Kirill Gerstein releases Chick Corea’s “The Visitors” as a Digital Single

“Here’s to freedom in music.” – Chick Corea

On June 12, 2025—what would have been Chick Corea’s 84th birthday—ECM Records honors the legendary pianist and composer with the release of a digital-only single: The Visitors, a previously unreleased 12-minute composition written by Corea himself.

‘Composing this duet piece for Kirill and Gary was a happy challenge. To have a pianist of Kirill’s accomplishment play my written piano notes inspired me to compose. I thank him for the opportunity. The Visitors is constructed in small sections with a final section that vamps, jazz-style, over a piano ostinato. I wrote it so that there would always be a choice of whether to play the written notes exactly as written or play variations of the phrasings. I conjured encounters with unfamiliar phenomena and wrote a kind of “soundtrack” to that idea. Of course, one could also think of it as their “next door neighbors”. These concepts are always open for wide interpretation. Here’s to freedom in music.‘ – Chick Corea, March 2012

This piece was commissioned for Kirill Gerstein by The Gilmore Piano Festival and co-commissioned by Berklee College of Music, The Fine Family Foundation, Karlsons & Associates, LLC, Tom and Donna Lambert, and Peter and Libby Seaver in memory of Patricia Holmes Clark. It premiered at the 2012 Gilmore International Piano Festival. The original recording, which was thought to have been lost to time, was recently unearthed by Gerstein and Burton. Then, with the help of producer Manfred Eicher, it was lovingly mixed in Munich in Spring 2025.

Photos by John Lacko Photography

This piece is a rare glimpse into a unique collaboration between three visionary musicians. As Gerstein reflects, “With Chick no longer with us, and Gary now retired, this is a singular document—both musically and personally meaningful.”

When Kirill Gerstein was named the recipient of the Gilmore Artist Award in 2010, many journalists asked him what he planned to do with the prize money. He explained that being named the Gilmore Artist challenged him to be daring with the projects he pursued. This led him to commission works from various composers—pieces that stretched beyond his usual repertoire. In a conversation with then-Gilmore Executive Director Daniel Gustin, Kirill shared:

“It has also been on my mind to spend a good portion of the money in a way that will be tangible both after the money is spent and after my period of exclusivity with these new creations finishes. The music is something that will be around for other pianists to play and for listeners to enjoy, and I think in many ways it continues the tradition of The Gilmore that we know.”

At the time of this conversation, his two most recent commissioned works were the aforementioned The Visitors and a piece by Brad Mehldau, which also premiered at the 2012 Gilmore Piano Festival. Part of the reason Kirill chose to collaborate with artists like Chick Corea and Mehldau stemmed from his early exposure to jazz, which had been a vital part of his musical upbringing before his focus shifted more fully to classical music. As he explained:

“For a long time, I didn’t pay much attention to the fact that jazz remained this important internal organ of mine that suddenly was not connected to any outlet anymore… Now, partly because of my personal changes and partly because stimulated by the Award, I take upon myself this challenge that I should make something out of this honor and follow certain paths that I wouldn’t have followed otherwise. All of that in combination is actually bringing me closer to jazz.”

Now, The Visitors has been recorded and released for audiences to enjoy—just as Kirill hoped. We’ll leave you with Daniel’s final words from that same conversation: “Well, maybe some of your recordings someday will be regarded alongside some of those you most admire.”

Perhaps this is one of them. You can download the digital release of The Visitors with Kirill Gerstein and Gary Burton here.