Spring Piano Concerts at UCM Continue With Guest Artists, Piano Showcase & Student Workshops

The University of Central Missouri (UCM) Division of Music continues its series of spring piano concerts with two guest artists, the annual Piano Showcase and the inaugural UCM Piano Day.

On Wednesday, March 25 at 7 p.m. in Hart Recital Hall in the Utt Building, Angela Kim will perform a solo recital of piano sonatas by Haydn and Scarlatti, paired with recent works by Leilehua Lanzilotti, Darian Donovan Thomas, and Juantio Becenti. The recital is underwritten by grants from the and UCM’s Digital Learning and Instructional Innovation Speaker Series. 

Angela Kim, DMA, is an associate professor of Piano at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIUE). Praised as a dynamic and versatile pianist “of the highest technical standard,” Angela Kim has performed around the globe and taught at the New England Conservatory of Music. She also served as a visiting professor of Piano at the Eastman School of Music, where she and Albert Kim, DMA, associate professor of Piano at UCM, studied concurrently with Natalya Antonova.

 

Lucy Tan, DMA, director of Keyboard Studies at Washburn University, will perform a solo recital of piano works by Chen Yi, Tan Dun, Florence Price, and William Grant Still at 7 p.m. Monday, March 30 in Hart Recital Hall. 

Tan launched her performing career at age 11 with her radio debut on WBGH’s “Morning Pro Musica” and was later featured on NPR’s “From the Top.” She has given concerts at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center and has been a featured performer at Chamber Music Amarillo, Grace Episcopal Cathedral, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival and the Music Academy of the West.

The spring piano concerts will wrap up with the annual UCM Piano Showcase at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 11 in Hart Recital Hall. 

The concert will feature performances by UCM faculty and students. The showcase also serves as the conclusion of UCM Piano Day, a new event for pre-college-age students hosted by Music faculty members Albert Kim and Mia Kim, DMA, professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy.

Piano Day is geared toward students in grades 7-12 with at least three years of piano study. Participants will receive private lessons from UCM faculty and attend workshops on advanced piano technique, managing performance anxiety and incorporating music into college studies regardless of a student’s degree program. The day includes lunch with UCM Music students and faculty. Activities will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude with the 2 p.m. concert. 

All three spring piano concerts are free and open to the public. No tickets are required. For more information, contact the Division of Music at 660-543-4530.

Students attend Piano Day at no cost, but is required by April 6. For more information or to register, contact Albert Kim at akim@ucmo.edu or 660-543-4471 or visit ucmo.edu/ucmpiano.