Dr. Mark Stevens to perform piano recital at Concordia

Published by Logan Tuttle 2 years ago on Fri, Sep 10, 2021 3:42 PM
Dr. Mark Stevens, director of keyboard studies at South Dakota State University, will perform a solo recital titled [re]Vision at Concordia University, Nebraska on Sept. 18 at 7 p.m.

Concordia University, Nebraska will host a solo piano recital by Dr. Mark Stevens on Sept. 18 at 7 p.m., in the Thom Leadership Education Center auditorium.

Stevens, a solo pianist who serves as director of keyboard studies at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota, will share his concert program titled [re]Vision with Concordia students and the local community. The program explores the ways in which modern composers grapple with and reflect on piano repertoire from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. During the performance, Stevens will showcase music from a diverse group of composers including William Grant Still, Caroline Shaw, Carl Vine, Ferruccio Busoni, J.S. Bach and Frédéric Chopin.

“For me, music is about communication and shared experience,” Stevens said. “I strive to create concert experiences that are unified by a theme, that introduce people to something new, and that gives them the opportunity to see themselves in the music or the composter. I think that if an audience member doesn’t see themselves or their community somewhere in the music, there’s a missed opportunity. So, while my concerts rarely focus only on classical music’s greatest hits, I enjoy seeing audiences connect with something new and unexpected.

Dr. Elizabeth Grimpo, Concordia professor of music, said bringing guest artists like Stevens to campus provides a great opportunity to share the talents of others with students and the local community.

“With the wealth of music that’s in existence, it’s impossible for us to know it all,” she said. “Bringing guest artists to campus is a wonderful way to learn of new music that we otherwise might never have a chance to hear or learn about. Additionally, in a culture that is used to listening to recorded music on a variety of different platforms, there is something very special, personal and rich in hearing music performed in a live setting.”

Stevens earned graduate degrees in piano performance and piano pedagogy from the University of Oregon and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he has also served as a graduate teaching fellow in collaborative piano and piano pedagogy. He has served as a faculty member at Washington State University, the University of Oregon, the Chopin Academy of Music, and as an instructor of piano, class piano and aural skills at Cornish College of the Arts.

Please note: If you plan on attending this performance, please check Concordia’s website for the latest health safety protocols.