George Takei and Fabio Banegas collaborate on album combining Bottiroli Piano Works and spoken poetry

Pianist Fabio Banegas (left) and actor George Takei (right) collaborated on the upcoming classical album Bottiroli Complete Piano Works (Vol. 2) - Nocturnes

MAY 20, 2021 - George Takei has brought his iconic deep baritone timbre to a new project by renowned classical pianist Fabio Banegas. As noted in a recent press release, Banegas’ latest album, entitled Bottiroli Piano Works (Complete), Vol. 2 · Nocturnes, features the Star Trek actor as narrator for Five Piano Replies, a group of tracks at the album’s end that pair written poetry with instrumental piano.

Argentinian composer José Antonio Bottiroli, a mentor of Banegas who died in 1990, “had a deep fascination with the night sky and outer space”. The pieces on this album “paint beautiful, vespertinal scenes,” images of a dark evening and a starry sky.

Have a listen to one of the tracks:

According to the press release, “Choice collaborator George Takei enters, lending his iconic timbre to sincere, sage, and resonant narration. His legendary connection to Star Trek — a beloved franchise that intelligently promotes exploration, peace, and awe of the universe — makes him a fitting ambassador for these celestially-inspired works.”

The story also tells how Takei and Banegas met while standing in line for an architectural tour of Chicago, beginning a friendship that has now become a collaboration. 

Bottiroli Piano Works (Complete), Vol. 2 · Nocturnes releases on May 28th through Grand Piano, a specialist piano label from classical music distributor Naxos, and is available today for pre-order at amazon.com.