Anthony Molinaro Performs Classical and Jazz Renditions at Walsh University Oct. 23

Composer and pianist Anthony Molinaro will perform his latest classical and jazz renditions at on Sunday, October 23, as a part of the 2011-12 Artists & Lecturers Series.

Molinaro is a native of Canton, now living in Chicago, who plays nationally and in Europe. Since his victory at the 1997 Naumburg International Piano Competition in New York City, Anthony Molinaro's stunning performances and unique versatility have captivated audiences and critics alike. Acclaimed for his "edge-of-the-seat brilliance" and "musically imaginative mind," Molinaro's performances have taken him to major music centers throughout the country including Boston, Cleveland, Dallas, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, and New York's Alice Tully Hall and Chicago’s Symphony Center.

In addition to his traditional concert repertoire, Molinaro is also a gifted composer and jazz artist, giving him a musical dimension uncommon to artists of his generation. He often plays his own cadenzas in Mozart and Beethoven concerti, and his "free-wheeling" and "unconventional" rendition of Rhapsody in Blue features improvised cadenzas. In November 2004 he premiered his first Piano Concerto with the Catskill Symphony and later that year debuted his band arrangement of Rhapsody in Blue with The Chicago Jazz Orchestra.

The concert will be given in Betzler Auditorium, best accessed off Market with parking directly behind Betzler Hall.  Doors open at 7 pm, with the concert underway at 7:30 pm.  Admission is $6; a reception follows in the lobby.  More information is available at www.walsh.edu or at 330-490-7106.