Professor awarded by Lawrence Public Library
Piano professor receives grant to study with renowned pianist Earl Wild

Professor awarded by Lawrence Public Library

At an annual meeting held on April 24, the Friends of the Lawrence Public Library announced Liz Kowalchuk as the recipient of the Mary Dalton Murphy Volunteer Award. Named for Mary Dalton Murphy, the late head of Reference at the Lawrence Public Library, who was herself a volunteer with the Friends organization, the award is given annually to Friends volunteers who have given their support throughout the years in many different ways.

KU piano professor receives grant to study with renowned pianist Earl Wild

Steven Spooner, KU assistant professor of piano, is the winner of an Ivory Classics Foundation Grant.

This grant is given to outstanding young pianists to provide free study, travel and lodging to study with distinguished American pianist Earl Wild. Wild is a Grammy-winning pianist known for his interpretations of Romantic-period composers, such as Liszt. He is now 93 years old.

Spooner coached an all-Liszt recital with Mr. Wild in March of 2008 in preparation for concerts and a recording on Liszt’s piano, now owned by the Spencer Museum of Art.

About Professor Spooner:
Steven Spooner has performed at a host of prestigious venues such as the Salle Cortot, Holland's Vredenburg Centre, Budapest's Great Hall of the Liszt Academy, Geneva's Fête de la Musique, Carnegie Recital Hall and numerous halls across Europe, Latin America, South America, and the United States.

Spooner is a top winner at both the Hilton Head International Piano Competition and the Artlivre International Piano Competition. He also holds prizes from the New Orleans International Piano Competition and was awarded First Prize and recipient of the Niekamp career grant as most outstanding pianist at the Paris Conservatory. He is an active chamber collaborator and has performed with distinguished partners including, international bass sensation Daxun Zhang, former Philadelphia Orchestra Trombonist, M. Dee Stewart, and prize-winning violinist Leor Maltinsky.

Dr. Spooner has released two solo recordings of works by Schubert and Liszt on EMR Classics and has recorded a large portion of the standard vocal literature for the Everythingmusic label. Steven has studied at Loyola University, Paris Conservatory, Moscow and Tbilisi Conservatories in the former Soviet Union, and has completed his doctorate at Indiana University, Bloomington. He has served as guest artist-in-residence at the Paris Conservatory Summer Sessions, Coordinator of Accompanying at Indiana University, and Assistant Professor at the University of Idaho. A dedicated teacher, Steven currently serves as Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of Kansas and specializes in workshops and lectures on piano literature, great pianists of the past, and practice rehabilitation.

Visit the School of Fine Arts Web site for more information.