PianoFest Northwest 2013 Set for Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, 7/19-21

South Whidbey welcomes its newest festival, the inaugural PianoFest Northwest. The festival opens at WICA this week, July 19-21, 2013 Modeled after our world famous DjangoFest Northwest, and catering to music lovers who appreciate piano music that ranges from classical to contemporary, this event headlines three music talents, each unique to their genre.

DAVID LANZ
Opening with Maureen Girard and her Student Showcase Performance
Friday, July 19, 7:30 pm

WALT WAGNER
Saturday, July 20, 7:30 pm

THIRTYFINGERS
Sunday, July 21, 7:30 pm

WALT WAGNER HOUSE CONCERT
at an exclusive South Whidbey estate
Sunday, July 21, 2:00 pm
Concert tickets are $25, all three concerts at WICA $65
TICKETS: Call the WICA box office at 360.221-8268 or 800.638.7631

Sponsorships are available.

Visit wicaonline.com or call WICA for more info.

DAVID LANZ: David Lanz is a Grammy-nominated contemporary composer and pianist. His most popular album, Cristofori's Dream, topped the New Age charts in 1988, remaining at #1 on Billboard's Adult Alternative/New Age chart for 27 weeks and eventually sold platinum. He followed that with several more top ten Billboard album releases in the 1990's and was nominated for a Grammy in 2000.

Lanz started his performing career as a teenager during the 1960's. In 1971, he recorded one album for Mercury Records with the Canadian super group, Brahman. While living in Canada, he also played on Terry Jack's iconic world wide smash hit "Seasons In The Sun." In the 1980's he shifted to playing solo in Seattle's Red Cabbage, where he began to perform his own piano compositions. "It was the world's first new age piano bar," he said with a wink. It was during this time that he began his transition from rock to other more reserved music genres, including jazz and blues. Friday, July 19, 7:30 pm

WALT WAGNER: Walt Wagner is a Seattle native who started performing in high school, and appeared in a variety of local venues while developing a unique performance style that captures the imagination, heart, and spirit of his audience. He has performed with Jay Leno, Bill Cosby, Bob Hope, George Burns, Lily Tomlin, Roberta Flack, Sammy Davis, Jr., Bob Newhart, and as pianist- conductor with Peggy Lee. He toured internationally with Peggy Fleming in "A Concert On Ice," and performed extensively at Sun Valley, Idaho.

As a composer, Wagner fulfilled a commission from Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra (Music Director, Adam Stern) to compose a fanfare for the opening of the final 2004-05 season concert. He premiered his composition, Rhythms-for Piano, Winds & Percussion, as soloist with the Washington Wind Symphony. Another commission was a piano concerto, The Miracle-for Piano & Orchestra; both works recorded with Gerard Schwarz conducting The Seattle Symphony Orchestra with Wagner as soloist. Besides these, Wagner's recordings include In the Pink (the music of Pink Floyd), Spirit (a collection of European and American Christmas carols), Pearls (a solo-piano collection of jazz and pop tunes), Even There (a collection of hymns with vocalist Sue Nixon), and Chariots of Fire. Saturday, July 20, 7:30 pm

THIRTYFINGERS is six hands, three women, and one piano-a visual and sound sensation! Natalya Ageyeva, Lisa Bergman, and Deborah Dewey, each internationally-acclaimed pianists, combine their talents to play elegant classical music written for six hands. The group amazes with their keyboard mastery, virtuosity, deep musicality, and sparkling personalities. Instructive dialogue between the performers and audience, addressing unique challenges such as "who turns the page?" "who pedals?" and "how do we avoid injuring each other?" all part of the fun. This is a spectacle not to be missed! Sunday, July 21, 7:30 pm.

WICA TICKET OFFICE (360) 221-8268 or (800) 638-7631, tickets.wicaonline.com.

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