(PRINCETON, NJ) -- The monthly series Westminster Conservatory at Nassau will present faculty pianist Clipper Erickson in a recital of music by African American composers on April 20, 2023 at 12:15pm. The recital will take place in the Niles Chapel of Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street, Princeton, New Jersey. The event is free and open to the public; masking is optional.
The program comprises Nathaniel Dett's suite In the Bottoms, as well as the Sonata in E Minor by Florence Price.
Described as "one of the finest pianists of his generation” by Fanfare magazine, Erickson made his debut at age 19 as soloist with the Young Musicians Foundation Orchestra. Having studied at The Juilliard School, Yale University and Indiana University, he has trained with renowned musicians such as John Ogdon and Alexander Fiorillo.
Erickson has won top prizes at the Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition and The William Kapell International Piano Competition and Festival. In 2016, Gramophone UK honored Erickson’s recording, My Cup Runneth Over – the Complete Piano Works of R. Nathaniel Dett, as a critic’s choice and best album of the year.
Erickson is active in premiering and recording new works, most recently the moving and tragic Sonata 10 - Aleppo, by Zurich-based composer Laurie Altman. His latest album, Tableau, Tempest and Tango, features the piano sonatas of Russian émigré David Finko and Temple University composer emeritus Richard Brodhead.
A faculty member of both Westminster Conservatory and Temple University, Erickson is committed to encouraging the love of music in future generations of musicians.
Westminster Conservatory at Nassau will present the final recital of the season on May 18, featuring flutist John Lane with Kathy Shanklin, piano.
This program is made possible in part by the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission through funding from the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Established in 1970, Westminster Conservatory is the community music school of Rider University. Welcoming young musicians of all ages, skill levels, instrument preferences and economic backgrounds, Westminster Conservatory provides focused one-on-one lessons. In addition, the Conservatory offers a wide range of classes and performing ensembles to engage every student, from the beginner to young maestros, regardless of age. Westminster Conservatory of Music is a nationally recognized institution, maintaining active membership in the National Guild for Community Arts Education.
