Annual Foothills Piano Festival Returns Feb. 11-13

JSU's David L. Walters Department of Music will present its annual Foothills Piano Festival February 11-13, 2010.  All events are held in the Mason Hall Performance Center on the campus of Jacksonville State University, and are free and open to the public. 

Opening the festival Thursday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. is a recital by Robert Cowan, a performer who has traveled the world sharing music.  The Julliard and Eastman graduate will perform works by Chopin, Debussy and the popular Addinsell “Warsaw Concerto.”  From 9 - 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 12, Dr. Cowan will give a Master Class, guiding college pianists in interpreting their repertoire, in front a live audience.  Later that day, Drs. Gail Steward and Wendy Faughn, Piano Faculty of JSU, will give a Master Class to junior high and high school pianists from 4 - 6 p.m.

The evening of Friday, Feb. 12 will feature Gail Smith, “The First Lady of Piano,” performing as the Anna Magdalena Bach at 7:30 p.m..  Dressed in character and performing the works of her husband J.S. Bach, Anna Magdalena will deliver accompanying narrative about her life, family and society.

On Saturday, Feb. 13 at 9:30 a.m. a continuation of baroque period exploration will be found through "Composer Stories: Bach and Handel."  Dr. Susie Dempsey will present this compilation of beautiful pictures and narrative prepared by the late Dr. Elizabeth Gillespie.  Following will be the opportunity to explore a harpsichord, as guided by JSU's Music Department Chairman, Dr. Legare McIntosh.  The morning will conclude with a contest titled "Baroque or Bust" where youth will test their knowledge of the baroque period.

Gail Smith will give the presentation "Looking Back through Bach" on Saturday at 1:45 p.m., where she will discuss Bach’s compositional technique and examine his great influence throughout time.  The afternoon will finish with a recital at 3:30 p.m. of over thirty regional youth performing baroque music on both harpsichord and piano.  The youth are students of teachers affiliated with the Northeast Music Teachers Association.

Please contact Dr. Wendy Faughn at 256-782-8258 or wfaughn@jsu.edu for more information.

To view/print the complete festival brochure, please click here.


About the photo: Gail Smith (courtesy photo)

blog comments powered by Disqus