Blair School of Music will present a Master Series faculty performance on February 29 that will include the world premiere of “Ways of Seeing,” a commissioned work by acclaimed composer Christopher Theofanidis, who will be on hand for the event. Performers will include Blair professors Heather Conner, piano; Ji Hye Jung and Lee Vinson, percussion; joined by pianist Caleb Harris, 8:00 p.m., in Turner Hall.
“We are thrilled to be the first to perform this piece that was composed for Blair,” said Jung, who leads the Blair percussion studio. “Having Christopher Theofanidis here to celebrate with us will make this is a very special evening.”
“’Ways of Seeing’ was composed by Christopher based on the dreams of his girlfriend, who is a poet,” said Conner. “The titles of some of the movements are based on a visit they took to the Salvador Dali Museum in Florida.”
Christopher Theofanidis’ works have been performed by leading orchestras around the world, including the London Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Moscow Soloists, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and many others. A two-time Grammy nominee, his orchestral composition Rainbow Body is one of the most-performed new works of the new millennium, with more than 150 performances around the world. Theofanidis holds degrees from Yale, the Eastman School of Music, and the University of Houston.
The February 29 program will open with Béla Bartók’s seminal Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, Sz. 110. “Written in 1937, it was groundbreaking at the time because it was really the first time that he tried to make the piano match the percussion,” notes Conner. “The piece exploits the percussive capabilities of the piano while also having a beautiful, lyrical slow movement. It’s a difficult work to perform and not often undertaken at a high level.”
Thursday, February 29, Turner Hall, 8:00 p.m. This is a free event with tickets required for admission. Reserve tickets at http://vu.edu/022924-tix