The highlight of the festival will be an evening piano recital by Laverty at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 in the Charles Johnson Theater. In addition, Laverty will present an afternoon lecture devoted to Bach’s life and works at 2 p.m. in Room 244 of the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts building. Also, at 3 p.m., Northwest pianists will perform the works of Bach during a recital.
At 8 a.m. Feb. 23, the festival concludes with Laverty working one-on-one with select Northwest keyboard students in a master class.
The master class is designed to improve each student’s understanding of how to interpret the music of Bach. All events are free and open to the public.
“The Bach Festival honors the greatest and most important composer from the Baroque era,” Northwest Professor of Music Dr. Ernest Kramer said. “Bach was the greatest master of the organ as well as a composer of intricate, contrapuntal compositions. Since much of his music is difficult to perform, many students in this area do not often get a chance to hear his greatest works.”
Bach was a German composer during the Baroque period and came from a long line of gifted musicians. His compositions include the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations and the Mass in B minor. Bach often is regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.
Laverty, a St. Louis, Mo., native, has delighted audiences throughout the United States and Europe since he began playing piano at age 5. In demand as an adjudicator, accompanist and master class teacher, he resides in the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield and is the head of the Chesterfield Piano Studio.