NATCHITOCHES – Pianist Kenneth Saxon will present a guest piano recital at Northwestern State University on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. The concert is free and will be livestreamed nsu.la/capa-live
Saxon has performed as a soloist and collaborative pianist on three continents, including recent appearances in Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, and India. Known for his wide-ranging repertoire, Saxon has premiered works by Gary Smoke, Justin Writer and Kawai Shiu and regularly explores works by Schumann, Crumb, Bartok and Kurtág. Saxon’s recording of the “Rachmaninoff Preludes, Op. 32” was praised for the “fineness of touch . . . and excellent handling of polyphony” by William Kreindler for MusicWeb-International.
Saxon uses color, touch and timing to create distinct sound worlds for each composer. His distinctive programming helps audiences make unexpected connections between the music and their own lives. An entertaining and engaging presence, Saxon often introduces works with a brief story about the pieces and his own experiences with them.
Saxon is professor of music at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He has published articles on sight reading in the Piano Pedagogy Journal, American Music Teacher and Pianist magazine. His book “Steps to Success” has helped hundreds of musicians improve their sight-reading fluency.
The concert will include works by Beethoven, Alexina Louie, Claude Debussy, Edvard Grieg and Ravel.