Eastern Student Kiefer Stroebel of Salem Performs in Unique Multi-Hand Piano Concert

2017 Feb 24

Advanced student pianists from Eastern Connecticut State University were chosen to perform alongside music faculty for a unique collaborative concert on Feb. 11. The first-of-its-kind "Multi-hand Piano Concert" featured repertoire for zero to eight hands, and was held in the Concert Hall of the Fine Arts Instructional Center.

Kiefer Stroebel '18 of Salem was among the performers. Stroebel majors in Business Administration and Music.

The idea for the concert was developed two years ago by Music Professor Okon Hwang upon learning that the Music Department would soon have two Steinway concert pianos at its disposal. "When I heard we would have two concert pianos I knew we had to use them in a unique and creative way," said Hwang. "I wanted to find a way to celebrate the arrival of our new concert piano as well as the returning of our refurbished concert piano, a project that took a year to be completed."

The start of the academic year marked the beginning of preparation for the concert, and six students were chosen to perform alongside six faculty members. "We wanted to showcase the true collaboration between students and faculty, so nearly every piece has a mix of faculty and student performers," said Hwang. "We chose students who are currently working one-on-one with faculty members in piano instruction. This is a wonderful opportunity for students with a high level of skill to show off their ability with a unique and challenging repertoire."

This concert format is likely to become a tradition for Eastern's Music Program. "We are so thankful to have this beautiful new building with wonderful resources at our disposal," said Hwang, speaking of the year-old Fine Arts Instructional Center. "This concert allows us to take advantage of the two beautiful concert pianos that we have acquired and encourage further collaboration between our faculty and students."

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving more than 5,300 students annually at its Willimantic campus and satellite locations.

In addition to attracting students from 158 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 24 other states and 23 other countries. A residential campus offering 39 majors and 58 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal art foundation grounded in an array of applied learning opportunities. Ranked the 26th top public university in the North Region, by U.S. News and World Report in its 2016 Best College ratings, Eastern has also been awarded "Green Campus" status by the U.S. Green Building Council seven years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.