Piano Celebration Week offers eight days of performances

Hundreds of musicians will take over Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi's Performing Arts Center for eight days starting March 22 during the seventh annual Piano Celebration Week.

All events, including six evening recitals and five marathon concerts featuring 427 students ages 4-18, are free and open to the public.

The program, considered the biggest piano community festival in the U.S., was founded in 2018 by associate professor for music Dino Muli? and music accompanist Sangmi Lim, who are married.

"When my wife and I started at TAMUCC in 2017, we really liked the Performing Arts Center and we couldn't believe that we, as faculty and our students, get the chance to perform on a beautiful grandiose stage like at the Performing Arts Center," Muli? said.

The festival connects participants with local and national piano organizations and gives students the chance to perform and learn from other musicians. Pre-college piano students from Corpus Christi, Robstown, Kingsville and Laredo will attend and perform this year.

This year's festival is inspired by the legacy of Harvey Lavan "Van" Cliburn, described by Muli? as the "greatest American pianist of all time." Cliburn was the first pianist to perform at the Performing Arts Center.

"We had the idea to start a piano festival that's open to not only young professionals and international superstars, but also to give an opportunity to beginner, intermediate and advanced pre-college students from the Coastal Bend area," Muli? said.

Festivities will kick off 7 p.m. Friday, March 22 with a piano duo concert by Lim and Muli?. The family-friendly event will feature the works of Johannes Brahms, Camille Saint-Sa?ns’ “Carnival of the Animals” with narration, as well as a selection from “The Lion King” and a Disney medley.

Marathon concerts featuring student pianists will occur from 10:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Saturday, March 23, and Sunday, March 24.

Events on Monday, March 25, include a Q&A with Jon Lee at 3 p.m. and a community artist spotlight at 7:30 p.m. with Kevin Koehler, as well as a marathon concert from 5-7 p.m.

Lee was a 2022 gold medalist in the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition.

Lee was a 2022 gold medalist in the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition. He's performed across the U.S. and has won prizes and several international piano competitions.

Tuesday, March 26, events include a guest artist concert at 7 p.m. with Lee.

On Wednesday, March 27, there will be a young artist spotlight at 7:30 p.m. with Nedim Fejzi?.

Marathon concerts continue Thursday, March 28, from 3-4:30 p.m. from Vidal M. Trevino School of Communication and Fine Arts and a guest artist concert at 7 p.m. with Clayton Stephenson, a 2022 finalist in the Cliburn international piano competition.

Friday, March 29, events include a marathon concert from 5-7 p.m. and a Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi artist spotlight at 7:30 p.m. with Mia Marcelo.

Additionally, the festival is offering nine "Cliburn in the Classroom" experiences over the course of the week for third and fourth grade students. This is a new activity for the festival, with thousands of students from Corpus Christi ISD, Flour Bluff ISD, Calallen ISD and private schools set to attend.

"They are 40-minute interactive presentations designed specifically for elementary students," Muli? said. "Piano music is combined with student participation, imaginative play and a Q&A led by expert hosts."

Yamaha Corporation of America and The Piano Gallery are bringing in 12 premium pianos for the festival. Other supporters of the festival include the university, the city of Corpus Christi and the Corpus Christi Music Teachers Association.

"We are getting a lot more support from the community in private donations and private benefactors whose great support makes our festival possible," Muli? said. "A lot more people are recognizing the importance of this festival for our community. It's safe to say now that Piano Celebration Week, in it's seventh year, has become the biggest piano community festival in the United States."

Muli? said the festival includes the community and piano enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels.

"The whole point of Piano Celebration Week is to provide opportunities for all music lovers, for those who would like to have the experience performing on a big stage and standing side by side with piano superstars and nationally-acclaimed pianists."

Videos of past year's performances are also available online at pianocelebrationweek.com.

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Hundreds of pianists to perform at Piano Celebration Week 2024