Virtuoso Pianist Makes Debut at HPAC

Have you ever attended a concert and wondered what compelled a great composer to create a beautiful piece of music? Or who or what was the inspiration behind the work?

For more than 40 years, virtuoso pianist Jeffrey Siegel has toured the United States and the globe, sharing fascinating stories about some of the most beloved music in the classical repertoire with his "concerts with commentary" series, Keyboard Conversations®.

Siegel, who has been a favorite at George Mason University's Center for the Arts in Fairfax for the past 19 seasons, appears for the first time at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on Mason's Prince William Campus on Saturday, March 31 at 8 p.m., bringing an exciting program featuring some of the most popular music of the last century.

Titled "Gershwin and Friends," this spectacular program includes Gershwin's rarely heard solo piano arrangement of “Rhapsody in Blue,” Aaron Copland's humorous “The Cat and the Mouse,” Scott Joplin's “Wall Street Rag,” Leonard Bernstein's touching “Anniversary” and his unpublished “Meditation on a Wedding.”

Each of these unique concerts features Siegel providing enlightening insight into the life and work of these renowned composers, then performing the work in its entirety. He concludes each performance with the opportunity for audiences to ask questions about the performance.

Siegel created Keyboard Conversations® to help audiences gain a richer understanding and appreciation for piano and classical music. He has developed a following among both classical music enthusiasts and newcomers, and his ongoing series flourish in numerous cities across the United States, including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Phoenix, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Dallas, Denver and Washington, D.C.

To purchase tickets to this performance, please call 888-945-2468 or visit HyltonCenter.org or the Hylton Center box office, open Wednesday through Saturday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

This performance is part of the 2011-2012 Hylton Presents season, sponsored by Novant Health. Steinway Piano Gallery of Washington, D.C. is the Series Sponsor for Keyboard Conversations® at the Hylton Performing Arts Center.