WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Dec. 14, 2020 — West Liberty University’s professor of music Dr. Gerald Lee will present a YouTube performance in honor of Beethoven’s 250th Birthday year.
Part of Ohio County Public Library’s Lunch with Books programming, Lunch with Books is presented free to the public, each Tuesday at noon.
“I’m doing a livestream performance in my humble living room here in Pittsburgh, celebrating Ludwig van Beethoven’s final piano sonata, Opus 111 in C minor. Beethoven is 250 years old (1770-1827), so I want to honor his beautiful, heartfelt, and transcendental legacy as well as provide some hope and light in the twilight of 2020, an otherwise very troubled and dark year,” said Dr. Lee.
“I hope you can join me – I’m excited but also nervous since this is my first time performing this amazing piece!”
Including brief introductory commentary, full performance, and ending with a brief Q & A session, Lee’s event will be about 50-55 minutes long. Lee will talk briefly about this sonata and then perform it in its entirety. As this is Beethoven’s birthday month, Lee says he is “passionate about bringing his genius to light.”
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer whose Symphony 5 is a beloved classic and some of his greatest works were composed while Beethoven was going deaf.
According to the website dw.dom (Deutsche Welle Germany’s international broadcaster), the year 2020 was to be a big Beethoven bash, in honor of the composer’s 250th birthday. Then came the pandemic. Now the standout events in Ludwig van Beethoven’s hometown are being rescheduled for 2021.
“Thanks so much to our music fans, students and campus, and Happy Holidays! Please join me for this Lunch with Books presentation at noon tomorrow,” he said.
Dr. Lee is a faculty member in the College of Arts and Communication and a beloved professor of piano who has been a full-time faculty member since 2002.
He won the 2007-08 Excellence in Professional Activity Award at WLU. From 2004 -2016, he served as coordinator of WLU’s Concert Artist Series. He has appeared at many local and national performing sites and enjoys working with students.