Renowned Pianist to kick off 8th annual piano series

Pianists from as far away as Greece will be traveling to the University of Toledo between October and March for the eighth annual Dorothy Mackenzie Price piano series at the Center for Performing Arts recital hall.

Each pianist will present a master class one day and a recital the day after. Both events will be free and open to the public.

The piano series will open with William Wellborn on Oct. 4 and 5.

Wellborn is a pianist, teacher and lecturer, and has concertized widely on three continents, as well as in 28 states in the United States.

Wellborn teaches piano in the pre-college division and Piano Pedagogy in the collegiate division for the San Francisco Conservatory for Music.

Wellborn’s master class will be held Saturday, Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to noon. His recital will be on Oct. 5 and will begin at 3 p.m.

“I began to study at the relatively late age of 12, but music was the important focus of my life even before then and still is,�? Wellborn said.

According to the piano series press release, “Wellborn’s recital program will include Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz and Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in E flat major, Op. 31#3. He will also be performing sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti and some Schubert songs transcribed by Liszt.�?

Wellborn is the founding president of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the American Liszt Society and is also on the national board. Wellborn has also been on the faculty of the Austrian International Piano Seminar and Festival in Wiener Neustadt, Austria since 2008.

After one of Wellborn’s concerts, Wellborn said a listener met him backstage and told him that he “traveled�? while listening to the concert.

“I looked puzzled, and he explained that the music had taken his imagination on a journey, and I decided I rather liked that compliment,�? Wellborn said.

Wellborn has played at UT several times before and he said he is delighted to be returning.

Angela Riddel, promotions specialist for the UT College of Communication and the Arts, said students should attend because they will have the opportunity to hear one of the finest pianists in the country play classical music.

“If they come to the master class, they will see several talented students play and hear
Wellborn’s critique of their performance,�? Riddel said. “Students who play piano benefit from these master classes even if they aren’t playing because the presenter often provides insights helpful to any pianist.�?

Other performers in the series are the piano duo of Ning-Wu Du and Helen Sim and Greek pianist and professor at Ionian University in Corfu, Greece, Lambis Vassiliadis.

“I think the program is an enjoyable one,�? Wellborn said. “There is a lot of variety in the music, and much of it is just as fun to hear as it is to watch.�?

For more information on William Wellborn, you can visit his website at www.williamwellborn.com.