John Wickelgren, Piano March 19, 2011

Downtown Piano Works warmly welcomes concert pianist Dr. John Wickelgren to our Fine Artist Concert Series for an evening of works by (TBD). As always, there is no charge for admission but space is limited to 65. Please RSVP 301) 631-1234 to guarantee a seat for this performance.

A native of Colorado, John Wickelgren has been described as a pianist who “wonderfully…mingled the sounds of gentle breezes with the clamor of racing horses.” Dr. Wickelgren has played solo and chamber concerts in Colorado, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. He has also performed in several summer festivals, including Bowdoin and Interlochen. As a resident artist of the La Gesse Foundation in 1997, he presented an all-Schubert concert in honor of the composer’s bicentenary, at the Chateau de la Gesse near Toulouse, France. Dr. Wickelgren has served as keyboardist with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra since 2006, and in April 2008 he made his solo debut with the orchestra in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia, Op. 80. In October 2008 Dr. Wickelgren gave the inaugural solo concert on the new Bösendorfer Imperial Grand at Frederick Community College. Dr. Wickelgren is currently working to become a certified instructor of the Taubman method under the auspices of the Golandsky Institute, studying with senior faculty member Robert Durso in Philadelphia. Dr. Wickelgren actively participates in the institute’s teaching and performance seminars in New York and Princeton University.

John Wickelgren received his Master’s and Doctorate degrees in piano performance at the Peabody Conservatory, where he studied with Yoheved Kaplinsky, Dominique Weber and Zitta Zohar. At Oberlin College, where he received undergraduate degrees in English and Piano Performance, he was a finalist in the annual Conservatory concerto competition, and also received a Piano Faculty Accompanying Prize upon graduation. Dr. Wickelgren has also medalled in the Kawai America Piano Competition and the Russell Wonderlic Competition in Baltimore.

One of Dr. Wickelgren’s specialties is the piano music of Henry Cowell, of which he has given several lecture-recitals and performances including Cowell’s Little Concerto for piano and orchestra at Oberlin’s Cowell centenary festival in 1997. In addition Dr. Wickelgren was an assistant coach for the Peabody Opera program for two years, also serving as music director for its production of Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine, and he also coached and performed in several premieres.

Currently, Dr. Wickelgren is on the music faculties of Frederick Community College and Mount St. Mary’s University in Maryland. In 2004, he was a recipient of an Individual Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council, the funds of which were used to record his solo CD, “Reflections: The Year 1905.” More information about the recording can be found at www.cdbaby.com.