St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) will present the student vocal ensemble PING in concert with pianist and music faculty member Brian Ganz, widely regarded as one of the leading pianists of his generation, on Sunday, March 15, at 7:30 pm. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis (UUCA), 333 Dubois Road. PING will perform music of Pergolesi, Rachmaninov and Clausen, among others. Ganz will play music by Chopin as well as perform with PING. The concert will be open to the public and admission is free, but a collection will be taken to support the church’s programs and ministry. The vocal ensemble PING, directed by Professor of Music Larry Vote, is a group of 13 selected singers who perform music from all periods. For more information For more information e-mail [email protected] or call 410-266-8044.
The group’s name, “PING,” refers to a sharp resonant sound meant to draw attention. They will feature a special piece in celebration of the college’s 175th anniversary composed by alum Scott Humberg entitled “Blessing the Boats at St. Mary’s” with text by former Maryland Poet Laureate and St. Mary’s Faculty Member Lucille Clifton. Ganz will present music by Chopin, including the Ballades Nos. 2 and 3, and will join PING in a performance of Norman Dello Joio’s “A Jubilant Song” to close the program.
Larry Vote, founder and director of the group, has taught at St. Mary’s College for 34 years and has performed and conducted widely in the United States and Europe. Brian Ganz is an internationally renowned pianist currently engaged in a ten-year project to perform the complete works of Frédéric Chopin at the Strathmore Music Center in North Bethesda. He has taught at St. Mary’s College for 28 years and has been Artist-in-Residence there for much of that time.
Ganz began his “Extreme Chopin” quest to perform all of Frédéric Chopin’s works in 2011. His sold out recital at the Music Center at Strathmore launched Ganz’s ambitious endeavor to perform the approximately 250 works of Chopin over the next decade. The next concerts in the series will take place at Strathmore on January 9 and February 6 and 7, 2016.
Later in March the Brian Ganz and Friends fourth Friday music series returns to UUCA. The March 27 concert will feature SMCM pianist Eliza Garth playing a meditative masterpiece by John Cage, and the April 24 concert will star SMCM jazz saxophonist Don Stapleson and the Clazzical Project with Ganz, a fusion of jazz and classical styles. See www.uuannapolis.org/slider/fourth-friday for more information and future programming.
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