Pianist John Mortensen to present recital

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—John Mortensen, a performer and teacher of classical and jazz piano, will present a broad range of genres in a recital set for at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, in Western Michigan University’s Dalton Center Recital Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Program selections will range form the Baroque works of Scarlatti and Bach to jazz musicians like Thelonious Monk and Paul Desmond. Tango composer Astor Piazzolla and modernist writer Patrick Zimmerli will also be represented.

John Mortensen

John Mortensen appears frequently as concert artist and master class teacher at colleges and universities nationwide. His concerts often begin with masterpieces of the classical repertoire before venturing into jazz improvisation or his original compositions.

Mortensen is committed to educating young musicians for the 21st century and places special emphasis on developing courses that bring improvisation back to the standard college music curriculum. He also performs and teaches Irish and American roots music, playing mandolin, octave mandolin, Irish flute, Irish button accordion, five-string banjo, Uilleann pipes, and Irish whistle. He created the United States' only college-level traditional Irish music session class.

For more information about the concert, visit wmich.edu/music or call (269) 387-4667.

For more news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.