Diehn Series Brings Classical Musicians Crawford, Guth to ODU

March 16, 2016

Penelope Crawford Martha Guth

Acclaimed fortepianist Penelope Crawford and soprano Martha Guth will perform at Old Dominion University on Monday, March 21 at 8 p.m. in conjunction with the 29th annual Harold Protsman Classical Period Piano Competition.

The concert by Crawford and Guth, part of the F. Ludwig Diehn Concert Series, will be held in Chandler Recital Hall at the Diehn Fine and Performing Arts Center.

Tickets for the recital ($15 for the general public, $10 for ODU students) may be purchased online at ODUartstix.com.

Crawford is considered one of the country's master performers on historical keyboard instruments. She has appeared as soloist with modern and period instrument orchestras and as recitalist and chamber musician in major North American concert series. From 1975 to 1990, she was harpsichordist and fortepianist with the Ars Musica Baroque Orchestra, one of the first period instrument ensembles in North America.

Her recordings include major chamber works of Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn and Schumann, and her recording of Beethoven's last three piano sonatas won the 2011 "Record of the Year" Award from Music Web International.

Guth has won numerous prestigious international competitions, including the 2007 Wigmore Hall International Song Competition in London. She has sung under the direction of such world-renowned conductors as Seiji Ozawa, Helmuth Rilling, Robert Spano and Richard Bradshaw. On the concert stage, Guth has sung with the Bach Akademie Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Santa Fe Symphony as well as other symphonies and orchestras around the world.

Made possible by an endowment established by the Hampton Roads Community Foundation and a generous gift from F. Ludwig Diehn, concerts in this series bring significant classical and jazz musicians to Hampton Roads.

Crawford also will judge the final competition of the Harold Protsman Classical Period Piano Competition in Chandler Hall. Student performances in that event will start at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, March 19. The finals are scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 20.

Crawford will give a free master class for selected finalists after the finals. Muth will give a free master class in Chandler Hall on Tuesday, March 22 at 12:30 p.m.

In 2007, the Old Dominion University Classical Period Piano Competition was renamed in honor of Professor Emeritus Harold Protsman in recognition of his many years of dedication, professionalism and service to both the competition and the Department of Music.