Pianist, storyteller Kolb to perform Wednesday night at Gobin Festival

Courtesy photo
Justin Kolb will be performing at the Greencastle Summer Music Festival Wednesday.

After last week's rousing opening concert with more than 200 people in attendance, the Greencastle Summer Music Festival continues Wednesday with a 7:30 p.m. performance by acclaimed concert pianist and storyteller Justin Kolb.

The free concert, at Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church, is supported by donations from individuals, businesses, a special endowment at the Putnam County Community Foundation and the Inn at DePauw.

"When I heard that the festival's motto is 'bringing the community together with friends making music for friends,' I was delighted," Kolb said. "So I've titled my program 'Some of My Best Friends Are ...' and in it I'll tell stories about how composers from Liszt to Chopin to Copland and Bernstein have been my musical friends for a lifetime, as well as how friendships between composers impact their personal and creative lives."

Kolb will also be speaking to the Greencastle Rotary Club at its Wednesday meeting.

Heralded by the New York Times for his "decisive and persuasive playing," "exuberance and confident attack on the keyboard" and "spiritedness and a flashy technique," Kolb is also known as a speaker, educator and arts advocate. Klavier (the top journal for pianists) featured him in its cover story "A Crusader for Music," and reported that he performs 65 recital programs a year along with visits to 15 universities and 30 or more K-12 schools.

Kolb's unusual programming has wide appeal with interesting and often humorous commentary. The pianist has appeared as soloist at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City, as well as Chicago's Orchestra Hall and the Alte Halle of the University of Heidelberg.

His traditional repertoire ranges from Galuppi to Barber with special programs of Beethoven and Liszt. Kolb cites German Diez as his most important musical influence. The former student and assistant to Claudio Arrau, German Diez, is a close friend, mentor, teacher and artistic adviser.

An alumnus of DePaul University in Chicago Kolb studied with Herman Shapiro, Alexander Tcherepnine and Paul Stacevich.

Kolb's favorite topic of conversation involves "the innate entrepreneurism of musicians."

"Music education of young people is a shortcut to intellectual development and the key to a happy life," he says.

The Greencastle Summer Music Festival will continue on Wednesday, June 10 with a special concert, co-sponsored by DePauw School of Music, by the world-renowned Silk Road Ensemble in Kresge Auditorium in the Judson and Joyce Green Center for the Performing Arts at DePauw.

More information on the festival is online at www.greencastlemusic.org and www.facebook.com/greencastlesummermusic.