On Thursday, BYU students have the opportunity to hear a piano virtuoso play some true masterpieces rarely heard live.
BYU’s School of Music will present guest pianist and organist Joel Hastings at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. Hastings, a renowned artist, is an assistant professor of piano at Florida State University.
In addition to teaching, Hastings was also winner of the 2006 International Web Concert Hall Competition and the 1993 International Bach Competition in Washington, D.C. He has also earned ARCT diplomas in piano and organ from the Royal Conservatory of Music as well as a doctorate in piano and a degree in organ performance from the University of Michigan, according to a news release.
Scott Holden, a professor in the School of Music and former classmate of Hastings, said Hastings is known for playing ambitious pieces.
“He has an explosive technique and charisma on stage,” Holden said. “He’s a very engaging piano player. His playing speaks for itself.”
The recital will feature a mix of styles, including a group of six pieces from “The Piano’s 12 Sides” by Carter Penn as well as Chopin’s “Etude in C Major.” The final number following an intermission will be the “Sonata in B-flat Major” by Beethoven.
With a run time of about 50 minutes with a difficult fugue in the last movement, Beethoven’s “Sonata in B-flat Major” is, according to experts such as music professor Jeff Shumway, by far the longest and most difficult of all Beethoven’s piano pieces.
“It’s a piece that’s rarely performed,” Shumway said. “If you want to hear one of the most difficult pieces to be performed on a piano, you should attend this concert.”
Hastings will also be performing for Highway 89, a segment of Classical 89 on BYU Radio, as well as at two other Utah universities, during his time here.
Admission to the event is free.
