Pianist Julian Dawson Returns to Illinois State for ISU and Beethoven

The Illinois State University Symphony Orchestra will open its 2007-2008 performance season at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, with the return of former orchestra conductor and Professor Emeritus Julian Dawson in a performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4.

The concert, which is part of the School of Music’s Gold Series, will take place in the Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall.  General admission is $6, faculty-staff admission is $5 and students and senior citizens are $4.  Children 6 and younger are free.

The Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Glenn Block, also will perform Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2.

Dawson is currently a senior lecturer of piano at Northwestern University School of Music.  After beginning his performing and conducting career in England and Scotland, Dawson joined the Illinois State Music faculty in 1975 and retired in 2001.  In addition to teaching piano, Dawson was a frequent solo and chamber performer in the Twin Cities and conducted the Symphony Orchestra for several years.  He has been an adjunct faculty member at Northwestern since 1996.

Dawson has performed and recorded the complete Piano Sonatas of Beethoven three times since 1970 and has appeared frequently as recital and concerto soloist both in Europe and the United States.  He is also well known as a chamber music specialist.