Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - Dr. Andrew Parr, Stephen F. Austin State University professor of piano, will present "Miniature Masterpieces: Bela Bartok's Out of Doors Suite and the 24 Preludes of Frederic Chopin" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14, in Cole Concert Hall as part of the SFA School of Music's Cole Performing Arts Series.
Bartok's "Out of Doors Suite" consists of five unique pieces that give impressions in sound of scenes that one would encounter in the Hungarian countryside, such as peasant dances, night sounds of crickets and a full-scale hunt, complete with barking dogs, said Parr. "I find that audiences are delighted with the way these pieces realistically depict the sounds of nature."
Parr said he is certain the audience will recognize several of Chopin's preludes and "love them all. These short preludes-some of which are relatively easy and some of which are extremely difficult-depict every imaginable mood," he continued.
Since joining the SFA faculty in 1983, Dr. Parr has performed extensively in solo, chamber and concerto settings. Highlights include a performance of Aaron Copland's "Piano Concerto" with the Belgrade Philharmonic in the former Yugoslavia, Beethoven's "Piano Concerto No. 4" with the Fort Worth Chamber Orchestra, Chopin's "Concerto No. 2 in F minor" with the San Antonio Symphony and the Orchestra of the Pines, Prokofiev's "Piano Concerto No. 3 in C" with the Orchestra of the Pines and Longview Symphony and Beethoven's "Choral Fantasy" with the Orchestra of the Pines.
Parr began studying piano at the age of 5. He furthered his education at Kent State University, at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna as a Fulbright Scholar, and at Yale University where he earned his master's and doctoral degrees.
The recital is a joint presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Music. Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for students. For tickets or more information, please go to www.finearts.sfasu.edu or call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.