The College of Southern Maryland welcomes two of its professors, flutist Dr. Keith Wright along with pianist Dr. Stephen Johnson to perform at the Ward Virts Concert Series at 3 p.m., April 10. The performance is the fifth of six in the concert series, which is held at CSMs Prince Frederick Campus, 115 J.W. Williams Road, Prince Frederick, in Room 119.
Wright teaches applied flute, music appreciation, history of jazz, American popular music and music theory. Wright was second flutist/piccolo with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Dayton Philharmonic, Richmond Symphony, Lexington Symphony Orchestra and the Washington Choral Arts Society.
Wright has been a soloist with the Winters Chamber Orchestra and has participated in various festivals including the Mostly Mozart festival at Lincoln Center. He is a prize winner of the Baur Chamber Music Competition and the University of Kansas Black Faculty and Student Council Award. He is a co-winner with mentor Dr. John Boulton of the University of Kansas of the Quest for the Best Technology Award. This award has had an impact on more than 300 music and dance students with the integration of multiple applications of advanced learning and performance software and hardware.
Wright holds a doctoral of musical arts degree from the University of Kansas, a master of music and bachelor of music from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Johnson is a professor of music and the coordinator of music, theatre and dance. He teaches music theory, music appreciation, jazz history, American music history, history of rock music and ear training. Johnson is also the chair of the executive committee for the Southern Maryland Regional Piano Competition, held at CSMs Prince Frederick Campus each spring.
As a musicologist, Johnson has presented research at regional music theory and music history conferences in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and Maryland. His areas of research interest are the music of the Beatles, music of the romantic period, music of Czech composer Antonín Dvořák and film music. He has also composed works for the marching band, wind ensemble and jazz ensemble and he currently arranges most of the music for CSMs Latin Ensemble.
Johnson received his Ph.D. in the history and theory of music from the University of Connecticut, a master of music degree from the State University of New York in Potsdam and a bachelor of arts in piano from the University of Southern Maine.
The Ward Virts Concert Series is presented by Edward and Patricia Mehosky, St. Clair and Mary Tweedie, Gerry Van De Velde and Rene Cunningham, and CSM. The centerpiece of the concert series is a world-class Boesendorfer Grand Piano, which was gifted to CSM by the Ward Virts Piano Project as a gift to the entire community.
The WVPP was formed by friends and classmates of pianist Ward Virts, whose sudden death in 1993 inspired them to purchase this hand-made piano and dedicate the piano to CSMs Prince Frederick Campus in Virts memory. Inspired by Virts life and spirit, his friends and classmates conceived the project in order to bring the love of life, beauty and music that Virts embodied to a new generation of Southern Maryland students, performers and appreciative audiences.
Admission is free and seating is open but limited. Contact 443-550-6011, rfleming@csmd.edu or www.csmd.edu/Arts.
Calendar
CSM Ward Virts Concert Series: Keith Wright and Stephen Johnson. 3 p.m., April 10, College of Southern Maryland, Prince Frederick Campus, Room 119, 115 J.W. Williams Road, Prince Frederick. CSM faculty members, Flutist Dr. Keith Wright and Pianist Dr. Stephen Johnson will perform as part of the Ward Virts Concert Series, presented by Edward and Patricia Mehosky, St. Clair and Mary Tweedie, Gerry Van De Velde and Rene Cunningham and CSM. Open seating. Free. 443-550-6011, rfleming@csmd.edu , or http://www.csmd.edu/Arts.