Piano Four Hands: Heather Conner and Caleb Harris

Newlywed piano virtuosi Heather Conner and Caleb Harris to present a recital of Romantic duets on February 16, 2014 as part of the Sundays@7 Faculty Recital Series. With four hands and one piano, Conner and Harris will perform the works of Romantic era composers Schubert, Barber, Brahms, and Dvořák.

Performing Schubert’s Fantasy in F Minor for Piano Four-Hands is the tour de force of the program, which also features Barber’s Souvenirs for Four Hands. An American ballet suite, Souvenirs is a collection of eclectic dances, including a Schottische, a Pas-de-Deux and a Tango. The duo will also feature Brahms’ Hungarian Dances No. 4 and 6 and selected Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances, which are light folk-dance inspired pieces. 

The couple first met in 2011 while Harris was teaching at the University of Northern Colorado and Conner was invited as a guest artist. "By the time that purely professional engagement ended, there was a personal energy we wanted to explore — and obviously, we did, so here we are," said Harris. They were married in June.

Conner, who is currently Professor of Piano at the University of Utah, has been critically acclaimed for her “luminous artistry” and “ intelligent, articulate, and dynamic playing.” She has presented solo and collaborative performances throughout the United States, Russia, Austria, Canada, and Korea. A Steinway Artist, Conner is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, Yale University, and the Curtis Institute of Music.

Harris, an accomplished pianist, chamber musician, conductor, and vocal coach has conducted and presented solo and collaborative performances throughout the United States, Asia, Europe, and in the Middle East. After graduating from the Eastman School of Music, Harris served as Associate Professor of Music (Piano Performance and Collaborative Piano) at the University of Northern Colorado. He is the newly appointed chorus master and assistant conductor of Utah Opera.

Conner and Harris will perform on Sunday, February 16, 2014, at 7:00pm in Libby Gardner Concert Hall, and is free to the public. 

ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC

The University of Utah School of Music offers a comprehensive program of music study on both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The School of Music educates professionally-oriented students across the musical spectrum through rigorous musical and academic experiences; serves the art of music through performance, composition, research and publication; and functions as the state’s center for intellectual, educational, and cultural musical activities. It has been an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music since 1952.