McPartland

ESM, McPartland start
annual jazz series

M arian McPartland--internationally known pianist, composer, and host of National Public Radio's award-winning Piano Jazz program--is lending her prominent name and support to a new annual series at the Eastman School. The series is designed to showcase exceptional pianists who deserve wider recognition. The "Marian McPartland/Eastman Jazz Series" will feature an up-and-coming musician in a public performance and recording session at the school.

McPartland, an advocate of jazz education, will work with the faculty of ESM's Department of Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media to select a pianist to be featured each year in the series. For the program's inaugural year, a self-taught ragtime pianist and composer has been selected. Reginald Robinson will make his Rochester debut on Tuesday, May 4, at 8 p.m. in Kilbourn Hall. His concert will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag, the most famous of all piano rags.

Robinson

"I am excited to present Reginald in this special concert at Eastman. He is an extremely talented musician and this concert will be a showcase for him," said McPartland. She featured Robinson as a guest performer on her radio program in 1993 and will perform a piano duo with him in Kilbourn Hall.

Robinson, 26, recently released his third acclaimed CD, completed and performed the score of the musical soundtrack to the motion picture Compensation, and was hailed by The New York Times as "one of the most important composers of modern ragtime."

Harold Danko, associate professor of jazz at ESM and coordinator of the McPartland/Eastman series, echoed the Times' sentiment. "Reginald is a unique talent as a pianist and composer in the all-too-often neglected genre of ragtime. He's a great person to christen this new series."

For tickets to the concert call Ticket Express, 222-5000.