Includes Classes and Recitals
ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. (July 14, 2010) — Piano lovers, Piano Fest returns to St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) July 17-19, with classes for experienced students and recitals for the public to enjoy. The three-day festival in Auerbach Auditorium at St. Mary’s Hall will be hosted by SMCM pianists Beverly Babcock, Eliza Garth, and Brian Ganz. Events include master classes for students at the advanced and intermediate levels, teachers, and professionals starting at noon Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. Monday; the free faculty recitals take place each evening at 7:30. For more information on the application process for classes and the free recitals, contact Garth, director of Piano Fest, at ehgarth@smcm.edu.
Beverly Babcock received a master of music degree in piano performance from Peabody Conservatory. She has served on the piano faculties at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, and Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, and has taught piano privately for 25 years.
Eliza Garth has achieved international distinction through her recordings and concert appearances in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. As stated in The New York Times, “Ms. Garth … has an exquisite ear for piano sound.” Garth is the recipient of a Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award for 2010. She is a graduate of the Juilliard School.
Brian Ganz is an artist-in-residence at SMCM, and is widely regarded as one of the leading pianists of his generation. Ganz has performed with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic (of Russia), the Baltimore Symphony, the National Symphony, the City of London Sinfonia, L’Orchestre Lamoureux, and L’Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo.