SCHEDULE OF EVENTS - 2009 FESTIVAL FOR CREATIVE PIANISTS
March 25 - 28, 2009
Founder & Artistic Director: Arthur Houle
Festival Assistants: Lyn Ross and Evelyn Billberg
Calvin Hofer, Music Department Head
• Dr. Arthur Houle, pianist, will present a lecture/demonstration, "Classical Improvisation: The Creative, Quintessentially Liberal Arts Approach to Teaching and Performing Piano Classics," as part of the Mesa State College Faculty Colloquium Series.
A lively demonstration and discussion of classical improvisation and embellishment, using well-known examples from the classical piano repertory.
5:15 P.M. Tune Kawai stage pianoRecital hall available all day (except 2:00 to 5:30 PM) for judges to practice. If they are not using the pianos, students may have access.
11:30 A.M. Judges meet in Houle office, MPAC 130 for orientation and lunch at Bin 707, 707 Horizon 243-0000 (reserved for 12:15)
Admission: $15 for adults, $10 for seniors & $5 for students; call MSC Box Office (970.248.1604) for advance tickets.
• Kick-off Concert (part of the MSC Guest Artist Series): Stuart Isacoff, pianist (with assistance from John Salmon) Mr. Isacoff will present an eclectic mix of classical and jazz selections.
Free admission for this program. This presentation is part of the MSC Music History and Literature class, but the general public is invited.
Stuart Isacoff, pianist, will present a lecture/demonstration. Main topic will be a discussion of his book, Temperament: How Music Became a Battleground for the Great Minds of Western Civilization. Time permitting, Mr. Isacoff will also discuss other topics such as Classic era ornamentation and improvisation.
Suggested donation, at the door: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors & $5 for students.
• John Salmon, pianist (with assistance from Stuart Isacoff, Arthur Houle, and Monte Atkinson) Dr. Salmon will present an eclectic mix of classical and jazz selections.
approx. 4:30 P.M.: Winner #'s will be posted on MPAC hallway bulletin board. Students must plan to consult this in order to know if they are performing at the Winners Recital. Students will each play one piece only (chosen by judges) per prize won. Memory is not required.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT HONORABLE MENTION PRIZES: Honorable mentions are announced at the Awards Ceremony. All students must attend the Winners Recital and Awards Ceremony; students who are absent will forfeit any prizes that may have been otherwise awarded.
7:30 P.M.: Winners Recital and Awards Ceremony. Suggested donation is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for students, at the door. Open to the general public. REQUIRED ATTENDANCE BY ALL CONTESTANTS.
Registration: Your sign-in at the door of the Recital Hall at the Thursday and/or Friday evening concerts (March 26 & 27), 7:30 P.M., will serve as your registration.
Practicing: Practice pianos are available throughout the festival. The stage piano may be used whenever the Recital Hall is not otherwise being used for adjudications or evening programs. Please limit your times on the stage to no more than 10 minutes at a time, especially if you see someone else wishing to use the piano. Please be considerate and give priority to those who are scheduled early to adjudicate. (Please no food or drink in the Recital Hall or practice rooms!)
Adjudications: are open to the public on condition that there are no distractions for the performers. This means:
1) Cell phones must be turned off.
2) No flash (or noisy) cameras. Such photos may be taken at the Awards Ceremony Saturday night, after performances.
3) People may only enter the Recital Hall between performances.
Monitors reserve the right to ask people to leave if there are any disruptions.
Students may play their pieces in any order they choose at their adjudications, even if it differs from the program sheet (or application form). Memorization is not required; please bring your music with measures numbered (if you have extra copies of the music, that would be appreciated but it's not necessary unless you are playing from the score). Those playing original pieces need not have scores, but scores are appreciated (even if they are a bit rough). Judges will be seated on the stage, off to the side. Members of the audience who wish to hear their verbal comments (immediately following the adjudications) are encouraged to sit close to the stage (please be quiet during performances, however).
Judges will only see contestant #'s (no names).
IMPORTANT: Participants: Please remember your contestant # (listed below).
Parking: Parking can be a challenge for the Moss Performing Arts Center. Please allow yourself time for this, especially during the day. You can park briefly in front of the building to drop someone off, but only for up to 15 minutes. There are reserved lots across the street that are O.K. in evenings, but not during the day. For daytime parking you will want to find a side street with legal parking. For more info contact Lyn Ross at lross@mesastate.edu or 970.248.1233 during normal business hours.