From Our Friends at the USC School of Music …
For one week each June, the Southeastern Piano Festival (SEPF) and the Arthur Fraser Piano Competition transform the University of South Carolina School of Music — and the city of Columbia — into a vibrant cultural destination, drawing audiences and rising piano talent from across the country.
This year’s Festival runs from Sunday, June 7 through Saturday, June 13, featuring an exceptional lineup of internationally acclaimed pianists, including Soyeon Kate Lee, Blair McMillen, Pedja Muzijevic and Nicholas Susi. Concerts are at the University of South Carolina School of Music and the Koger Center for the Arts.
Presented by the USC School of Music, the Southeastern Piano Festival combines inspiring performances, educational programming and the prestigious Arthur Fraser Piano Competition, which showcases some of the nation’s most promising young pianists.
Festival Concert Schedule
Sunday, June 7, 4 p.m.
Celebration Concert
The Festival opens with a crowd-favorite celebration featuring the USC School of Music and SEPF piano faculty. Pianists Phillip Bush, Annie Jeng, Scott Price and Nicholas Susi will perform an engaging program of solo works ranging from Mozart to Frank Zappa.
Monday, June 8, 7:30 p.m.
Artist Spotlight: Nicholas Susi
Described by The WholeNote as “an innovative musician and aggressive thinker with a gift for keyboard brilliance,” Susi returns to the Festival stage with a solo recital centered on two of his artistic passions: French Impressionism and the music of Franz Liszt.
Tuesday, June 9, 7:30 p.m.
Artist Spotlight: Pedja Muzijevic
Pianist and curator Pedja Mužijević is internationally recognized for imaginative programming that bridges old and new music. His Festival performance pays tribute to the 1970s — the era of the cassette tape — while celebrating the creativity and eclecticism of the mixtape tradition.
Wednesday, June 10, 7:30 p.m.
Artist Spotlight: Blair McMillen
Praised by The New York Times as “prodigiously accomplished and exciting” and among piano’s “brilliant stars,” Blair McMillen brings his genre-defying artistry to Columbia with a program featuring works by Claude Debussy, Brian Wilson, Margaret Bonds, William Bolcom and more.
Thursday, June 11, 7:30 p.m.
Artist Spotlight: Soyeon Kate Lee
Acclaimed pianist Soyeon Kate Lee will perform works by Debussy, Schumann, Prestini, Scriabin and Prokofiev. Praised by The New York Times for her “huge, richly varied sound, lively imagination and firm sense of style,” Lee arrives directly from this year’s Spoleto Festival
USA Bank
of America Chamber Music Series.
Saturday, June 13, 7:30 p.m.
Arthur Fraser Piano Competition Winners Recital
The Festival concludes with an evening of dazzling performances by the winners of the Arthur Fraser Piano Competition. Adjudicated by a distinguished panel of judges, the competition features elite young pianists from across the nation competing for cash prizes and the opportunity to perform with the South Carolina Philharmonic.
Tickets are available for its signature concerts through Koger Center for the Arts. SEPF also includes two free lunchtime concerts and educational lectures throughout the week.
For tickets, schedules and additional information, visit SoutheasternPianoFestival.com.