Silver City, NM- The first concert in The President’s Chamber Music Series for the Spring 2017 semester, hosted by Cultural Affairs, kicked off tonight with pianist Awadagin Pratt accompanied by a string quartet. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pratt played into the hearts and ears of an almost completely sold-out Light Hall audience. This concert was the inaugural event for the new Steinway Model B piano that will now grace WNMU at Light Hall for the many future concerts to come.
Pratt and the quartet, made up of three violins and a cello, were a perfect arrangement, complementing one another with their varying tones and tempos while performing selections from Beethoven and Brahms. The quartet was definitely not pushed to the background with their strings and bows flying all around the stage, showcasing their amazing ability to accompany the pianist in each arrangement. Pratt’s fingers flew all over the stunning, new piano’s keys with such little effort that it was a delight for everyone in attendance to both witness and enjoy listening to.
This event was also sponsored by James Edd Hughs/Edward Jones Investments and the Western Institute of Lifelong Learning (WILL). The next concert will be George Winston, a Grammy award winner in 1996 for the Best New Age Album, Forest, on February 7th.
