Shenandoah University Center for the Arts Groundbreaking Armstrong Concert Hall Join Shenandoah Conservatory’s John O’Conor as he speaks with Sara Davis Buechner about her career and upcoming program featuring works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Carl Maria von Weber, Maurice Ravel and Francis Poulenc. This pre-concert talk is included as a free event with ticket purchase to its associated World of the Piano performance. Join the Piano Society Join Friends of the Conservatory at the Ally level or above and designate your gift to World of the Piano to become a member of our Piano Society! In addition to being listed in each World of the Piano program, members receive all Ally benefits plus access to exclusive Piano Society events. Join the Piano Society

Shenandoah University Center for the Arts Groundbreaking Armstrong Concert Hall Acclaimed pianist Sara Davis Buechner returns to the Shenandoah stage for an afternoon of extraordinary artistry, technical brilliance and interpretive insight. Praised by The New York Times for her “intelligence, integrity and all-encompassing technical prowess” and celebrated internationally for her virtuosity and expressive depth, Buechner has earned top prizes at many of the world’s most prestigious piano competitions, including the Queen Elisabeth, Leeds, Salzburg, Sydney and Vienna competitions. She was awarded the gold medal at the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition and a bronze medal at the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow. A sought-after soloist with a repertoire encompassing more than 125 piano concertos, Buechner has performed with leading orchestras around the world and is renowned for the breadth of her musical interests, from the standard concert repertoire to acclaimed performances and recordings of silent film scores. Her distinguished career has established her as one of today’s most versatile and compelling pianists. In addition to her international performing career, Buechner serves as piano chair of Greenwich House Music School, professor of piano at Temple University and adjunct professor at New York University. A dedicated educator, advocate and longtime Yamaha Artist, she continues to inspire audiences around the globe through performances of remarkable artistry and imagination. The afternoon’s program highlights Buechner’s exceptional range as an interpreter, opening with Mozart’s dramatic Fantasy and Sonata in C Minor, K. 475/457 and continuing with Weber’s expansive and virtuosic Sonata in C Major, op. 24. Ravel’s elegant Valses nobles et sentimentales and Poulenc’s colorful, imaginative Les Soirées de Nazelles complete a recital rich in character, sophistication and expressive depth.  This performance is made possible by Marjorie and John Lewis in honor of John O’Conor. Program Wolfgang Amadeus MozartFantasy and Sonata in C Minor KV 475/457Carl Maria von WeberSonata in C Major, op. 24Maurice RavelValses Nobles et SentimentalesFrancis PoulencLes Soirées de Nazelles Pre-concert Talk Sunday, October 25 at 1:30PM | Armstrong Concert Hall Join us on the Sunday of each World of the Piano performance at 1:30PM in Armstrong Concert Hall for a Pre-Concert Talk! Learn about the artist’s program from Shenandoah Conservatory faculty and special guests. Piano Masterclass Monday, October 26 at 10AM | Armstrong Concert Hall Observe the guest artists as they work with Shenandoah Conservatory piano students. Masterclasses are typically held on the Monday following each World of the Piano performance from 10AM to noon in Armstrong Concert Hall. Limited seating is open to the public for quiet observation. Please arrive by 9:45AM. Join the Piano Society Join Friends of the Conservatory at the Ally level or above and designate your gift to World of the Piano to become a member of our Piano Society! In addition to being listed in each World of the Piano program, members receive all Ally benefits plus access to exclusive Piano Society events. Join the Piano Society

Shenandoah University Center for the Arts Groundbreaking Armstrong Concert Hall Observe Sara Davis Buechner’s masterclass with our keyboard students. Limited seating is open to the public for quiet observation. Please arrive by 9:45AM. Join the Piano Society Join Friends of the Conservatory at the Ally level or above and designate your gift to World of the Piano to become a member of our Piano Society! In addition to being listed in each World of the Piano program, members receive all Ally benefits plus access to exclusive Piano Society events. Join the Piano Society

Cellist Julian Schwarz and pianist Marika Bournaki perform works by Arthur Foote and Michael Ippolito.

Shenandoah University Center for the Arts Groundbreaking Goodson Chapel – Recital Hall Faculty Recital America @ 250: Arthur Foote Album Release Celebrate the richness of American music through an evening featuring cellist Julian Schwarz and pianist Marika Bournaki. Highlighting the release of their new Delos recording, Arthur Foote’s Complete Cello Works (available August 28), the recital features Foote’s Three Pieces, op. 1, Michael Ippolito’s Sonata for Cello and Piano — written especially for Schwarz and Bournaki — and Julian Schwarz’s arrangement of Korngold’s beloved Much Ado about Nothing Suite, op. 11. Spanning lyrical Romanticism and vibrant contemporary voices, this special program celebrates the enduring artistry and evolution of American classical music.

Shenandoah University Center for the Arts Groundbreaking Goodson Chapel – Recital Hall Presented in an intimate candlelight setting, The Naghash Ensemble of Armenia creates an immersive musical experience unlike any other. Created by Armenian-American composer John Hodian and inspired by sacred texts from medieval Armenian mystic and priest Mkrtich Naghash, the ensemble’s music blends the earthy spirituality of folk song with new classical music, contemporary post-minimalism and the energy of jazz and rock. Three luminous female vocalists joined by master musicians on duduk, oud, dhol and piano form this internationally acclaimed ensemble, creating a sound world that feels both ancient and strikingly contemporary. Profoundly moving and deeply immersive, Songs of Exile offers an evening of reflection, beauty and transcendent musical storytelling — part folk music, part classical and wholly unforgettable. An enchanting elixir of sounds based on new Armenian folk and centuries-old poetry”– KEXP A moment of grace and meditation”– Rolling Stone This engagement of The Naghash Ensemble of Armenia is made possible in part through the Mid Atlantic Presenter Initiatives program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Support Performing Arts Live Performing Arts Live (PAL) is supported in part by the L.P. “Skip” and Anne Hughes Hill Visiting Artist Endowment, honoring the legacy of L.P. “Skip” Hill and Anne Hughes Hill. Making a donation to the Hill Visiting Artist Endowment grows support for Performing Arts Live. Learn More & Give Now