Piano Day at the Mirror Chapel of the Klementinum with the minimalism of Otto A. Totland

Piano Day has become an integral part of the Spectaculare festival tradition. This year’s edition will take place on March 28 in the unique setting of the Mirror Chapel at Prague’s Klementinum, where Norwegian composer Otto Andreas Totland will present his piano compositions alongside Czech duo Mazoch/Libanský.

Otto A. Totland began his musical journey on a computer but soon shifted to the piano. A self-taught musician, his approach is reflected in his distinctive playing style and compositional voice. He draws inspiration from Norwegian folk music, Romantic-era composers and Scandinavian jazz. His minimalist, melancholic and meditative compositions transport listeners from the cacophony of the modern world to the calm of a remote cabin in the heart of Norwegian nature.

Totland first gained wider recognition as part of the duo Deaf Center, which he formed with Erik Skodvin (aka Svarte Greiner). Here, Totland’s introspective piano is accompanied by his partner’s dark electronic textures. In 2025, the duo released their comeback album Reverie. Totland also worked as one half of the project Nest, while his solo output is primarily defined by the deeply personal trilogy Pinô, The Lost and Companion, released on the Sonic Pieces label. His latest recording Exin (2024), produced under the supervision of Nils Frahm at Berlin’s Funkhaus studio, marks a new creative direction and presents a collection of musical miniatures.

Prague musicians Petr Mazoch and Jiří Libánský combine piano, imagination and natural improvisation. Their joint performances create sonic landscapes in which joy, drama and melancholy intertwine against a background of ambient and rhythmic structures. Mazoch is known for his solo work, while Libanský has collaborated with numerous Czech artists (Aid Kid, Děti mezi reprákama, Bratři Orffové, Floex). Together they released a recording of their improvised set Session SH01 in 2024.

On March 28, Mazoch & Libanský together with Otto A. Totland will celebrate Piano Day at the Mirror Chapel of the Klementinum – a date which falls on the 88th day of the year, symbolically dedicated to the 88 keys of the piano. The tradition was founded in 2015 by pianist and composer Nils Frahm to promote the piano as an inspiring musical instrument.

The event is realised in collaboration with Calmake