FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 6, 2011

Contact:  Robert Preston, Jr.,
              912.260.4276
              robert.preston@sgc.edu

SGC Is Pleased to Host An Evening with Franz Liszt

Type in a Google search for the “greatest pianist who ever lived” and one name will undoubtedly appear at or near the top of virtually every discussion list – that name is none other than Franz Liszt, legendary 19th-century entertainer and composer. Liszt was born on October 22, 1811, and in honor of the bicentennial commemoration of his birth South Georgia College is pleased to present An Evening with Franz Liszt, performed by concert pianist, Joe Chapman. The program will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. inside Peterson Hall’s McGouirk Auditorium. The concert is free and open to the public.

Liszt enjoyed composing and performing to the extreme, and his music portrays both sides of the Romantic ideal, swinging back and forth between bombastic virtuosity and romantic sentimentality. Dr. Chapman will open the concert with Orage, a thunderstorm that quickly encompasses the entire range of the keyboard. In stark contrast, the next work, Liebesträume, German for “a dream of love,” oozes with sentimentality and flights of rapture. The third piece on the program is an etude entitled La Campanella, or “the little bell,” which consists of tinkling variations on a theme originally composed by virtuoso violinist, Nicolò Paganini. Following the descriptive Un Sospiro, Italian for “a sigh,” Chapman will conclude the first half of the program with Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, the most famous rendition of which was performed by Tom and Jerry in the Warner Brothers cartoon classic, “Cat Concerto.” The second half of the program consists of a single work, Sonata in B Minor, a monumental composition that transforms a classical idea into a romantic masterpiece of epic proportions.

Dr. Joe Chapman has performed in the United States and eight foreign countries as a pianist, conductor, vocalist, and accompanist. He has presented numerous solo piano recitals in Georgia and throughout the southeast, including programs for public radio and television. Beyond his expertise at the keyboard, Dr. Chapman is also active as an arranger and composer. His music has been performed by choirs and bands from elementary schools to universities to churches to community ensembles, in North America, Europe, and Africa.

As Professor of Music at North Georgia College and State University, Dr. Chapman serves as Director of Keyboard Studies. He is both founder and coordinator of NGCSU’s annual All American Piano Celebration, which has brought hundreds of talented pianists to the Dahlonega campus to promote live performance of works by American composers since its inception in 1988. A graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in piano performance, he has served the music profession in a variety of capacities, including a term as president of the Georgia Music Teachers Association.

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About South Georgia College

South Georgia College (www.sgc.edu) was founded in 1906 and is located in Douglas, Ga. The college's environment gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty. With over 20 majors and transfer opportunities, South Georgia College provides the finest education possible to the citizens of its service area.