Hart School Celebrates 60th Birthday of Former Dean Larry Alan Smith Tonight

On the occasion of the 60th birthday of an esteemed professor and former dean, The Hartt School will host a free concert celebrating the music of Larry Alan Smith tonight, November 3, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. in Berkman Recital Hall on the campus of the University of Hartford. Hartt faculty, alumni and students will gather to perform works composed by Smith spanning five decades from 1975 through 2015.

An award-winning and prolific composer, Larry Alan Smith was praised by The New York Times as "a young composer of great gifts," following his New York debut concert in 1982. Since that time, he has developed an international reputation as a composer, performer, educator and arts executive. While earning his B.M., M.M. and D.M.A. degrees at Juilliard, he was the recipient of several prizes, including the Joseph Machlis Prize for outstanding distinction in composition. During his final year of study, Smith was appointed to the faculty of the Juilliard School, where he taught from 1980-86.

Smith has served as a Professor of Composition at Hartt since 1990, and Dean of The Hartt School from 1990-97.

Works to be performed at the birthday celebration concert include the world premieres of Smith's "Ti seguo . . . Mi segui" for flute duo and "Epigrams" for soprano and piano, as well as solos, trios, a flute quartet and a sonata for flute and piano.

Performers include:

Janet Arms, flute

Cherie Caluda, soprano

Eric Dahlin, cello

Allison Hughes, flute

Natalia Kaminska-Palarczyk, flute

Christopher Ladd, guitar

Maura Rabuffo, soprano

James Austin Smith, oboe

Larry Alan Smith, piano

Shannon Vandzura, flute

Smith's eldest son, oboist James Austin Smith, will appear as a special guest performer. Praised for his "virtuosic," "dazzling" and "brilliant" performances (The New York Times) and his "bold, keen sound" (The New Yorker), James Austin Smith performs equal parts new and old music across the United States and around the world.

Larry Alan Smith at 60 - A Birthday Celebration

November 3, 2015 at 8:00 pm

Berkman Recital Hall

Fuller Music Center, University of Hartford

200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford

FREE

More information: hartford.edu/hartt