Baker University’s music department will welcome German-born pianist Andreas Klein at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in McKibbin Recital Hall as part of the Artist & Lecture 150th Signature Series.
Susan Buehler, director of the artist and lecture series, said Klein is a graduate of the Juilliard School and has performed in Carnegie Hall in New York and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. He has received recognition for his performances of Mozart pieces and has recorded several compact discs
Buehler said watching someone of his caliber perform will be enlightening.
“It’s exciting to watch someone who has honed their skills,” she said. “Anyone who attends should come away with an inspired attitude of what the body and mind can do.”
Buehler said Klein would probably perform standard piano literature. She said Klein’s performance would not only be beneficial to Baker music students but also to younger musicians from the community who take piano lessons.
“He shows the self discipline a musician should have,” she said. “He shows them what they can do with their piano skills. Someone of his stature doesn’t come to Baker every day.”
Professor of Music Trilla Lyerla said she learned about Klein through literature and samples of his work distributed by the Artist and Lecture Series committee when it was still trying to decide to schedule him.
“It’s very wonderful to have a world-class act that students can come and see for free,” Lyerla said. “I am looking forward to seeing him live.”
However, the Klein event will compete for audience attendance as it is scheduled during skit night of Homecoming week. For that reason, Klein will not perform on the larger Steinway piano in Rice Auditorium but instead on the smaller one in McKibbin. Lyerla said a Steinway is considered the Cadillac of pianos.
“Klein is a Steinway artist and that is very, very good for (Baker),” Lyerla said. “We are lucky to have a number of them here on Baker’s stages.”
Senior Greg Rogers is a music minor and has been playing the piano since he was five years old. He said he tries to attend as many of the Artist and Lecture Series shows as he can, and that he will make it a point to try to go to Klein’s show.
“(The pianists) are definitely motivational,” Rogers said. “You hear what they can do and it’s inspiring. It makes you want to practice more.”
In addition to Klein’s performance Thursday, Klein will also teach a masters class from 10:30 a.m. to noon Friday in McKibbin. Buehler said the masters class will consist of students playing for an audience while the artist critiques them. Performing for Klein are freshman Will Duncan and senior Jenna Collins. Lyerla said both Collins and Duncan are preparing for the Kansas Music Teachers Association collegiate auditions to be held Nov. 11 at Wichita State University.
Duncan said Lyerla contacted him over the summer about Klein and the masters class, which he has been anticipating.
“(Klein) can give us some professional insight,” Duncan said. “He can show students what it takes to make a piece performance-ready.”