Globally Renowned Musician to Headline WT’s Annual Grace Hamilton Piano Festival

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - An internationally touring pianist will open the area's largest celebration of piano playing.

David Korevaar, a founding member of the Boulder Piano Quartet and distinguished professor of piano at the University of Colorado-Boulder, will perform at 7:30 p.m. March 6 in Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall on WT's Canyon campus.

Admission is $20 for adults, $10 for non-WT students and free for festival participants and WT students, faculty and staff with a Buff Gold Card. Tickets may be purchased at the door.

"Dr. Korevaar's teaching was instrumental in my own musical development, and I know our community, students and local teachers will benefit from his time with us," said Dr. Sarah Rushing, assistant professor of piano in the School of Music in WT's Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities. "Concertgoers can expect nuanced and thoughtful playing in his program of works by Beethoven and Cecile Chaminade."

His appearance is part of WT's Distinguished Lecture Series.

Korevaar is an award-winning pianist who's in demand as a soloist, chamber musician and collaborator.

Korevaar's most recent addition to his extensive discography is Beethoven's cycle of piano sonatas on Prospero Classical, which were released throughout 2025. His acclaimed album of world premiere recordings of piano music by the largely forgotten Italian impressionist composer Luigi Perrachio was released in fall 2018.

Korevaar, a Shigeru Kawai artist, is well known for his many Bach recordings, and has recorded music by Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Chopin, Fauré, and Ravel, Hindemith, Ernst von Dohnányi, and Lowell Liebermann.

The festival, which dates back around 60 years, was named in 2016 in honor of Grace Hamilton, an influential area piano instructor who cofounded the Amarillo Symphony and was its first pianist.

"The festival provides a supportive performance and adjudication opportunity for pre-college pianists. These types of experiences are so important for young musicians, as studying the piano involves many hours spent practicing alone," Rushing said. "We are pleased to welcome festival participant to campus for this experience."

Nearly 100 students from around the Panhandle and Eastern New Mexico perform throughout the day March 7, concluding with an honors recital at 2 p.m. in the recital hall inside the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex.

The festival is preceded by the annual Piano Teachers' Workshop on March 6. Korevaar will offer a masterclass, and Rushing and Dr. Choong-ha Nam, WT professor of piano, will present sessions.

To register for the workshop, click here.

Fostering an appreciation of the arts and meeting regional needs are key components of the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign, which is now winding down, has raised more than $175 million.

About West Texas A&M University

A Regional Research University, West Texas A&M University is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men's and women's athletics programs.

-WT-