Reed to perform Ives' 'Concord Sonata' Tuesday

Kim Chaudoin | 

One of the most challenging musical works written by an American composer will be performed Tuesday, March 13 by Jerome Reed, professor of music at Lipscomb University.

Reed will perform Charles Ives’ The Concord Sonata, or more specifically Piano Sonata No. 2, Concord, Mass. 1840-1860. This four-movement work for solo piano by American composer Ives is considered one of the most physically and musically challenging works ever written and one of the masterworks of American music.

Once declared “the greatest music composed by an American” by critic Lawrence Gilman, the Sonata was inspired by the works of great 19th century Concord writers. Its movements are titled Emerson, Hawthorne, The Alcotts, and Thoreau, and makes reference to other musical works including Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and American hymns and ragtime music.

An internationally-acclaimed pianist, Reed has performed this piece extensively in the United States and abroad. Highlights of places he has performed The Concord Sonata include performances at the Musikhochschule in Graz, Austria (sponsored by the European Piano Teachers Association), and at Mendelssohnhaus in Leipzig, Germany (sponsored by the American Consulate). He last performed it at Lipscomb in January 2002 as part of the university’s 2002-03 Artist Series.

Reed holds the Doctor of Music Arts from The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., is a recipient of the Avalon Award for Creative Excellence. His performance schedule averages around 20 concerts, lectures, and recitals every year. He has performed extensively in the U.S., South America, and Europe, appearing in such venues as the Mendelssohnhaus in Leipzig, Germany, the Musikhochschule in Graz, Austria, and the Conservatoire Royale in Brussels. His work has been broadcast over U.S., German, and Australian Public Radio.

Reed will present a brief lecture on Ives and the Concord Sonata, which will be followed by his performance. The performance will also include readings from Ives’ “Essays Before a Sonata,” presented by Lipscomb First Lady Rhonda Lowry, and photographs of the Concord area taken by Professor Reed.

The concert begins at 8 p.m. in Lipscomb University’s Ward Hall. Admission is free. For more information contact Marilyn Smith at 615.966.5929.