Calendar Listings With Photo
The College of Southern Maryland welcomes ragtime and jazz pianist Russell Wilson to perform at the Ward Virts Concert Series at 3 p.m., May 1 at the Prince Frederick Campus, Room 119. The performance is the last of six in the concert series, which is held at CSMs Prince Frederick Campus, 115 J.W. Williams Road, Prince Frederick.
Wilson, a native of Clinton, Md, is a pianist in the Presidents Own United States Marine Band. In addition to the piano, Wilson performs on the keyboard, harpsichord and accordion for the Marine Band in public performances throughout the Washington, D.C. area with its concert band, string orchestra, small chamber groups and as a solo background musician at the White House.
Wilson is the winner of the 2010 Carolina Ragtime Piano Contest and runner-up in the 2010 World Championship Old Time Piano Playing Contest.
Wilson graduated from Surrattsville High School as valedictorian and went on to receive his bachelor degree in classical piano and master degree in jazz at the University of Maryland, College Park where he studied classical piano under Cleveland Page and jazz with Ron Elliston. While attending college he spent a summer working at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va playing in an Italian music group and another summer working for Norwegian Cruise Lines playing in a show band and performing solo classical recitals.
Wilson is married with one son, Barnabas.
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: Russell Wilson. 3 p.m., May 1, College of Southern Maryland, Prince Frederick Campus, Room 119, 115 J.W. Williams Road, Prince Frederick. Ragtime and jazz pianist Russell Wilson 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.