Dr. David Toub, a Wyncote (Cheltenham Township) resident, physician, and composer, attended the Brussels premiere of his piano work, “Duophony”, on Saturday, October 13.

The concert took place as part of the Nuits du Beau Tas festival and the work was performed by Belgian pianist Stéphane Ginsburgh after premiering in Paris in 2023.

Duophony is on a forthcoming CD to be released November 27 on the Sub Rosa label. The CD also includes the work “Gendarme de la Libertad” in which Ginsburgh both recites the text and performs on piano.

Ginsburgh wrote the following about Toub:

David Toub is a unique voice in American minimalism, a genre that has produced quite a few composers over the past 80 years. Our first contact dates back about fifteen years, and from the very beginning, David struck me as a committed composer, dedicated to building a coherent body of work. But he is also an engaged individual, deeply concerned with the challenges of our time and genuinely generous. In other words, a mensch—a rare kind of person. His music, in some ways, reflects today’s anxieties and uncertainties: repetitive, obsessive, often dark, and questioning. This is the second album of his music that I have recorded, and this time, David has incorporated the human voice to feature a speech given by Che Guevara in 1964. The speech addresses the contradiction between a state’s founding principles and its actions. How can a nation advocate for freedom year-round while deliberately acting against minorities, particularly those historically oppressed? The piece does not provide an answer—this question remains just as relevant today, 60 years later.

The CD containing “Gendarme de la Libertad” and “Duophony” is available for pre-order. Toub’s other music is available on Bandcamp as well as Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming services.

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Photo: David Toub