Asbury’s music department is pleased to host a piano duet recital featuring long-time collaborators Dr. Mary Ann Wilder and Adrienne Fontenot on Jan. 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the Jameson Recital Hall.
Occurring on the final Monday of the month, this recital offers a unique experience for Asbury students, showcasing a combination rarely displayed.
“I hope students come see something different,” said Wilder. “A piano duet is not performed often, so it’s a bit of a novelty. I also hope they are inspired to make music with their friends and to continue to do so when they leave school.”
For Dr. Wilder, this hope stems from her own relationship with Fontenot, her collaborator in the recital.
“We met when we both started our master’s programs at the University of Louisville, and we quickly became best friends,” said Dr. Wilder, recounting the start of her relationship with Fontenot. “We were paired together when we took a piano duet course, and the rest is history!”
Spanning a wide variety of composers, the recital’s program includes pieces by Bach, Copland, Field, Glière, Poulenc, Rossini and, most special for the performers, Barber.
“I think that ‘Souvenirs,’ by Samuel Barber, is the most meaningful to us,” said Dr. Wilder regarding the program. “Two pieces in [Barber’s] set are the first pieces we played together as a duet, and it’s fun to revisit them and to play the whole set this time!”
In addition to being a relationship milestone for the performers, Dr. Wilder also expressed her hope that the recital would inspire community in the attending students.
“Music can be such a solitary thing,” said Dr. Wilder, “and chamber music, [which includes] music in small groups [of] even just twos and threes, is such a fun way to make music!”
The recital is free and open to all Asbury students and local community members.
Article written by Sabina Boyer.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash.
