Piano Festival
Dr. Roger McVey
Gail Olszewski (Photo by Luke Studios)
2nd ANNUAL CLASSICAL PIANO MUSIC FESTIVAL
ON SATURDAY APRIL 10, 2010
The Shell Lake Arts Center is excited to announce the 2nd Annual Classical Piano Music Festival on April 10, 2010! This event is for intermediate and advanced students of piano performance at the middle school, high school and college level. It will provide education, networking, and the opportunity to hear beautiful classical music.
The afternoon will consist of four Master Classes, several lectures on topics specific to piano performance, and several technical demonstrations regarding piano construction and instrument function. Master Class Performers will be selected to participate and play pieces they have already prepared. The Master Class sessions are open for all students to attend as a group educational event. Those wishing to be selected to perform in the master class sessions, please complete the Master Class Application by 2/15/10. All applicants will be notified of our selections by 3/15/10. Those wishing to participate in the educational classes, but not as a performer may attend for free. The Master Classes will be conducted by Dr. Rodger McVey. His biographical credentials are included on the back of this letter.
The Arts Center will open at noon on April 10, 2010. Lectures and demonstrations will begin approximately at 1:00 PM. Refreshments will be available in the afternoon. Supper will be on your own.
The evening will include a "pre-concert" performance by the four Master Class participants. This will be followed by a classical concert performance by Gail Olszewski. The evening concert will begin at 7:00 PM.
Registration fees will be as follows: SOME SCHOLARSHIPS WILL BE AVAILABLE.
Student Master Class performers $40
Student Master Class observers Free
Evening Concert tickets (adult) $10
Evening Concert tickets (ages 12-17) $ 5
Evening Concert tickets (kids 11 and under) Free
For information regarding registration, application for acceptance as Master Class performer, scholarship applications or directions you may contact the Arts Center at 715-468-2414, or email theckel@shelllakeartscenter.org.
Schedule
12:00 - 1:00 PM Registration
1:00 - 1:45 PM Master Classes I and II
1:45 - 2:00 PM Brief Break
2:00 - 2:45 Clinician Lecture
2:45 - 3:15 PM 30 minute Refreshment break
3:15 - 4:00 PM Master Classes III and IV
4:00 - 4:45 PM Technical Demonstration
5:00 - 7:00 PM Supper on your own (list of restaurants will be given)
7:00 - 7:30 PM Master Class student recital
7:30 - 9:15 Evening Concert
Sponsors
Mary Ella Jerome Family Foundation
Dr. Laura Boehlke Bray and Dr. Bruce Bray
Beverly Bohac
Bios
American pianist Roger McVey has performed as a soloist and collaborative pianist throughout the United States, in Europe, Asia, Cyprus, New Zealand, and New Caledonia. Dr. McVey is an Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, where he teaches Applied Piano, Class Piano, Piano Proficiency, Music History, and Piano Pedagogy. He has previously taught at the University of Kansas, Mercer University, Georgia College and Tate University, and Macon State College. He holds degrees in piano performance from the University of Kansas, Indiana University, and East Carolina University. Additionally, he has studied at the Aspen Music Festival and the Chautauqua Institute.
Dr. McVey has studied with internationally acclaimed pianists Menahem Pressler, Jack Winerock, Anton Nel, Herbert Stessin, and Henry Doskey, and has coached with artists such as Claude Frank, Janos Starker, William Warfield, Eric Rosenblith, and the Emerson Quartet. He was a top prizewinner in the International Beethoven Competition (U.S.A.), and was a Semi-Finalist at the International Franz Liszt Competition in Poland, where critics praised his passionate artistry and electrifying virtuosity." Recent performances have taken him to China, Korea, Spain, and Italy, as well as New York and Atlanta's Spivey Hall. In 2005, he appeared in concert with violinist Robert McDuffie at Mercer University, and performed as a soloist with orchestras in Atlanta and Macon, Georgia. He frequently gives concerts with his wife, violinist Giselle Hillyer, and their debut CD, Sonatas and Images, was released in 2005.
An active clinician, Dr. McVey regularly gives master classes and presentations to various teaching organizations, and frequently serves as an adjudicator for local and state music competitions. He has a particular interest in music of the 20th and 21st centuries, and his article "Teaching Modern Music" was recently published by the Georgia Music Educators' Journal. An avid listener of rock music, jazz, rap, funk, and reggae, Roger's other interests include cooking, playing chess, surfing, and skiing.
Gail Olszewski has been heard in solo and chamber recitals on piano, fortepiano, harpsichord, organ, harmonium, celesta and synthesizer in the United States, Canada, Europe, Central America and Australia. She is often sought out as a vocal coach and has performed in concert with many singers in the US and Canada. Gail lives in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota area where she has a varied free-lance career as a collaborative keyboardist, concertizing with members of the Minnesota Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra among others. Locally she has played harpsichord and organ continuo for such groups as the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Phipps Oratorio Society, Minnesota Sinfonia and Minnetonka Chorale and has played synthesizer with the Plymouth Music Series, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Buffalo Gal Productions. She has served as music director, rehearsal and show pianist for Ordway Productions, Nautilus Music Theater, Illusion Theater, Minnesota Opera and Duluth Festival Opera. Performance highlights include soloist in the piano concerto of Clara Schumann with the Minneapolis Philharmonic, harpsichord soloist with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, featured soloist on piano and celesta in Georgy Ligeti's "Chamber Concerto" with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, solo modern piano and fortepiano recitals in Canberra, Australia, for the Frederick Collection's concert series in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, for meetings of the Midwest and Southeast Historical Keyboard Societies and at the 2009 Boston Early Music Festival. In January 2009 she toured the West Coast of the US with Borealis Brass (www.borealisbrass.com) and has made a recording with them. Gail is a founding member of The WolfGang (www.thewolfgang.org), dedicated to authentic instrument performance of music of the Classic period, which released its first CD in Fall 2007. She is also a member of the chamber group, Music St. Croix (www.musicsaintcroix.com), based in Stillwater, Minnesota. Gail has presented master classes and lecture/recitals on women musicians and their music, chamber music, ornamentation, Classical performance practices and the history of keyboard instruments to many schools, symposia and professional organizations. She has had review articles published in the journal of the International Alliance for Women in Music. Gail holds the degrees Doctor of Musical Arts in Accompanying and Coaching from the University of Minnesota, Master of Music in Piano Performance from Boston University and Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Music History/Harpsichord Performance from the University of New Hampshire. She is adjunct piano faculty at the University of Wisconsin/River Falls and is on the faculty of the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis and White Bear Lake, Minnesota. For more information on Gail Olszewski, please go to www.gailopiano.com.
