Pianist and composer – and Southborough native – Keane Southard is set to perform at Pilgrim Church on Sunday. Read on for all the details.
Local pianist and composer Keane Southard will present a unique piano recital tracing back his composing lineage on Sunday, Nov. 13, 3 PM at Pilgrim Congregational Church, 15 Common Street, in Southborough.
The program will include selections from “Saudades do Brasil” by Darius Milhaud, followed by “Two Ghost Rags” by William Bolcom, who was a student of Milhaud, “Two Lullabys” and “Your Touch” by one of Bolcom’s students, Carter Pann, and concluding with Southard’s own “Five Preludes.” Pann was Southard’s composition teacher at the University of Colorado, where the pianist recently completed his master’s degree. Admission is free.
As a performer, Southard is committed to the performance of unknown and underperformed piano works. “The piano repertoire is so vast,” says Southard, “that there are many wonderful pieces that haven’t made it into the standard repertoire yet deserve to be more well known. For the audience, it is a bit of a risk coming to a recital where you may not recognize the pieces or composers, but my hope is that people will walk out of the concert wanting to further explore these composers.” Additionally, Southard’s recitals include spoken insights, personal connections, and stories about the music and their composers to create an engaging and informal concert experience.
A native of Southborough, this recital also marks the pianist’s first performance in his home town since pursuing music in college and graduate school. Southard has performed as a pianist across the country, including at conferences and festivals in Colorado, Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri. As a composer, he has been the recipient of many awards, most recently First Prize in the Longfellow Chorus International Composers Cantata Competition, the Charles B. Olson Young Composer Award, and the Ars Nova Singers Colorado Composers Competition.
For more information about Keane Southard, please visit www.keanesouthard.blogspot.com.
