Barron Ryan, piano pedagogy senior, performs on the newly donated Bösendorfer 225, given by OU alumnus James Doran. The OU School of Music presents two piano recitals in honor of Mr. Doran’s generous donation. Photo Provided

“We welcome Mr. James M. Doran to our campus for this celebration,” says Jane Magrath, professor of piano pedagogy. “Our weekend of piano festivities highlights our gratitude for the very generous donation to the OU School of Music by Mr. Doran of a Bösendorfer 225 piano in rare pyramid mahogany, a beautiful instrument that will enrich our performances immensely.”

The University of Oklahoma School of Music presents two piano recitals in honor of Mr. Doren’s generous donation. The Student Performers Recital begins at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 8, and the Faculty Artists Recital begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, both will take place in Pitman Recital Hall. These recitals are free and open to the public; seating is limited.

“The School of Music and piano department hope our performances reflect the appreciation and excitement we feel as a result of this wonderful gift,” says Magrath.

The eldest of seven children, Doran loved to listen to his classically trained father play the family grand piano. Doran enrolled at the University of Oklahoma in 1965 to pursue a business degree with a major in marketing. During his first semester he studied music theory as an elective under Gail B. DeStwolinski. Shorty after his graduation from OU in 1969, he joined the United States Air Force and trained at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.

Doran is the author of over 70 articles in various jazz periodicals. In 1985, his book Erroll Garner: The Most Happy Piano was published by the Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University, and, in 1993, his book on Kentucky-born jazz pianist Herman Chittison was published by the International Association of Jazz Record Collectors. He has made presentations throughout the United States, Europe and also served as a guest lecturer on jazz research at New York University. Doran is a retired sales executive with the Eastman Kodak Company and plans to continue to play his Bösendorfer 170 grand piano.

The Student Performers Recital includes Jyoti Hench, Jennifer Mansour, Nicole Biggs, Ji Yang, and Barron Ryan as they perform works by Haydn, Granados, Debussy, Rachmaninoff and Balakirev.

The Faculty Artists Recital includes Valerie Watts, flute; Gregory Lee, violin; and Jeongwon Ham, Stephanie Shames and Edward Gates on piano. The music selected for the evening includes works by Boulanger, Saint-Saens, Rachmaninoff, Mozart, Haydn, Chaminade and Liszt.

These recitals are performed in OU’s Catlett Music Center, 500 W. Boyd, in your OU Arts District!  For up-to-date information, call the Fine Arts Box Office at (405) 325-4101.
 
This concert and many others are available for live stream via Internet. To see a schedule, visit http://music.ou.edu/calendar. Please visit http://music.ou.edu/ for a full calendar of events and performances at the School of Music.

For accommodations on the basis of disability, please call the Box Office at (405) 325-4101.