Composer Franz Josef Haydn
As part of a seven-concert tour through the Midwest, Pianist John Mckay returns to Gustavus Adolphus College to present a solo recital on Saturday, September 26, at 7:30 p.m. in Björling Recital Hall. McKay’s concert tour is part of a year-long celebration of the music of Franz Josef Haydn who died 200 years ago this year.
McKay, a native of Montreal, taught piano and music history at Gustavus for twenty-eight years. In addition to concert series which included performances of the complete works for piano by Johannes Brahms and the 32 piano sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven, John was founder and artistic director of the Minnesota Valley Sommarfest. He has performed as piano soloist with the Mankato Symphony Orchestra and has presented recitals throughout Europe and the United States.
For this program, John McKay opens the recital with the Franz Josef Haydn’s Sonata in C major followed by Beethoven’s Sonata in E flat major. Following intermission, he returns to the stage to present Chopin’s Barcarolle in F sharp major and concludes the performance with the six-movement Le Tombeau de Couperin by Maurice Ravel.
Saturday’s piano recital by Professor Emeritis John McKay is free and open to the public. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in Jussi Björling Recital Hall. A reception for Dr. McKay follows the recital and will be held in the lobby of the recital hall.