Nancy Davis
and
Sharon Johnson
“Music by Two”
… an evening of music for two pianos
Alumni Recital
January 8, 2007
7:30 pm
Recital Hall, School of Music
Program
Four-Handed Fun for Two Pianos Louise Talma
(1906-1996)
**North Carolina Premiere
Three Lullabies, Op. 76 Lowell Liebermann
I. Con moto (b. 1961)
II. Andante
III. Lento
**North Carolina Premiere
Variations on a Theme by Paganini Witold Lutosławski
(1913-1994)
Intermission
Suite No. 2, Op. 17 Sergei Rachmaninoff
I. Introduction (1873-1943)
II. Waltz
III. Romance
IV. Tarantella
_____
The hall is equipped with a listening assistance system.
Patrons needing such assistance should contact an usher in the lobby.
Nancy Davis, a much sought-after accompanist, is known for
offering a varied palette of colors and flare. Performing an average
of 50 concerts a year, she has performed in the North Carolina area
with University of North Carolina-Greensboro faculty Dr. Randy
Kohlenberg, Dr. Dennis AsKew and Dr. Deborah Egekvist; in
Wooster, Ohio as part of the First Friday concert series; and in New
York recitals with Phyllis Tektonidis and Dr. Edward Bach, with whom
she recently released a CD entitled Contrast. Mrs. Davis has
collaborated with many upcoming young protégés in competitions
such as the 32nd International Trombone Festival in Helsinki, Finland;
the National Solo Competition at the Eastern Trombone Workshop in
Washington, DC; the IMA/HOGG National Young Artists Competition
in Houston; the National Trumpet Competition at George Mason
University; the NASA Conference; NATS; and the MTNA National
Competition. She served as one of the official accompanists for the
2003 International Double Reed Society Conference; during that
conference she gave the World Premiere of the piano/bassoon version of Franciso Mignoni’s
Concertino for Bassoon and Orchestra. As well, she serves on a continuing basis as one of the
official accompanists for the NATS competition. Beginning March 2007, Mrs. Davis will begin her
tenure as one of the official accompanists for the National Trumpet Competition in Washington,
DC. In addition, she has been actively involved in a number of other premieres: Vagn Holmboe’s
Sonata for Trombone and Piano with Carsten Svanberg, trombone; and Sonata for Trombone and
Piano by Eddie Bass, with Daniel Rice, trombone. After coachings with the composer, Mrs. Davis
and Renee Sokol, soprano, gave the world premiere of songs for voice and piano by Joyce
Suskind (recorded on the CD New York Women Composers). During February 2007, along with
cellist Brian Hodges, she will give the world premiere of a new work by George Kiorpes,
Rhapsody in F minor, for piano and cello. Mrs. Davis has participated in masterclasses with
Martin Katz, Jean Barr, Barbara Lister-Sink, Julie DeRoches, Raaf Hekkema from the Dutch
Reed Quintet Calefax, Johnathan Helton, and Eugene Rousseau.
Mrs. Davis is one half of the duo piano team, Music By Two, with pianist Sharon Johnson. Since
the spring of 2005, Music By Two has given the western New York, North Carolina, and Ohio
premieres of Eric Ewazen’s Sonata for Two Pianos. In March 2007, the duo will premiere a
recently re-discovered four-hand piano work by Louise Talma in a concert at the Library of
Congress, as well as the two piano version of that work at the University of Maryland.
Mrs. Davis received both the Bachelor of Music and the Master of Music in Piano Performance
from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Her teachers have included Marvin
Blickenstaff and George Kiorpes. In addition to maintaining a private piano studio in Greensboro,
North Carolina, she has served as Musical Director of the Young Artists Opera Theater and on
the faculties of Greensboro College; Elon University; Guest Lecturer for Song Repertoire at UNC-Greensboro;
the UNC-Greensboro Community School; and is a regular faculty member of the
UNC-Greensboro Summer Music Camp. Currently, she is a member of the piano faculty at
Salem College Community Music School.
Pianist, Sharon Johnson has been heard with the Greensboro
Symphony and the Greensboro Philharmonia; in guest artist
recitals at the North Carolina Museum of Art and Dickinson
State University; at the Baltimore Composers Forum in
Maryland (premiering several new music works); and at the
First Friday concert series (Wooster, Ohio).She is actively
involved in the premieres of new works on a regular basis: in
fall 2003, she gave the Minnesota premiere of Ned Rorem's
chamber work, Aftermath. Along with baritone, David Klassen,
she initiated a new concert series for young artists in Steinbach,
Manitoba. Recently, Miss Johnson gave the world premiere of
Juliana Hall's Peacock Pie (for solo piano) as well as Hall's
Songs of Enchantment (with soprano, Carrie Shaw) at the
Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis. She has performed in
recital with Immanuel Davis, professor of flute at the University
of Minnesota. Miss Johnson served as invited pianist for the master classes of Keith Underwood
at the University of Minnesota, and Eugene Rousseau at Shell Lake, Wisconsin. In addition she
has served as one of the official accompanists for the International Tuba/Euphonium Conference
and the International Double Reed Society Conference (which included the premiere of Richard
Faith’s Trio for Bassoon, Oboe, and Piano). As primary keyboard/assistant director of the
Continental Singers she has toured the United States, Asia, and Europe. She has performed in
master classes and coachings of Nathaniel Rosen, Alexa Still, Emmanuel Pahud, Sherrill Milnes,
Håkan Håkagaard, Martin Isepp, Martin Amlin, Ken Griffiths, Anne Epperson, Jean Barr, and
Pierre Valleé. During 2002-2003 Miss Johnson was pianist for the Ted Mann Vocal Quartet of the
University of Minnesota, with performances in Iowa, Minnesota, and on Minnesota Public Radio.
In addition to recital collaborations with colleagues, Miss Johnson is one half of the duo piano
team, Music By Two, with pianist Nancy Davis. Since the spring of 2005, Music By Two has
given the western New York, North Carolina, and Ohio premieres of Eric Ewazen’s Sonata for
Two Pianos. In March 2007, the duo will premiere a recently re-discovered four-hand piano work
by Louise Talma in a concert at the Library of Congress, as well as the two piano version of that
work at the University of Maryland. Their repertoire includes compositions that range in style
from romantic to 20th century to sacred. Recently, Miss Johnson has formed a partnership with
saxophonist Chisato Eda. They perform together as Duo du Soleil.
Educated at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Miss Johnson received both the
Bachelor and Masters degrees in piano performance. She has held faculty positions at
Greensboro College as coach/accompanist for the opera workshop productions; The Music
Center of Greensboro, as a private instructor; Director/Instructor at the Wesleyan Institute of
Music and Arts; faculty member of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro's Summer
Piano Camp; and piano/collaborative faculty member of the Vivace String Camp. Professor
Johnson is near completion of her DMA (ABD, spring 2007)
in accompanying and coaching from the University of Minnesota with Margo Garrett and Tim
Lovelace, where she was a teaching assistant and Denny Scholar. Her dissertation examines
text choice/setting in the music of Judith Zaimont, Libby Larsen, and Juliana Hall. Currently, Miss
Johnson is assistant professor of piano and accompanying at Houghton College.
