Richard Marx to headline piano conference at Raue Center
Submitted by Raue Center for the Arts
The Raue Center for the Arts has announced the lineup for its second annual National Piano Conference.
Richard Marx will headline the big event. The multitalented artist has sold more than 30 million albums, scored 14 chart-topping singles and, as a songwriter, earned a Grammy for song of the year. The conference runs June 27-30. Richard Marx will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 29.
As a performer, songwriter and producer, Richard Marx’s nearly three-decade-long career has had plenty of highlights. The Chicago native has sold more than 30 million albums, starting with his self-titled debut, which went to No. 8 and spawned four Top 5 singles, including the chart-topping “Hold on to the Nights,” with “Don’t Mean Nothing” earning him a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance-Male. The follow-up, 1989’s Repeat Offender, was even more successful, hitting No. 1 and going quadruple-platinum with two No. 1 singles in “Satisfied” and “Right Here Waiting.” Marx achieved a seven-year string of triumphs that rivaled any in pop-rock music history. To this day, he is the only male artist in history to have his first seven singles reach the Top 5 on the Billboard charts.
Marx also launched a second, successful, incarnation as a songwriter and producer, with songs like “To Where You Are,” the first hit single from Josh Groban’s debut album, as well as the NSYNC smash, “This I Promise You.” He went on to earn a 2004 Song of the Year Grammy for co-authoring Luther Vandross’ “Dance with My Father,” then accompanied Celine Dion live on piano for her performance of the winning tune on that year’s prime-time telecast. He has penned songs for the likes of Barbra Streisand, Vince Gill, LeAnn Rimes, Natalie Cole, Travis Tritt, Daughtry, Lifehouse and actor Hugh Jackman, among many others. Marx has songs he either wrote or cowrote go No. 1 in four separate decades.
On Thursday, June 27, the Raue Center For The Arts presents the first Dean Malsack Youth Piano Competition. The competition is open to all nonprofessional youth pianists, ages 10-18. Applications are now being accepted and due no later than May 31. Prizes will be awarded in Junior Division and Senior Division. For registration and details, visit www.rauecenter.org.
Also on June 27, “Exploring the Piano, One Key at a Time” is a music course taught by Michael Pecak. Students, teachers, those new to classical music, lifelong music lovers and pianophiles are welcome and encouraged to attend. There will be a question-and-answer segment afterward — come with questions. For a full course description, visit www.rauecenter.org.
Also, there will be the Youth Winner’s Circle at 7 p.m., suggested donation. The Youth Winner’s Circle Concert features the top six winners of the inaugural Dean Malsack Youth Piano Competition. The contest will be judged by Julian Dawson. Interested in competing? The competition is open to all nonprofessional student pianists ages 10-18. Applications are due May 31. For complete details, visit rauecenter.org. There is a suggested donation at the door.
On Friday, June 28, the Nashville BBQ will be at 6 p.m. Cost is $25. Join a special summer fundraiser to help support Raue Center’s musical outreach programs. Your ticket includes BBQ fare and one drink. Be sure to stick around for “Nashville Backstage: A Country Cabaret” after the event. Tickets are available starting at $24. This special event will also feature a cake-baking contest. To make your reservation or to purchase tickets, call the box office at (815) 356-9212.
The Nashville Backstage Series: A Country Cabaret will be at 8 p.m. Tickets are $24-$32. Nashville Backstage offers an opportunity to look inside the minds of the songwriters, who have given so many artists the pulse of their music. The final date of the season features Angela Kaset, Don Henry Dennis Matkosky, who wrote “She’s a Maniac” from the blockbuster movie “Flashdance.”
On Saturday, June 29, Richard Marx will perform at 8 p.m. Tickets are $49-$56.
On Sunday, June 30, enjoy “An Evening with Danny Wright” at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 day of. He will present an evening specially designed for the Raue Center, with pieces chosen from his eclectic repertoire, and including classical favorites, Broadway and film hits, and his own original solo piano compositions, all interspersed with heartwarming stories of the lives and loves captured in his music.
For a conference pass good for all the events, contact Kate Wilford, general manager, at (815) 356- 9010, ext. 10, or by email at kwilford@rauecenter.org. Tickets are on sale now online via rauecenter.org, and through the box office at 26 N. Williams St. or by calling (815) 356-9212.