April 29, 2010
Craig Sheppard to perform Schubert in faculty recital May 5
UW faculty pianist Craig Sheppard will perform Franz Schubert’s last three piano sonatas in his annual faculty recital, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 5, in Meany Hall.
Schubert’s last three sonatas, composed on a grand scale and published posthumously, are the summit of lyricism. Written within six months of his untimely death at the age of 31 — the last one finished only six weeks before he died — they are a fitting testament to one of classical music’s greatest and most profound spirits.
Sheppard has maintained an enduring presence in the classical music world for over 40 years, with his unique combination of ebulliance and passionate energy, allied to a technical mastery and scholarly objectivity. He has performed with all the major orchestras in Great Britain, as well as those of Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, Dallas, Seattle, Buffalo and Rochester, among others in the United States.
Since 2005, Sheppard’s recordings have appeared on the Romeo label. He has also recorded over the years on the EMI, Polygram, Sony, Chandos and Cirrus labels. Five CDs, all of live performances, have recently been issued on the label AT (Annette Tangermann)/Berlin. Sheppard has appeared on numerous national and international piano competition juries. He is well known for his broad academic interests, particularly foreign languages. He has been professor of piano at the UW since 1993.
Tickets to the faculty recital are $15 for general admission, $10 for students and seniors. For more information, call 206-543-4880 or visit online at www.music.washington.edu.
