University News

WIU Hosts Third Annual Piano Festival

October 10, 2014

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MACOMB, IL – The Western Illinois University School of Music hosted a recital and masterclass Sept. 12-13 with guest artist Nicholas Roth.

The third annual WIU Piano Festival featured a masterclass for auditioned high school and WIU piano students, including Matt Nall, a graduate student in piano pedagogy from Camp Point, IL; Hyerin Tark, a graduate student in piano from South Korea; Yunhee Kim, a graduate student in piano from Macomb; 11th grader Gareth Cordery, of Monmouth, IL; 10th grader Elizabeth Lindqwister, of Peoria, IL; ninth grader Rachel Eckert, of Davenport, IA; 11th grader Star Commanday, of Peoria, IL, and ninth grader Sophia Xiao, of Bettendorf, IA.

Roth has appeared as a soloist with the St. Louis and Indianapolis symphonies. He has also been featured in recitals and festivals throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Serbia and Spain.

Roth is a Yamaha Artist in Education, a Beethoven Fellow of the American Pianists Association, won first prizes in the chamber music competitions of Tortona and Pietra Ligure, Italy, and received a DAAD grant to further his studies in Germany.

Roth holds a doctor of musical arts degree from Michigan State University, artist diploma from the Hochschule für Musik in Munich, and MM and BM degrees from Indiana University, where he was the recipient of the School of Music's highest honors. He is an associate professor of piano at Drake University and has numerous recordings with Blue Griffin Recording.

The WIU Piano Festival was sponsored by the WIU School of Music, College of Fine Arts and Communication (COFAC), Visiting Lectures Committee and the Council on Student Activities Fund.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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