ESU Honors Program and Theatre Department Present Guest Pianist, September 17

Posted by: admin on September 10, 2015, No Comments

Guest pianist Stephen Whale will present “Chopin and His Milieu,” a lecture/demonstration on Thursday, September 17 at 2 p.m. in the Cecilia S. Cohen Recital Hall of East Stroudsburg University’s Fine and Performing Arts Center, Normal and Marguerite streets, East Stroudsburg.

At the keyboard, Whale will explore Chopin’s music and discuss the composer’s importance to Romanticism, his place in the music continuum, and his relationship with his contemporaries including George Sand, the novelist and early women’s rights advocate.

The presentation, sponsored by the university’s honors program and the department of theatre, is open to the public at no cost.

Whale, an 28-year-old Australian native who is completing his doctoral studies at the City University of New York(CUNY) Graduate Center, is known for his poetic approach to his instrument in solo engagements in Australia, Europe and the United States.

In addition to the solo piano repertoire, Whale is pursuing an interest in voice-leading analysis and the philosophy of interpretation. His primary teachers include Boris Berman, Natalia Sheludiakova, Audun Kayser and Steven Graff.

For more information about the presentation contact the fine arts department at 570-422-3483, or visit the website larchetconcertgroup.com or call 917-716-9245.