Spring, which saw them burning and then ''drowning'' a piano as a sacrifice - ''it was a stand-out unforgettable experience''.
The actions matched the ''incredibly horrific'' piece of music, which incited a riot.
''We felt we had to do something to match that fear, risk and danger, so we went all out.''
For Anderson, a favourite was Saturday Night Waltz, by Copland, that they filmed in a barn with shafts of light floating over them.
Another was the Mambo, which was filmed in the middle of Washington Square Park and, while they had to jump through many hoops to film there, the spontaneous energy of the New York crowd made it worthwhile, he said.
''It's extra exciting with the struggle to get there with the permits and waivers, but it was so worth it to help make the piece explode to life.''
The energy needed to perform these works, whether on stage or film, requires the pair to look after themselves.
''We both like to eat well and sleep so we can mentally and physically recover our energy.''
They find that even when tired or unwell, being on stage invigorates them.
''You can't help but get involved in the music emotionally and physically with your partner in crime.''
For their New Zealand concerts they are promising plenty of surprises.
''People will not know what to expect, but it will be over the top.''
Their programme will include their Carmen Fantasy, which they describe as very dramatic and a ''sensational show piece''.
University of Otago Blair Prof of Music, head of classical performance Terence Dennis said he had heard the duo play in the United States at the Gina Bachauer Piano Festival.
''The brilliance of their playing and really dynamic performance flair have made them a real sensation: after meeting with them I told them I had hoped they would one day be able to play in New Zealand.''
The pair are looking forward to their trip to New Zealand - Anderson first visited seven years ago on his honeymoon and credits that trip with his love of wine.
''It was an incredible experience. I think so differently about wine now. When I sit down with a bottle of wine I go straight into that relaxed state of mind.''
For Roe, it will be a chance to see what Anderson has been raving about for so long.
''I'm excited to see it all in person.''
The pair hope to take a few days off between concerts to see the country and so far have a trip planned to Lake Tekapo and Mt Cook.
