Pianist Peter Walsh of La Jolla, Calif., Performs at 2014 Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar

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Peter Walsh, a pianist from La Jolla, Calif., will be featured in the 2014 Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music.

POTSDAM, NY (05/15/2014)(readMedia)-- Peter Walsh, a pianist from La Jolla, Calif., is among only nine rising musicians chosen from a national search to take part in the 2014 Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar.

Now in its third season, the Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar will feature the local artist in masterclasses and concerts from May 19 to May 24 at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music. Audiences will be able to take in world-class recital performances throughout the week.

Metropolitan Opera star Stephanie Blythe '92 co-founded the Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar, along with Executive Director Dr. Carleen Graham, a professor of opera at The Crane School of Music. The unique program, which is in residence at the College, is a venue for emerging singers and pianists to cultivate their artistry through contemporary American art song.

Six singers and three pianists between the ages of 23 and 35 were selected from a competitive national audition to work with Blythe and Music Director Dr. Alan Smith, a noted pianist, vocal coach and composer.

The 2014 Fall Island participants include:

• Jordan Davidson, tenor, from Philadelphia, N.Y.
• Adam Ewing, baritone, from Hiawatha, Kan.
• Kate Jackman, mezzo-soprano, from Tyler, Texas
• Hyona Kim, mezzo-soprano, from Seoul, South Korea
• Sara LeMesh, mezzo-soprano, from San Rafael, Calif.
• Ryan McCullough, pianist, from Eureka, Calif.
• Ronny Michael Greenberg, pianist, from Montreal, Quebec
• Peter Walsh, pianist, from San Diego, Calif.
• Nathan Wyatt, baritone, from Carrboro, N.C.

The nine emerging artists will take part in an immersive series of coaching sessions, masterclasses, lectures and recitals. The Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar is aimed at reinvigorating individual artistry through American art song, by hand-picking emerging artists of unique and promising ability.

Along with Crane alumna Margaret Lattimore '91, Blythe and Smith will present "America Sings!," a program that celebrates American art and folk song, including the works of Dr. Smith, on Tuesday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Proscenium Theater in the College's new Performing Arts Center. Tickets for the benefit recital are $25 for the general public and $20 for SUNY Potsdam faculty, staff and students. All proceeds will benefit the Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar. To purchase tickets, contact the Community Performance Series Box Office at (315) 267-2277 or visit www.cpspotsdam.org.

This year's Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar will feature three public masterclasses, where Blythe and Smith will work with the Fall Island participants. The masterclasses will be offered on Thursday, May 22 at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., and on Friday, May 23 at 10 a.m. in the Sara M. Snell Music Theater at The Crane School of Music.

A culminating recital featuring the seminar Fellows will be held on Saturday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. in Snell Theater. These educational events are free and open to the public. Seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

About the musician:

Californian pianist Peter Walsh has developed a versatile career as a soloist, collaborator and educator. He currently accompanies the choral and opera programs of the Bob Cole Conservatory at California State University Long Beach, in addition to serving as an adjunct professor at El Camino College. In high demand as a vocal accompanist, Walsh has performed at Carnegie Hall as part of Marilyn Horne's art song festival "The Song Continues." He regularly collaborates with Grammy-nominated baritone Rod Gilfry, having recently performed with Gilfry and mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Walsh has been a participant in numerous summer festivals, including the Aspen Music Festival and the Music Academy of the West. He has accompanied for masterclasses given by Marilyn Horne, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Jessye Norman.

As a soloist, Walsh has performed with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and has been awarded top prizes in the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Competition, the Music Teachers' Association of California State Solo Competition, and the Mu Phi Epsilon Loeb/Louviere International Competition. Currently a doctoral candidate in piano performance at the USC Thornton School of Music, he has also pursued bachelor's and master's degrees at USC, where he studied with Lucinda Carver and Kevin Fitz-Gerald. An active teacher himself, Walsh has taught at El Camino College, the USC Thornton School of Music, the University of La Verne and the California State Summer School for the Arts.

In addition to the interpretation of classical repertoire, Walsh enjoys exploring other musical genres. He regularly arranges for vocalists, often incorporating his own arrangements into his programming. He has worked extensively in the realm of dance, and has served as an accompanist for the City Ballet of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Ballet.

About the Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar:

Now in its third season, the Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar provides a venue for emerging professional singers and collaborative pianists to hone their love of art song and the collaborative experience. Led by Metropolitan Opera star Stephanie Blythe as Artistic Director, and Music Director Alan Smith, along with Executive Director Carleen Graham and Associate Director Audrey Saccone, the seminar has invited six singers and three pianists to Potsdam, NY, for a week of intimate and intensive study. All music performed is by living American composers. To learn more about the Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music, visit www.fallisland.org.

About The Crane School of Music:

Founded in 1886, SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music has a long legacy of excellence in music education and performance. Life at Crane includes an incredible array of more than 300 recitals, lectures and concerts presented by faculty, students and guests each year. The Crane School of Music is the State University of New York's only All-Steinway institution. For more information about The Crane School of Music, visit www.potsdam.edu/crane.

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