Fourth High Plains Piano Extravaganza Set for July 26 at WT

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — A baker’s dozen of the area’s best pianists will be featured in the fourth High Plains Piano Extravaganza.

The free concert is set to begin at 3 p.m. July 26 in the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex Recital Hall on WT’s Canyon campus.

Several renowned musicians will join forces on one or more pianos to perform works from the likes of Edvard Grieg, Johann Sebastian Bach, Cornelius Gurlitt, Nikolai Kapustin, Arnold Schoenberg and Gioachino Rossini.

“We’re very excited about this year’s program, which ranges from movie themes to Schoenberg and everything in between,” Dr. Sarah Rushing, WT assistant professor of music in the School of Music in WT’s Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities. “The Extravaganza is one of our favorite events all year; we love collaborating with our colleagues in the Amarillo Music Teachers Association and other local pianists for this high-energy showcase of piano ensemble music.”

A silent auction will raise funds for the Amarillo Music Teachers Association teacher enrichment fund, which helps pay for Music Teachers National Association membership for new piano teachers. AMTA is a chapter of MTNA, the premier national music teachers association, which provides networking, continuing education and student opportunities for independent music teachers.

Funds also will support scholarships for junior high and high school students who wish to attend the WT Piano Camp. Campers have the chance to study solo and chamber music with WT faculty members and guest teachers, as well as performance opportunities.

The 13 performers, who’ll play in various configurations at the Extravaganza, will include Rushing; Dr. Choong-ha Nam, professor of piano; Mila Abbasova, WT instructor of music; Stephen Simpson, WT administrative associate and piano teacher; and Piper Fowler, a senior music major from Amarillo. Also scheduled to perform are First Baptist Church of Amarillo organist Dr. Sunghwan Kim; Dr. Jim Rauscher, retired Amarillo College professor of piano; and area piano teachers Debra Wilcox, Adrianne Sage, Eileen Moss, Andreanna Hawbaker, Julia O’Dell and Sandy McQueen.

Most of the pianists performing in the concert are actively teaching the next generation of this region’s musicians, Nam said.

Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $165 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

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