Tarleton Piano Festival begins next Friday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 8, 2009

STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS—In its sixth year, the Tarleton State University Piano Festival will feature guest artist Clifton Matthews, a Juilliard-trained pianist who is a member of the artist-faculty at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

The piano festival begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16 with a solo piano recital by Matthews in the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center Theater. A reception will follow the concert.

Featured repertoire for the recital will include Mozart "Sonata in B flat major," Brahms "Fantasies, Op. 116," Faure "Nocturne in D flat major," Debussy "Suite Bergamasque" and Chopin''''s beloved "Barcarolle."

Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for students.

Matthews has been the recipient of two Fulbright awards for study in Munich, Germany. In addition to his faculty position, Matthews has taught for many years on the summer faculty of the Tibor Varga Festival in Sion, Switzerland. He presents master classes around the country, recently at the Boston Conservatory, the Levine School in Washington, D.C. and the Settlement Music School of Philadelphia.

He performs frequently in recitals in the U.S. and Europe, commanding a wide repertoire including the premieres of several works by contemporary American composers.

The piano festival continues Saturday, Oct. 17 with master classes for piano students at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. with Matthews. Tarleton Assistant Professor of Piano Dr. Leslie Spotz will hold a master class for students at 2 p.m.

Spotz enjoys a national and international solo career that has included performances at the Tchaikovsky Hall of Moscow University, the South Bank Center of London, Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, the inaugural opening of Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center, as well as several tours in Germany.

The 2009 Tarleton Piano Festival was made possible by a generous grant from Saint-Gobain Abrasives Corporation Foundation and through support from ULTRA Club.

For more information, contact Spotz at (254) 968-9241 or via e-mail at spotz@tarleton.edu. For ticket information, call the Fine Arts Center Box Office at (254) 968-9634.

-30-

Return to press releases