Masterclasses for Students, Free Concert for All

     Topeka, Kan. — Washburn University will host Lyric Duo—soprano Eva Peng and pianist Anthony Olson—for two concurrent masterclasses for the voice and piano studios at Washburn University for music major and minor students. The voice masterclass will be at 2:30 p.m. March 3 in Carole Chapel and the piano masterclass will be at the same time in White Concert Hall.

     Then, they will showcase an evening of French music titled “Songs of Love and of the Sea,” featuring Ernest Chausson’s masterwork “Poème de l’amour et de la mer, Op. 19,” as the centerpiece of the program. The recital will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Hurd Recital Hall on the Washburn University Campus, it is free and open to the public.

     This recital explores themes of love, longing and the sea through a rich selection of French art songs and piano works by composers including Claude Debussy, Georges Bizet and others. Chausson’s dramatic tone poem for voice and piano, a rarely heard gem of the French repertoire, unfolds as a lyrical journey from passionate devotion to bittersweet reflection.

     “Opportunities like this allow Washburn students to learn from a variety of musicians considered masters in their fields,” said Dr. Lucy Tan, director of keyboard studies and applied piano and faculty adviser for the Washburn Piano and Organ Society. “This allows our students to practice and broaden their skills, and it gives our Washburn and local communities an opportunity to experience some exceptional music.”

About Eva Peng

     A native of China, lyric soprano Peng served as the resident soprano soloist for the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra and Chorus for many years before emigrating to the United States. Now a US citizen, Peng has toured the country to present recitals and concerts and to appear on the theatrical stage. She has starred in numerous productions, singing the roles of "Maria" in “The Sound of Music” (at the historic Ft. Totten Little Theatre), "Bastienna" in Mozart's “Bastien and Bastienna,” "Yum Yum" in Gilbert and Sullivan's “The Mikado” and "The Princess" in Puccini's “Sor Angelica.”

     A passionate teacher, Peng is currently on the music faculty at Northwest Missouri State University and at North Central Missouri College. She studied at the Shanghai Conservatory, the Wuhan Conservatory, the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Southern California.

About Anthony Olson

     Dr. Olson is a professor of music at Northwest Missouri State where he teaches applied piano, organ and harpsichord, as well as classic piano. He has presented lectures and recitals on a variety of musical topics at national and international conferences. He has appeared at conferences for the European Piano Teachers' Association (EPTA), the Music Teachers' National Association (MTNA), The American Liszt Society, the World Piano Conference and the College Music Society (CMS). Olson has taught at Imperial College in London, England, Teikyo University in Maastricht, The Netherlands, the Roosevelt Academy in Middelburg, The Netherlands, Adelphi University in New York City and the Missouri Fine Arts Academy.

- 30 -