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NEWS RELEASE
Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu
)
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466
11/10/2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATCHITOCHES-The Natchitoches Northwestern Symphony Orchestra will present a concert Thursday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. Charles Demuynck is the conductor.
The featured soloist will be NSU Assistant Professor of Piano Christine Burczyk Allen.
The orchestra will perform "Piano Concerto in a minor" better known as the "Greek Piano Concerto" by Edvard Grieg and Selections from the ballet "Romeo and Juliet" by Sergei Prokofiev.
"Grieg's Greek Piano Concerto" is one of the best loved melodies. Just about everyone would recognize it even if they couldn't name the work," said Demuynck. "Prokofiev wrote his 'Romeo and Juliet' suite when he was 38 and it is one of the best musical renditions. It is such a compelling story that speaks to all ages and times. Prokofiev is so passionate and extremely colorful."
Allen will be appearing as a soloist with the Natchitoches Northwestern Symphony for the fourth time.
"It is wonderful to have the opportunity to make our students and the public aware of the extremely talented faculty in the School of Creative and Performing Arts at Northwestern," said Demuynck. "The opportunity to perform with the orchestra lets individuals 'flex their performing muscles' a bit."
Allen teaches applied piano, coordinates the group piano and piano pedagogy area, and serves as the choral accompanist. She began studying piano with her mother, Ruth Burczyk, at the age of six. Allen received her bachelor's in piano performance from University of Kansas where she studied with Richard Angeletti and her master's degree from Northwestern where she studied with Dr. Edward Rath and Dr. Robert Watson. She is pursuing a doctorate at LSU where she studies with Constance Knox Carroll. Prior to her appointment at NSU, Allen served on the faculty at William Woods College in Missouri and spent several summers as a staff accompanist at the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Mich.
A regular soloist and accompanist for faculty recitals and for the Northwestern Chamber Choir, Allen performed the "Grieg Concerto in a Minor" with the Menomonee Falls Symphony in Wisconsin and the Grosse Pointe Symphony in Michigan in 2002.
"I enjoy every opportunity to perform with the orchestra," said Allen. "It makes how appreciate the chance to do it because unless you make your living as a performer, the opportunities are few and far between."
Allen was the 1999-2000 recipient of the Johanna Magale Endowed Professorship at NSU and as such traveled to Poland to study with internationally recognized pianist/composer Andrzej Dutkiewicz. In 2000, Dutkiewicz was in residence at NSU and he and Allen presented a recital of his works. Allen appeared with the NSU Chamber Choir at Carnegie Hall in 1997.
Allen is an internationally recognized teacher and clinician in Suzuki Piano Pedagogy and is a registered Teacher Trainer with the Suzuki Association of the Americas. She has appeared at workshops with conferences throughout the United States, including Alaska, and Canada. Allen is also an MTNA certified teacher, has served on the LMTA State Certification Board and is currently Chair of the MTNA Collegiate Artist Performance/Chamber Music Auditions. She has served as an adjudicator at numerous piano festivals and competitions.