Cellist William Skidmore of the West Virginia University School of Music faculty will present his “Fourth Almost Semi-Annual Recital Pensively Considering Looming Retirement” on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 8:15 p.m. in the Bloch Learning and Performance Hall (200A) of the Creative Arts Center.

Featured on the program will be the first movement of Kodaly’s “Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 8,” Debussy’s “Sonata for Cello and Piano,” and Beethoven’s “Sonata in A Major, Op. 69, for Piano with Cello Obbligato.” Assisting on the program will be pianists Carol Beall and Lucy Mauro.

“Kodaly’s Solo Sonata is rarely performed, it having been pretty much left to the renowned cellist, Janos Starker, who made it and himself famous by winning the prestigious Grande Prix du Disque with his recording of it,” Skidmore said. “This is a very prestigious French award given to a classical music recording deemed to be outstanding, and it is rarely given to such a solo work.”

He said Debussy’s “Sonata for Cello and Piano” was intended to be one of a group of six works written by the composer. Only three were finished; the cello sonata being the first, followed by the “Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp” and the “Sonata for Violin and Piano.”

Beethoven’s A Major Sonata was a landmark work in that its form and compositional style set the standard for such works to follow. Of his works for piano and cello, it is the most frequently performed. Carol Beall has collaborated with Skidmore for many years, and this performance marks the completion for them of presenting the cycle of all five of his sonatas for the piano and cello.

Skidmore joined the faculty of the University of Maryland in the fall of 1964, and he was the youngest member of that faculty for two years. He later joined the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for four seasons before coming to WVU in 1977. Thus, this year marks his 50th year in the work force, and it is his 36th year at WVU. After such a long career, he said, retirement does seem to be looming, but the decision has not yet been made.

For more information about the recital, contact the WVU College of Creative Arts at (304) 293-4359.

-WVU-

cl/09/18/13

CONTACT: Charlene Lattea, College of Creative Arts
304-293-4359, Charlene.Lattea@mail.wvu.edu

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