Contact: WWU Department of Music, (360) 650-3130
BELLINGHAM - Western Washington University's Sanford Piano Series will open its 2008-2009 season with Sean Duggan at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24 in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) Concert Hall.
Now in its sixth season, the Sanford Piano Series brings world-renowned pianists to Western's campus for a residency featuring a public evening performance as well as a master class, which is free and open to the public. This year's season, which begins in October and runs through February 2009, will showcase Duggan and Paul Roberts.
A monk of St. Joseph Abbey near Covington, La., Father Duggan is currently a professor of piano at the State University of New York at Fredonia. He has performed throughout the world as a solo artist and has appeared with various orchestras, including the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra and the American Chamber Orchestra. He also toured, giving complete performances of Bach's "The Well-Tempered Clavier" and performed the complete cycle of Bach's keyboard works in 15 recitals titled "Bach on the Threshold of Hope." Currently Duggan is in the midst of recording the complete non-organ keyboard works of Bach for commercial release.
British pianist Roberts, an international authority on French repertoire, has an extensive playing and lecturing schedule that takes him across the United States, Great Britain and Western Europe. Roberts is a Fellow of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, visiting professor at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and director of Music at Castelfranc piano program in southern France. In addition to teaching and performing, Roberts has authored two books on Debussy and is currently recording Debussy's complete piano music. This performance will be the second time that Roberts has performed as part of the Sanford Piano Series.
Sanford Piano Series season tickets will go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 9 and range from $18 to $32 for the two performances.
Single tickets go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 23 and range in price from $9 to $16 per concert. A limited amount of $6 rush tickets located in the last three rows of the venue will be available for seniors and students.
Tickets are available through the Western Box Office, (360) 650-6146, Village Books and the Community Food Co-op, as well as online via www.tickets.wwu.edu. The Box Office is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and one hour prior to each performance.
All Sanford Piano Series Performances listed here will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the PAC Concert Hall:
Sean Duggan - Winner of the Johann Sebastian Bach International Competition multiple times, Duggan has received critical acclaim for his performances throughout the world and is recognized for his own liturgical compositions as well as his concerts featuring works by Bach. Concert is Friday, Oct. 24; tickets $9-$16. Master class will be from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25 in the PAC Concert Hall; free and open to the public.
Paul Roberts - An international authority on French repertoire and author of two books on Debussy, British pianist Roberts regularly teaches and performs in the United States, Great Britain and Western Europe. Concert is Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009; tickets $9-$16. Master class from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009 in the PAC Concert Hall; free and open to the public.
Proceeds from the Sanford Piano Series performances go toward scholarships for talented piano majors at WWU. The Sanford Piano Series is sponsored by the Whatcom Community Foundation's Spirit Fund and Sibyl Sanford.
For more information about the 2008-2009 Sanford Piano Series please visit www.wwu.edu/cfpa. To request a brochure, please contact Courtney Hiatt, PAC Series Manager, at (360) 650-2829.
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