Piano Prodigy Drew Petersen Performs at Parrish Art Museum

The Parrish Art Museum will feature 24-year-old Drew Petersen at their May 4 edition of the Salon Series concert program. Petersen is a former child prodigy who was presented at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall when he was just 5 years old.

Salon Series offers multi-award winning, world-class artists performing in an intimate, casual setting that evokes the salons of Paris. Concerts have a unique format where performers offer insight about their program, and attendees have the opportunity to meet and talk with the musicians after the music.

Winner of the 2017 American Pianists Awards and the Christel DeHaan Fellowship of the American Pianists Association, Petersen was also a prizewinner in the Leeds International Piano Competition, the Hilton Head International Piano Competition, Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competition, and the New York Frederic Chopin Piano Competition. He graduated cum laude from Harvard at age 19 and did his undergraduate and graduate music studies at the Juilliard School, where he was accepted into the Artist Diploma program.

On May 4, Petersen’s program unfolds chronologically, beginning with two well-known works of the Romantic period. First, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 5 in C Minor, which the composer completed by 1798, features what is considered to be one of Beethoven’s most glorious slow movements. Following that, Petersen will perform two works by Frédéric Chopin: Fantasie in F Minor, op. 49 (1841), recognized as one of the composer’s greatest works, and Scherzo No. 2.

After a brief intermission, Petersen will delve into the 20^th century with works by American composers:  Fantasy Pieces, op. 6 (1912-1915) by Charles Tomlinson Griffes, probably the most famous American Impressionist, and Samuel Barber’s 1949 virtuosic showpiece, Piano Sonata in E-flat Minor, op. 26.

“Salon Series continues to bring exciting talent in classical and contemporary music from all over the world to the Parrish,” Parrish Director Terrie Sultan says. “In the Museum’s intimate setting, performers engage in a dialogue with the audience, talking about their approach to interpretation and program selection.”

See Drew Petersen’s Salon Series performance on Friday, May 4 at 6 p.m. at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill (279 Montauk Highway).

This Friday’s Salon Series, on April 27, feature Dorian Wind Quintet at 6 p.m. Following Peterson’s performance next week, the May 11 Salon Series brings pianist Inna Faliks to the Parrish, also at 6 p.m.

Call 631-283-2118 or visit parrishart.org for tickets and info.