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Stephen Beus Celebrates Piano With Bach, Yedidia, And Pärt

Steiner

Pianist Stephen Beus will serve as the guest artist for the Celebrate Piano Series at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 12, in the Music Recital Hall at the University of Montana. The recital is the featured event of his four-day residency for the UM Spring Piano Festival, and his program will feature exciting works by Bach, Liszt and contemporary composers Ronn Yedidia and Arvo Pärt. The Spring Piano Festival is sponsored by the UM Keyboard Society.

Tickets cost $20 for the general public, $15 for seniors and $10 for students. They may be purchased online at http://www.griztix.com or at the UMArts Box Office by calling 406-243-4581.

The public also is invited to a free masterclass from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, April 10, in UM’s Music Recital Hall. 

Beus is a Steinway Artist and serves on the faculty at the University of Oklahoma. In the span of just four months, he won first prize in the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, first place in the Vendome Prize International Competition and was awarded the Max I. Allen Fellowship of the American Pianists Association.

“While these are top awards for any aspiring concert artist,” said UM piano Professor Steven Hesla, “Stephen Beus started gathering accolades at a very young age.” 

There are only two pianists who have won all three piano competitions sponsored by the Music Teachers National Association, and Beus is one of them. He claimed his first MTNA national title when he was still in junior high school. A native of Moses Lake, Washington, Beus went on to win the national title at the senior high school level, and yet again at the Young Artist level. 

“Winning all three national titles is an understandably rare occurrence,” Hesla said, “because nearly all of the seven national finalists at each level are worthy of such a victory, so the odds of winning all three is not unlike winning the Triple Crown in horse racing.”

Audiences around the world and across America have been thrilled by Beus’ solo and concerto performances. For more details visit http://www.stephenbeus.com.

Contact: Steven Hesla, professor, UM School of Music, 406-243-6055, steven.hesla@umontana.edu.

Michael Marsolek is the program director of Montana Public Radio. He also hosts Tuesday Freeforms and Thursday Morning Classics.
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