Diligent finger movements wash the Beall Concert Hall in a wave of notes, creating a space for peace, adventure and excitement.
As the final performance of this year’s Murdock International Piano Series, Valery Kuleshov will visit the UO campus on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. to share his piano performance this Wednesday evening.
The Murdock International Piano Series brings one internationally-recognized pianist to the campus for a concert each term. In November, Jon Nakamatsu came for a solo recital and masterclass.
“I watched his performance a lot on YouTube,” Jun Yun, a second-year Ph.D. in piano performance, said. Yun looked up to Nakamatsu growing up, and he attended Nakamatsu’s master class during his visit to campus.
“He knew how to teach each pianist his own style,” Yun said. Pianists typically adhere to one style, such as classical or contemporary, and Yun thought the way Nakamatsu gave advice to the students about the different styles was inspiring.
After Yun completes his Ph.D. program, he hopes to stay in academia and teach music in his home country, South Korea.
“I usually get students from eight different countries or so,” Alexandre Dossin, a co-founder of the Oregon Piano Institute and a piano instructor at UO, said. He teaches in Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and English. Dossin himself grew up in Brazil after his parents moved there from Italy, then he studied in Russia before coming to the United States.
To be a true artist, Dossin said that studying, performing and practicing with people from all over the world is necessary, and he believes that the U.S. attracts many musicians internationally.
“I always wanted to develop some sort of a concert series to bring high level pianists to campus,” Dossin said. He has been a faculty member for almost 20 years and has invited several guest pianists to UO. However, he said the funding has been a constant challenge.
Then, the Murdock family, a couple Dossin knew for years through church, stepped up to generously support Dossin’s vision financially. The Oregon Piano Institute was then founded last summer as a non-profit organization. The School Of Music and Dance also supported this idea, welcoming the concerts to Beall Concert Hall.
“It’s a dream come true because not only can I bring those pianists to campus but also students can benefit from them,” Dossin said. The program benefits the community as well as the university. The last guest artist, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, visited North Eugene and South Eugene High School.
“I’m grateful to have those opportunities to meet those amazing artists,” Yun said.
The tickets can be found at UO Ticket Office online for $5 to $10, and UO students can attend for free with a valid student ID. Kuleshov’s concert will be on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Beall Concert Hall.
