AUGUSTA — Pianist Masanobu Ikemiya will present a piano recital with commentary, “Classics to Ragtime,” at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 6, at the University of Maine at Augusta, Jewett Auditorium, as part of the Concerts at Jewett Series.

The first half of Ikemiya’s program will be devoted to classical music and the second half will include Ragtime music. There will be historical visual images from the Ragtime era and Ikemiya’s experiences from his past world tour.

Ikemiya, a classically trained pianist, came to Maine in 1972 to join a Zen Buddhist monastery in Surry where he was a practicing monk for 10 years. Ikemiya developed an interest in American ragtime music while volunteering at a homeless shelter started by Mother Teresa in Harlem. He is founder and leader of the New York Ragtime Orchestra with which he toured frequently in the United States and Japan and founder of Maine’s Arcady Music Festival. He has appeared in solo recitals at New York’s Lincoln Center and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Since 1995, he has toured yearly as guest artist with members of the New York Philharmonic in Japan and appeared with them at the 50th Anniversary Gala celebration at the United Nations. He received an award from the United Nations for promoting world peace through music.

Tickets cost $10 for adults, $5 for students and are free for children 12 and younger. Tickets are available at Pat’s Pizza in Augusta, Apple Valley Books in Winthrop and at the door. The concert is sponsored by the University of Maine at Augusta College of Arts and Sciences and UMA Senior College. Snow date will be Jan. 13. For more information, call 621-3551, email umasc@maine.edu or visit www.concertsatjewett.com.


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