UF hosts international piano festival during next week

June 15, 2012

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida hosts the 2012 edition of the University of Florida International Piano Festival for the next week, starting Saturday.

First held in 2007 as the Chinese-American International Piano Institute, the festival assembles exceptional college and pre-college pianists for lessons and master classes with distinguished piano teachers from North America and China. In their relatively short existence, the festivals have hosted teachers and artists from the finest institutions in the world.

This year’s program and performances will be held on UF’s main campus with two additional public performances at Shands at the University of Florida hospital locations in Gainesville — the result of a generous sponsorship from Shands at the University of Florida and in collaborative arrangement with UF Arts in Medicine Programs, an academic partnership between Shands at the University of Florida and the UF College of Fine Arts. All performances are free and open to the public.

This year’s event assembles 35 pianists from around the United States and China registered in two concurrent divisions: College Division and Pre-College Division. More information, including details of recitals and other events open to the public can be found at http://www.arts.ufl.edu/pianofestival.

The UF School of Music is an All-Steinway School.