CROOKSTON, Minn. – A solo piano recital featuring guest artist John McKay, D.M.A., will be held at the grand piano in Evergreen Hall on the University of Minnesota, Crookston on Tuesday, October 23, 2012. McKay, who’s career as a recitalist, collaborative musician, and soloist with the orchestra spans more than five decades, will be in concert beginning at 7 p.m. The recital is free and the public is welcome to attend. Evergreen Hall is located on the south side of the Crookston campus.
The program will feature music by Mozart (including the brilliant Sonata in D major, K. 311), Chopin (including the Ballade No. 3 in A flat major, op. 47), and Ravel (three movements from "Miroirs").
McKay is an American pianist and music educator of Canadian birth who has performed in concerts, recitals and on radio and television broadcasts throughout North America and Europe. Born and raised in Montreal, Canada, he graduated from McGill University. He earned graduate degrees at the Eastman School of Music where he studied with Eugene List and David Burge. McKay spent most of the sixties in Europe studying and concertizing widely.
He taught at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn., where he taught piano and the history of music for 28 years. For 17 of those years, he also directed Minnesota Valley Sommarfest, a festival of chamber music held every July at Gustavus. He continues to be in demand as a recitalist.
McKay is married to Sara Hayden McKay, who directs the St. Peter Choral Society and the couple was honored in 2000 by the Minnesota State Arts Board for their contributions to the arts.
For more information on the concert, contact George French, director of music and theater, at 218-281-8266 (gfrench@umn.edu).
Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 26 bachelor’s degree programs, 18 minors, and 39 concentrations on campus--as well as 10 degrees online--in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology. With an enrollment of 1,800 undergraduates from 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree. “Small Campus. Big Degree.” To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.
