Pianist Helen Beedle Performs Works of Francis Johnson & Thomas Wiggins in Jim Thorpe, PA Feb. 20, 6 pm

[Portrait of Frank Johnson, from a Lithograph by Hoffy, 1846 (Penn Library)]

The Morning Call

Jodi Duckett

Feb. 16, 2011

“Winter is a fine time — make that a great time — to visit historic Jim Thorpe, according to the Jim Thorpe Chamber of Commerce, which is holding its 17th annual WinterFest this weekend.”

“At 6 p.m. Feb. 20, pianist Helen Beedle will perform 19th century classical salon music, including L.M. Gottschalk's 'The Banjo,' works by African American composers Thomas Greene Wiggins and Francis Johnson and the songs of Stephen Foster. She will be accompanied by Jari Villanueva on cornet. Tickets to each show are $18. Info: 570-325-5810 or http://www.JimThorpe.org. [Francis B. Johnson (1792-1844) and Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins (1849-1908) are profiled at AfriClassical.com, which features research and Works Lists by Dr. Dominique-René de Lerma, Professor of Music, Lawrence University Conservatory, Appleton, Wisconsin.]

Pianist Charles Pettaway in 'The Black Mozart' on PCN-TV in Pennsylvania Dec. 10, 11 & 12

[Charles Pettaway]

The life, fencing and music of Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799) are presented at AfriClassical.com. Pianist Charles Pettaway presents a program about him on PCN-TV (Pennsylvania Cable Network) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, December 10, 11 and 12, 2010:

"Friday, December 10th, tune in to PCN-TV for the season finale of Humanities on the Road. Charles Pettaway’s 'The Black Mozart: Joseph Boulogne Chevalier de Saint-Georges' was filmed in front of a live audience at the Trinity Center for Urban Life in Philadelphia. In this special hour-and-a-half episode, Pettaway, who is the Visual & Performing Arts Chair at Lincoln University, explores the life and work of little-known composer Joseph Boulogne Chevalier de Saint-Georges. Saint-Georges, an 18^th-century black nobleman, overcame racial barriers in French society through his musical abilities. If you can’t watch the finale on Friday see our air dates for other viewing opportunities."