First established in 2015, Piano Day is celebrated annually on the 88th day of the year – the number of keys on the instrument. Since then, the event is now well-known around the world with concerts from Melbourne and Buenos Aires to Paris and Hong Kong. This year Richwood joins this roster of host cities with a recital featuring three young prodigies at Harrison Township Historical Society’s Richwood Academy Cultural Center, Sunday, March 29 at 3 PM.
Edward Ojard, Samuel Cronk and Conan Yang have prepared a program of two and four-hand pieces for the afternoon concert. All three have studied with Rowan University’s Veda Zuponic and have distinguished themselves at numerous piano competitions.Ojard leads off the recital with a selection of works by Mozart, Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky. He started playing at three years old composing his own music since he was four. At fifteen he participated in the American Protégé International Piano and String competition through which he earned the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall.
Like their colleague, piano duettists Samuel Cronk and Conan Yang both began playing at an early age and have won competitions with solo and duet repertoire. They will be performing their winning program of four-hand works by Mozart, Lutoslawski and Ravel. One of the Cultural Center’s goals is to provide the public with opportunities to hear and learn about emerging young artists like Ojard, Cronk and Yang. The National Piano Day recital promises to be an exciting afternoon of music in the historic and intimate salon setting at the Academy.
Admission is free with the support of the Gloucester County Cultural and Heritage Commission at Rowan College of South Jersey in partnership with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State and National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey Historical Commission/Department of State.
The Cultural Center is located at 836 Lambs Road in Richwood, NJ. The concert will also be livestreamed and archived at the Harrison Township Historical Society’s Facebook page and posted on YouTube. Information is available at harrisonhistorical.com, hthsmhnj@gmail.com and 856-478-4949.
