{"id":123017,"date":"2026-03-31T15:58:33","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T19:58:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=123017"},"modified":"2026-04-01T08:00:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T12:00:02","slug":"preview-part-theatre-part-recital-room-keys-stars-actor-pianist-adam-sherkin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/03\/31\/preview-part-theatre-part-recital-room-keys-stars-actor-pianist-adam-sherkin\/","title":{"rendered":"PREVIEW | Part Theatre, Part Recital: Room Of Keys Stars Actor-Pianist Adam Sherkin"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"L:
L: Pianist\/actor\/composer Adam Sherkin: R: Playwright David James Brock (Photos courtesy of the artists)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Room of Keys is a new play by David James Brock. Tom Diamond directs the performance, which features actor-pianist Adam Sherkin in a hybrid of play and recital.<\/p>\n

Both the play and the recital are based on Bart\u00f3k\u2019s Bluebeard. Performances take place April 9 to 12 at the nanoSTAGE, and a noon-hour show as part of the Canadian Opera Company\u2019s Free Concert series on April 16.<\/p>\n

Personnel<\/h2>\n

David James Brock<\/h3>\n

Playwright, screenwriter, poet, and opera librettist David James Brock is based in Toronto, where he is a professor at Humber Polytechnic\u2019s Bachelor of Creative and Professional Writing program.<\/p>\n

Accolades for his work include the 2011 Herman Voaden Canadian National Playwriting Award for his play Wet, and five Dora Mavor Moore nominations for his play-opera hybrid a million billion pieces (Young People\u2019s Theatre).<\/p>\n

Brock has created opera text and song lyrics for Noise Opera, Tapestry New Opera, Young People’s Theatre, the Canadian Art Song Project, Write off The Keyboard, FAWN Chamber Creative, Tankcrimes Records, the Paul Dresher Ensemble, and the University of Notre Dame.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s written two poetry collections, released by Wolsak & Wynne publishers. As a screenwriter, co-wrote the screenplay and songs for Mother of All Shows, which won the award for outstanding narrative feature at the 2023 Art of Brooklyn Film Festival and garnered a Canadian Screen Award nomination. Together with collaborators Melissa D\u2019Agostino and composer Rebecca Everett, he wrote the animated film The Christmas Witch Trial of La Befana, which stars Anjelica Huston, and will premiere in 2026.<\/p>\n

Adam Sherkin<\/h3>\n

Pianist, composer, and actor Adam Sherkin studied music at The Glenn Gould School, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Music, followed by the Royal College of Music in London, UK, where he earned a Master of Music degree. He\u2019s worked as an instructor in piano at Toronto\u2019s Royal Conservatory, and at The New School in New York City.<\/p>\n

Today, he\u2019s the founder and managing director of Piano Lunaire, an organization that looks to create unique experiences for concertgoers. Piano Lunaire presents recitals in Toronto and New York on the dates of the full moon. Focused on contemporary classical music, the organization has commissioned several works from composers.<\/p>\n

Sherkin has also worked with a number of other organizations and ensembles. As a performer, he was appeared at the Four Seasons Centre, the Toronto Centre for the Arts, the Music Gallery, Glenn Gould Studio, St Martin-in-the Fields, Covent Garden and the Royal Albert Hall.<\/p>\n

He began composing music while still a student, training with Alexander Rapoport, Svetlana Maksimovic and Jack Behrens. He premiered his work Three Preludes at the Park Lane Group\u2019s Composers Symposium in the UK in 2003. Other music of his premiered at Manchester\u2019s Bridgewater Hall, The King\u2019s Lynn Festival (Norfolk), at St James Piccadilly and the National Portrait Gallery, London.<\/p>\n

Since returning to Canada following his studies, he\u2019s premiered several of his works for piano and various ensembles, including his Terra Incognita, which the National Youth Orchestra of Canada performed on tour in 2005.<\/p>\n

Sherkin performs his Tagish Fires, Op.21 No. 1: \u201cOctania\u201d in 2023:<\/p>\n