Labe
presents piano recital
-
by Christina Frye:
Staff
Writer
 From
Annees de Pelerinage, Annee-Suisse, S. 160 to
the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, S.244, Thomas Labe,
associate professor in the department of music
and theatre arts at Cameron University, guided
his audience through the pieces composed by Franz
Liszt (1811 – 1886).
Labe,
a career soloist, recording artist, scholar and
educator, chose the writings of Liszt because
he viewed them as a challenge. Labe had previously
mastered the first two books of Liszt’s
Annees de Pelerinage, “Years of Pilgrimage,”
and wanted to pull all three books together for
the recital he played at the CU Theatre on Feb.
3.
Labe
said that Auz cypres de la Villa d’Este
was his favorite selection from the recital. He
said that the piece was written about the amazing
Villa d’Este, water fountains located in
Tivoli, that were created before electricity,
and to this day, continue to run solely on gravity.
“It is a very effective and beautiful piece,”
Labe said. “A person can see the fountains
when they listen to the piece.”
Labe,
like Liszt, showed his first interest in playing
the piano when he was only 12- years-old. Born
and raised in Connecticut, Labe was inspired to
begin playing the piano after watching several
great pianists play at Carnegie Hall.
“After
listening to Alicia De Laroccha, I decided that
I wanted to play the piano,” he said.
Labe
has played in North America, France, Germany and
Switzerland, and was singled out by The New York
Times at his debut at Carnegie Hall as “the
most interesting among the week’s debutantes.”
He was awarded First Prize in the Joanna Hodges
International Piano Competition, First Prize in
the Ima Hogg/Houston Symphony Orchestra Young
Artist Competition and has released several compact
disc recordings.
Labe’s
talent does not end at playing the piano; he is
also an instructor. One of his students, Captain
Kurt Krauss, from HHB, 17th Field Artillery Brigade,
enjoys studying with Labe.
“He’s
great, he gives good, quality instruction; and
I am looking forward to my future lessons with
him,” Krauss said.
For
information on future recitals, or lessons, contact
the Department of Music and Theatre Arts at 580.581.2431.
|
