Diehn Concert Series Features Pianist Andrew Willis

Pianist Andrew Willis, who performs in the United States and abroad on pianos of every period, comes to the Chandler Recital Hall stage at 8 p.m. Monday, March 19, for Old Dominion University's Diehn Concert Series. He will be accompanied by the ODU Orchestra in a Mozart concerto as part of his performance.

Willis' recordings include the "Hammerklavier" and other Beethoven sonatas for claves. He has recorded early German lieder cycles on period instruments with Georgine Resick, soprano, "Visions Intérieures," and his recordings of Schubert lieder and Rossini songs with soprano Julianne Baird are available on Vox, Newport Classics and Albany records. He has also recorded music of Rochberg, Schickele, Ibert and others with flutist Sue Ann Kahn.

Willis studied at Cornell University, where he received a D.M.A. in historical performance. He also studied piano at the Curtis Institute of Music with Mieczyslaw Horszowski and at Temple University with George Sementovsky and Lambert Orkis. For many years, he participated in the musical life of Philadelphia, serving as keyboardist of the Philadelphia Orchestra for several seasons.

He appears frequently with period-instrument ensembles such as the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra, the Mozart Society of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Classical Symphony, the Magnolia Baroque Festival and the Apollo Ensemble, and he is a past president of the Southeastern Historical Keyboard Society.

Tickets for the Diehn Concert are $15 for general admission and $10 for students. To order tickets call 3-5305 or visit http://al.odu.edu/al/about/ticket_events.shtml.

Willis will also be on campus Saturday, March 17, to judge the 25th annual Harold

Protsman Classical Period Piano Competition at 2:30 p.m. On Sunday March 18, he will give a master class for winners of the competition at 3 p.m.