Kirk to give piano concert March 24-25

Photo: Dr. Ned Kirk

WINONA, Minn. — When the Page Series presents Dr. Ned Kirk in concert March 24 and 25, audiences will be treated to a variety of piano music ranging from a little known “jewel” to one of the greatest works ever written for piano.
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Among the program selections are Ottorino Respighi’s “Notturno,” which Kirk called “a wonderful, small jewel of a piece that’s rarely played,” and three movements of Claude Debussy’s “Estampes” that evoke images depicted by their titles: Pagodas, Evenings in Grenada, and Gardens in the Rain.

Also on the program are “Alberto Ginastera’s “Argentinian Dances, Op. 2,” “El Puerto from Iberia, Book 1” by Isaac Albeniz, and Johannes Brahms’ “Variations and Fugue in B-flat major on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24.”

“This is one of Brahms’ largest works and stands as one of the great variation works in the piano repertoire,” he said.

Kirk, a native of Redding, Calif., is an associate professor of piano at Saint Mary’s University. He earned his B.A. in piano performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Music and his D.M.A. in piano performance from the University of Washington. He has performed throughout the world, been a faculty member and/or musician with Colorado Music Festival and Marrowstone Music Festival, and will be performing this fall in Kenya.

The Page Series will present two concerts by Kirk — 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 24, and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 25 — both in Figliulo Recital Hall, located in the SMU Performance Center. Tickets cost $12, $9 for senior citizens and $8 for students and are available at the Performance Center box office, (507) 457-1715, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays or online at www.pagetheatre.org.