Internationally acclaimed pianists Ann Schein and Dan Haerle will be special guests as the West Virginia University School of Music hosts its annual Keyboard Festival and Competition at the Creative Arts Center, June 24-28.
Titled “The Intersection of Jazz and Classical Music” Festival and Competition 2013, the event will explore the many ways jazz and classical music intersect and influence each other.
“The festival idea sprang from a desire to celebrate the piano and diminish the barriers between the classical and jazz piano worlds,” said Christine Kefferstan, professor of piano and one of the organizers of the event. “The WVU faculty is committed to supporting our piano students’ interests and training in both jazz and classical piano.
“Our aim is to stimulate a deeper appreciation for the connections between jazz and classical music, as well as to have a great deal of fun,” she said. “The energy created by the gathering of our distinguished guests, invited area teachers, and musicians entered in the competitions is not to be missed.”
The festival will feature piano competitions for both high school and college students in the areas of jazz and classical music, with prizes that include substantial cash awards from $500 up to $1500.
In addition to competitions in jazz and classical music for high school and college pianists, teachers and students can participate in workshops, master classes, and panel discussions given by WVU faculty and invited professionals from across the United States.
“The Intersection of Jazz and Classical Music” festival schedule will explore rags, etudes, improvisation, blues, and two piano performances as well as chamber music, Eastern European compositions, and issues of the current job market.
Three special public events will be held as part of the festival.
A jazz concert by Dan Haerle will be held Monday, June 24, at 7 p.m. and a classical recital by Ann Schein will be held Wednesday, June 26, at 7 p.m.
Both concerts are ticketed and will be held in the Bloch Learning and Performance Hall (Room 200A). Tickets are available at the door or at the registration desk. Tickets are $10 for registered participants and students and $15 for the general public.
The WVU Showcase concert will be held Tuesday, June 25, at 7 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. The concert will feature WVU College of Creative Arts faculty and guest artists doing what they do best—sharing their enthusiasm and talents with each other and the audience.
Classical pianist Ann Schein made her first recordings at age 18, which established her as one of the premiere Chopin pianists of our time. She has performed with renowned conductors George Szell, James Levine, Seiji Ozawa, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, and Sir Colin Davis in orchestras around the world, including the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Baltimore Symphony, the London Philharmonic, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. As a student of Arthur Rubenstein and Dame Myra Hess, her long and distinguished career includes concert tours of Brazil with Jessye Norman, performances in more than 50 countries, and performances at the White House. For more information, see Schein’s website at: http://www.annschein.com.
Jazz pianist Dan Haerle was inducted into the International Association of Jazz Educators Hall of Fame in Toronto in 2003. This association honors individuals whose musical contributions and dedication to jazz education over the past 25 years have created new directions and curricular innovations for jazz education worldwide. Haerle has toured the United States and Canada with the Stan Kenton Band and toured Europe with the Clark Terry Quintet. He has performed with Chris Connor, Mel Torme, Al Jarreau, and Pat Metheny among others. He taught at the University of North Texas for 25 years, where some of his accomplishments included pioneering the concept of electronic keyboard ensembles in universities. See Haerle’s website at: http://danhaerle.com/bio.html.
For more information on the WVU Keyboard Festival and Competition, contact Christine Kefferstan at 304-293-4521, email Christine.Kefferstan@mail.wvu.edu or see the Keyboard Festival and Competition website at: http://music.wvu.edu/keyboardfestival.
Three registration segments will offer flexibility in pricing and time commitment. A three-day pass for the festival costs $105 and a five-day pass costs $135.
Walk in registration is $40 a day for anyone not pre-registered.
In addition, public school teachers can sign up for three hours of professional development credit through WVU Extended Learning. To register online, go to: continuinged.wvu.edu.
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