News
Pianist J.J. Penna to perform on Feb. 23
Center Stage presents guest artist collaborative pianist J.J. Penna in performance with Tennessee Tech University assistant professor of music Chris Reames at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23, in Wattenbarger Auditorium.
The pair will be performing selected songs by Franz Schubert, Claude Debussy's "Fêtes galantes books 1 and 2" with texts by Paul Verlaine, and Benjamin Britten's set of songs titled "Winter Words" with texts by Thomas Hardy.
Penna is also leading a master class open to the public, featuring select Tech voice majors, on Monday, Feb. 21, at 7:30 pm in Wattenbarger, which focuses on unpacking song texts to improve interpretation and delivery.
He will also give a 45-minute lecture on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at noon in the Bryan Fine Arts building, room 374, examining poems by Thomas Hardy and Paul Verlaine that have been set to music.
Penna has performed extensively with a variety of eminent singers, including Kathleen Battle, Harolyn Blackwell, Measha Brueggergosman, David Daniels, Denyce Graves, Ying Huang, Susan Narucki, Roberta Peters, Florence Quivar and Andreas Scholl.
He has been heard at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., at Weil Hall and Merkin Recital Hall in New York City, at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, in Seiji Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood, as well as on concert tours throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, the Far East, South America and the former Soviet Union.
Penna has held fellowships at the Tanglewood Music Center, Banff Center, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Music Academy of the West and San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program. He received his training under Martin Katz, Margo Garrett and Diane Richardson.
Devoted to the teaching of classical song literature, he has been on the faculties of the Yale University School of Music, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, the Bowdoin Festival, Westminster Choir College and Vancouver International Song Institute.
He currently teaches at the Juilliard School, the Steans Institute of the Ravinia Festival, the Renee Fleming Song Studio at Carnegie Hall and the New England Conservatory.
Penna was the guest faculty at the 2021 Schmidt Vocal Institute.
Center Stage events are paid by student fees and open to the public with priority seating given to students. Many guests provide additional educational opportunities for students through workshops or master classes during their residencies. Email or call Liz Kassera, Center Stage coordinator, for more information at lkassera@tentech.edu or (931) 372-3637.
Wattenbarger Auditorium is located in the Bryan Fine Arts Building, 1150 N. Dixie Ave., Cookeville.
