MEDIA CONTACT: Judy Moore at (847) 491-4819 or jkm229@northwestern.edu

March 16, 2003

“From Vienna to Harlem” Piano Festival Program

Marvin Blickenstaff Workshop, 2 p.m. Saturday, April 3, Lutkin Hall. Widely known for his performances, lectures and publications, Marvin Blickenstaff has presented workshops for piano teachers throughout the United States and has been coached by Leon Fleisher and Gyorgy Sebok. Admission is free.

Student Preludes, 6:45 to 7:15 p.m., Saturday, April 3; Sunday, April 4; and Tuesday, April 6, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. Outstanding Northwestern piano students perform works such as Scriabin’s Preludes, Op. 11, Debussy’s Preludes, Book 1, and Rachmaninoff’s Preludes, Op. 23. Admission is free.

Interlochen Student Recital, 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 5, Lutkin Hall. A performance by exceptional high school piano students from the Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Mich. Admission is free.

Leon Fleisher Recital, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 3, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. Leon Fleisher remains a keyboard giant 50 years after he was hailed as the pianistic find of the century. Also renowned as a teacher and conductor, Fleisher is the artistic director of Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, Mass. A leading exponent of piano literature for left hand alone, he resumed performing with both hands in 1995 after a 30-year hiatus and now performs both left- and two-hand repertoire. His program will include music by Bach, Kirchner, Sessions, Perle and Brahms as well as Schubert’s Sonata in B-flat. Single tickets are $25 for the general public; $20 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $10 for full-time students.

Leon Fleisher Master Class, 2 p.m. Sunday, April 4, Lutkin Hall. Admission is free.

Menahem Pressler Recital, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 4, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. The guiding force of the Beaux Arts Trio since co-founding the acclaimed ensemble nearly 50 years ago, Menahem Pressler continues to inspire audiences and critics. Pressler has appeared with many of the world’s leading orchestras and performs frequently as a guest artist with renowned chamber ensembles, including the Juilliard, Emerson, American, Tokyo, and Guarneri String Quartets. His program includes the Brahms Piano Quintet in F Minor. Pressler will be joined by violinist Blair Milton, violist Yukiko Ogura and cellist Stephen Balderston. Single tickets are $25 for the general public; $20 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $10 for full-time students.

Menahem Pressler Master Class, 10 a.m. Monday, April 5, Lutkin Hall. Admission is free.

Sergei Babayan Concert, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 6, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. Known for his interpretive insights and profound musicianship, Sergei Babayan has been praised for his “unequalled touch, perfectly harmonious phrasing, and breathtaking virtuosity.” The Armenian pianist has received international acclaim and has won first prizes in piano competitions worldwide. His program includes Bach’s “Goldberg Variations.” Single tickets are $21 for the general public; $17 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $10 for full-time students.-over-

Sergei Babayan Master Class, 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 7, Lutkin Hall. Admission is free.

Margo Garrett Chamber Music Recital, noon, Wednesday, April 7, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. One of America’s most esteemed collaborative pianists, Margo Garrett performs regularly with internationally known artists in chamber, instrumental and vocal recitals. She is the inaugural holder of the Ethel Alice Hitchcock Chair in Accompanying at the University of Minnesota, chair of the Program for Singers faculty at the Ravinia Festival’s Steans Institute for Young Artists, and a faculty member at the Juilliard School. In addition to teaching and performing, she frequently lectures at leading music schools worldwide. Her performance features School of Music faculty member and horn player Gail Williams and Chicago String Quartet violinist Joseph Genualdi in a program that includes the Brahms Horn Trio. Admission is free.

Margo Garrett Master Class, 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 7, Lutkin Hall. Admission is free.

Jean-Michel Pilc Recital, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 7, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. A jazz pianist of razzle-dazzle technique, Jean-Michel Pilc is known as a quick-thinking improviser. Pilc embraces the musical sensibilities of his native France through allusions to Ravel, Debussy, Poulenc and others. His program will include original pieces as well as improvisations on music by such composers as Chopin, Ellington and Gershwin. Single tickets are $12 for the general public; $8.50 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $5.50 for full-time students.

Jean-Michel Pilc Master Class, 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 6, Lutkin Hall. Admission is free.

Monster Piano Concert, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 8, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. Pick-Staiger will resound to the thunder of eight Steinway pianos in this exceptional concert experience. Many hands make light work as the School of Music piano faculty and Dean Toni-Marie Montgomery perform with special guests. The program includes works by Tchaikovsky and Gershwin as well as Rossini’s “Semiramide” Overture and Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” Single tickets are $12 for the general public; $8.50 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $5.50 for full-time students.

Kids Fare,“All Keyed Up” Concert, 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 10, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. This special installment of Kids Fare highlights keyboard instruments -- organ, harpsichord, accordion, celesta and synthesizer as well as piano -- in a kaleidoscope of musical styles from classical to jazz and beyond. The program is ideal for children aged 3 to 8. Single tickets are $5 for the general public; $4 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $3 for full-time students.

Marcus Roberts Trio, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 10, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. Pianist Marcus Roberts, drummer Jason Marsalis, and bassist Roland Guerin will take audiences on a jazzy ride where “New Orleans Meets Harlem.” Blind since age five, Roberts began his career performing with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and became the first jazz musician to have his first three recordings reach number one on the Billboard magazine traditional jazz chart. “Classical music has always had a huge impact on jazz musicians,” says Roberts, citing Chopin, Ravel, Debussy and Beethoven as among his key influences. In 1998 he received the Helen Keller Award for Personal Achievement. Single tickets are $15 for the general public; $10 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $5 for full-time students.

Following the April 10 evening performance, Pick-Staiger Concert Hall will host a post-concert reception in the lobby for audience members and performers featuring one of Chicago’s favorite cabaret pianists.