(INTERNAL EVENT ONLY) POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — Dr. Clara Christian, associate professor of music and director of piano and keyboard studies, will perform a solo piano recital on March 31, 2021, at 7:30 p.m. The recital will be held in the Newman Recital Hall of the Gittinger Music Building.
Faculty, staff, and students may attend the concert. The recital hall is limited to 50 people, so the music department recommends arriving early. The event also will be live streamed on the music department's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/musicatcofo/
Christian will be performing works by Ludwig van Beethoven, James Primosch, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Primosch taught at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and was a professor to Dr. Luke Carlson, professor of theory/composition at College of the Ozarks, during his time there.
“I am particularly excited about the Beethoven and Primosch on this program,” Christian said. “The Beethoven is a sonata that just exudes joy and life and is one of my favorites of the 32 sonatas that he wrote.”
Program:
- Beethoven’s Sonata in E flat major, Op. 31, no. 3
- "Pure Contraption, Absolute Gift: Five Preludes,” by James Primosch
- A selection of Sergei Rachmaninoff preludes
“Performing the Primosch is meaningful because of having met Dr. Jim Primosch when he came here in 2018,” Christian said. “He is truly a gem of a person, and his compositional style is lyrical and impactful. Having met him and knowing his connection to Dr. Luke Carlson has made the process of working on his music more personal.”
More about Dr. Clara Christian
Clara Christian, who holds a doctorate in musical arts, is an assistant professor of piano and coordinator of the piano program at College of the Ozarks in Lookout Point, Missouri. In addition to teaching applied piano, she teaches music history, piano pedagogy, piano literature, chamber music, and class piano. Before coming to College of the Ozarks, she was on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and Northwestern University’s Music Academy in Evanston, Illinois.
An active performer, Christian has given solo recitals throughout North America as well as in St. Petersburg, Russia. She has performed in venues such as the Chicago Cultural Center, the “Jaani Kirik” Recital Series in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the Fourth Presbyterian “Fridays at Noon” Concert Series in Chicago, Illinois.
Christian received her DMA in piano performance and pedagogy at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and earned a M.M. from the Peabody Institute (Johns Hopkins University) in Baltimore, Maryland.
She was the recipient of the Chicago Area Musician’s Club of Women Elaine and Jerome Nerenburg Piano Scholarship, their top prize in piano. She was also a finalist in Northwestern University’s Thaivu Isaak Piano competition and a recipient of the Peabody Institute’s Career Development Grant.
An active member of the Music Teacher’s National Association, Christian presented at the 2012 National Conference and the 2013 Illinois State Conference. She is the advisor for the College of the Ozarks MTNA chapter and coordinates a Fall Piano Festival on campus for area music teachers and their students. Christian is also a member of the Federation of Music Clubs and the College Music Society.