School of Fine Arts welcomes Terry McRoberts

By Staff Reports

The East Texas Baptist University School of Fine Arts will present pianist Terry McRoberts in a guest artist recital on Friday, January 27th at 7:30 p.m. The concert will be held in the Mabee Recital Hall located inside the Jenna Guest Music Building. Dr. McRoberts will present a recital of music exploring the works of Chinese composers, American composers, and Chopin.

The group of Chopin pieces includes the beloved Waltz in C-Sharp Minor. After intermission McRoberts will perform a wide variety of music by American composers including Copland, Joplin, Cowell, and Gershwin. Also featured will be music by Chen Yi a Chinese composer, who teaches at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

McRoberts teaches piano at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, and previously taught at Blue Mountain College in Mississippi. During his fall semester research leave from teaching he went to China, where he lectured on the piano music of Chopin and piano music by American composers. While there he also studied piano music by Chinese composers. The Chinese selections are representative of those composed during the twentieth century in that country.

McRoberts has performed in a variety of venues as a soloist and collaborative artist, and is principal pianist of the Jackson Symphony. His research interests include Chinese piano music and the works of Toru Takemitsu and Olivier Messiaen. He is president of the American Matthay Association for Piano, and past president of the Southern Chapter of the College Music Society. He has served Tennessee Music Teachers Association as President and editor of Tennessee Music Teacher, and also edited The Matthay News. A church organist for over twenty-five years, he currently serves First United Methodist Church in Jackson, Tennesse.

Admission is free. For information, call the ETBU School of Fine Arts at 903-923-2158