Friday, November 8, 2013

DailyAdvance.com: Prof. Roosevelt Newson Plays Piano Music of John Work and George Walker 4 PM Sunday, Nov. 10 at Elizabeth City State University, NC

Professor Roosevelt Newson

DailyAdvance.com
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Pianist Roosevelt Newson will launch a new series of programs at Elizabeth City State University on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. Free to the public, this recital will be held in Robinson Auditorium of the Mickey Burnim Fine Arts Complex.
Newson, who holds an endowed professorship in the School of Arts & Humanities, recently completed a four-lecture series focused on the contributions of African-Americans in creating America’s unique musical language.
The new series will include four recital/lecture recitals featuring music by African-American composers. This first program will include two major works in the standard repertoire—the “Tempest” Sonata by Ludwig Van Beethoven and Six Piano Pieces, Op. 118 by Johannes Brahms and conclude with two works by two African-American composers, the Scuppernong Suite by John Work and Sonata No. 1 by George Walker.
An interesting side-note: George Walker, who is the subject of Newson’s doctoral dissertation and a personal friend, is also the first African-American composer to receive a Pulitzer Prize.
Newson says his first love has always been music and performing. He grew up in a small town in northern Louisiana during the last days of the Jim Crow South. He attended segregated schools and music
wasn’t something that was readily available to him.
Despite a lack of formal musical education available to him, Roosevelt Newson says he was drawn to the piano. He says he and his brother would be given lessons on the clarinet first, but it was the piano that called to him.

[George Walker is featured at AfriClassical.com]

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