The fifth annual Western Carolina University Low Brass Festival will take place Saturday, Feb. 2, and Sunday, Feb. 3, at the Coulter Building recital hall.
Featured guest artist will be Peter Steiner, a trombone soloist and former member of the Vienna State Opera and Vienna Philharmonic. His musical studies began at the Music Conservatory in his hometown of Bolzano, Italy, then the Mozarteum of Salzburg, Austria, before his graduation from the Juilliard School in New York City. This year, he is scheduled for a world tour with more than 100 performances throughout Europe, Asia, South America and the U.S.
“We are really excited to have Peter on campus,” said Zsolt Szabo, event organizer and WCU assistant professor of trombone and euphonium. “He is an internationally recognized rising star in our low brass community, and I’m sure that his presence on campus will greatly inspire our students.”
The Feb. 2 session is a masterclass, beginning at 5 p.m. The Feb. 3 schedule has a 9:30 a.m. masterclass, a 1 p.m. presentation with question-and-answer period, followed by a 2 p.m. ensemble rehearsal. The day will be capped off with Steiner leading a recital at 3 p.m.
The festival is hosted by Michael Schallock, associate professor of tuba and music education, and Szabo. All sessions are free and open to the public. For more information, call the School of Music at 828-227-7242.